Humanise: Why Human-Centred Leadership is the Key to the 21st Century

Introduction: Discovering Human-Centred Leadership

Two kinds of leadership

‘I left Corporate America because of the sense of alienation it created in my life and soul.'

ANONYMOUS

‘Please forgive me for ignoring your emails for the last five years,' said Susan as she joined me for coffee. She had recently resigned from her job and now had more time available. It had been a long silence, but her gracious apology and charming personality quickly placated my feelings.

She described the convergence of work and family pressures — including a son with chronic asthma and a husband facing a serious health issue — and the impact of work on her health and relationships. Family and friendships suffered … although the work got done. Why had she waited until now to resign, I wondered silently.

‘I finally left because I was dehumanised,' she exclaimed, then sat back with one hand on her heart and the other over her mouth when told the title of this book. As I watched and waited in silence she began a scathing review of her former employer. Sadly, the kind of behaviour she described is not limited to this firm, and occurs every day in many, many organisations.

Results-centred leadership

Susan held a senior leadership position reporting to a divisional head in XYZCom (not its real name). She is a seasoned executive, with an organisational psychology background and has worked across multiple cultures, countries and industries. She brings a high level of intelligence and experience to her roles ...