by Jonathan Gifford | Feb 11, 2012 | Leaders from History
One of the most difficult tasks that a leader may face is to change the engrained ‘mood’ of an organisation; its very culture. South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, who, after his release and his later election as president of a country that had voted for the first...
by Jonathan Gifford | Mar 30, 2011 | Business & Leadership
In an earlier blog Greg Dyke and John Birt: lessons in leadership I explored the dramatic difference in leadership style between two previous Director Generals of the BBC: John Birt, and his successor, Greg Dyke. I used this case history recently in a morning...
by Jonathan Gifford | Nov 16, 2010 | Leaders from History
‘Changing the mood’ is one of the most challenging problems that a leader of any organisation can face. Successful organisations start off in life with enthusiasm and vigour, driven by the vision of the founders and the early management teams. Sadly, leadership and...
by Jonathan Gifford | Jun 28, 2010 | Business & Leadership
The broadcasting lives of John Birt and Greg Dyke were surprisingly interwoven. When Dyke joined LWT (London Weekend Television) as a reporter in 1977, Birt was head of Current Affairs and Features. When Dyke was persuaded to move to the new (and struggling) breakfast...
by Jonathan Gifford | Apr 25, 2010 | Leaders from History
This article first appeared in The Guardian and can be seen at guardian.co.uk The article is based on historical figures who feature in Jonathan’s book, History Lessons History is filled with the achievements of great leaders, but what were they so good at, and...
