The University of Guelph’s Centre for the Study of Leadership holds a conference next week for civil servants, academics and other experts in the field of leadership in the public service. I’ll be speaking to that group on Friday May 4.
I’m spending the weekend trying to figure out what to say. I will likely talk about the relationship between the media and Stephen Harper, both in Opposition and now as Prime Minister, and see if conference attendees and I can learn anything about leadership — both Harper’s and among media organizations — from that examination.
Happy to hear your thoughts on that broad theme — directly to me or in the comments section below.
David – I would argue that there hasn't been real leadership in Canada for at least twenty or thirty years, just politicking.
Since the Trudeau era we've seen one politician after another who stood for little or nothing of substance, except that they wanted power.
Harper is just the latest example of a politician who will promise anything to get elected, even though there isn't the slightest intention of following through.
When was the last time that a Canadian politician stood for something concrete, and which was for the better good of the Nation, and was willing to stake their career on that belief?
Regarding Harper and media relations – are we so tied to precedents or past practice in Canada that organizations can't adapt to a style of leadership/communications that break with those precedents? I would expect a dynamic leader to do exactly that, lead in their own way, not meekly follow in other's footsteps. Coming from a naval background, I'm a big believer in tradition, but we can't allow tradition to rule absolute.
“Happy to hear your thoughts on that broad theme — directly to me or in the comments section below.”
I would say that you need to define the leadership you are discussing before you can discuss it. Otherwise I would expect just get a mish mash of everyone's a leader and no one's a leader once you add up all the opinions.