1. Charity Talk - Successful Leadership
Camila Batmanghelidjh,
Chief Executive, Kids Company
Ruth Lesirge,
Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness
Chair: Professor Ian Bruce

2. The Question….
How can we make the most of learning from our
exceptional leaders?
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

3. Leading Kids Company
Integrative approach
‘emotional vocational leadership’
 spiritually driven
No compromises re ethics and principles
Total focus is on the children
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

4. Leading Kids Company
Resulting characteristics of the organisation:
 Motivated and committed workforce
 High initial investment in staff training & quality provision
 Fluid organisational structure
 Holistic approach – to physical, intellectual, emotional needs
 Working from practice to create theoretical understandings
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

5. A Definition of leadership
“Consistently achieving results beyond expectations by creating a
climate in which others can shine” *
 Applies to leadership in an organisation
 Applies to leader at any level within an organisation
 Assumes leader’s motives are honourable (excludes tyrannical leaders)
‘ Expectations’ – of team members, the organisation, stakeholders
 ‘Others’ primarily team members, also colleagues,external partners etc
‘ Creating a climate…’ ref. Complete Leadership, S. Bloch & P.
Whiteley)
*www.knowhownonprofit.org Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

6. A Definition of leadership
“Consistently achieving results beyond expectations by creating a
climate in which others can shine” *
Key actions required to make this happen:
 Build trust
 Demonstrate courage
 Challenge
 Provide focus
 Communicate effectively
*www.knowhownonprofit.org
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

7. Thinking about learning from Camila’s
leadership …
Theoretical models of leadership are helpful in encapsulating aspects of
skills, knowledge and behaviours.
Each model offers only a partial view – as through one turn of the
kaleidoscope.
Useful to inform thinking about and learning from Camila’s leadership
style
Come on the journey with me as far as I have got……
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

8. PETER DRUCKER:
What makes an effective executive?
Regardless of their style, effective executives…..
 Ask “what needs to be done?”
 Ask “what is right for the enterprise?”
 Develop action plans
 Take responsibility for decisions
 Take responsibility for communicating
 Focus on opportunities rather than problems
 Run productive meetings
 Say and think “we” rather than “I”
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

9. JAMES KOUZES & BARRY POSNER :
Exemplary Leadership
5 practices:
1 MODEL the way
2 INSPIRE a shared vision
3 CHALLENGE the process
4 ENABLE others to act
5 ENCOURAGE the heart
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

10. WARREN BENNIS :
Four leadership competencies
1 Management of attention – does not waste time
2 Management of meaning – makes things intelligible and tangible
3 Management of trust – people know what the leader believes and stands for
4 Management of self – knows own skills (& weaknesses); deploys them
effectively
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

11. JOHN ADAIR :
action centred leadership
Achieve the
task
Develop
Motivate the
the
team
Individual
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

12. R. GOFFEE & G. JONES:
4 qualities of inspirational leaders
1. Selectively show their weaknesses
2. Rely on intuition re appropriate timing and course of actions (aided
by ability to collect & interpret soft data)
3. Manage staff with tough empathy; care intensely about the work
staff do
4. Reveal their difference and capitalise on it
NB. What is special is ability to capture ‘hearts and minds’, not just
grow the business
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

13. The 4 Quadrant model of leadership
Charismatic
Enabler
More Less
codified codified
controls controls
Systematic
Enabler
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

14. The 4 Quadrant model of leadership
The model suggests:
 The more charismatic the leadership style, the less
codified controls are likely to be
 Autonomy for key people in the organisation
 A high level of delegation to the CE by the Board
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008

15. Learning from exceptional leaders
 There are endless variations of how people lead
 There are skills, knowledge and behaviours that leaders can learn
and/or improve
 It is essential to ‘live’ the core values
 Emotional intelligence is an important attribute
Ruth Lesirge December 2008

16. So what….?
Our ambition should be to :
 Recognise their gifts
 Celebrate their achievements
 Be generous about their shortcomings
 Not to copy but to learn from their work
 Work out how to craft a personal leadership style which has
personal authenticity
Ruth Lesirge, December 2008