Citation
Vinck, S. (2013), "Event reviews", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 12 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-06-2013-0069
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Event reviews
Article Type: Resources From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 12, Issue 4
London Business Schools Global Leadership Summit: Beyond Heroes, Villains and Scapegoats – The Future of Leadership, London, UK, 20 May 2013
World-renowned business leaders were among the high profile line up of speakers who debated the need for new models of leadership at London Business Schools Global Leadership Summit on Monday 20 May, 2013.
The tenth Global Leadership Summit, which was organized in collaboration with Deloitte and took place in The Brewery in London, took as its theme: “Beyond heroes, villains and scapegoats – the future of leadership.
It brought together business leaders with unique insights into the 2008 financial crisis and the critical questions still being asked about the leadership, corporate governance and regulatory frameworks that allowed it to happen.
A honest examination required
The President of Iceland, who gave a keynote speech on the future of leadership in the wake of the economic crisis, said that the European Union must break out of its ideological straitjacket. President Grímsson called for an honest examination of the fundamental failure of leadership, which 66 percent of executives on the day agreed has exacerbated the European economic crisis.
The President said: I cant understand why banks are being considered the holy churches of the modern economy. Europes primary legacy to the world is not financial markets. Europes primary legacy that is given to the world is democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
The need to build trust
Julian Birkinshaw, professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School, said that “trust in business leaders was at an all-time low. Without credibility he said, leaders lose their legitimacy as agents of change. Low employee engagement scores were an indicator of this, he suggested. He spoke on a panel that looked at how we can change the credibility of business leaders in society at large, so that they can become forces for good.
“Change cannot be stimulated without stimulating growth, said James Quincey, CEO of The Coca-Cola Companys Europe Group. Paradoxically, he said, in times of crisis people want to change the least. They seek familiarity and comfort.
The answer to the growth-stability paradox was, it seems, trust. Ian Lord Blair of Boughton, former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, also emphasized the importance of trust, adding that a great leader, who successfully establishes a covenant of trust, is one who can inspire others to believe in themselves. “This, he said, “can only be done if people can recognize the values for which you stand.
Leaders need to be challenged
The Summit was frank, it talked about action and it talked about possibilities. Of the business executives at the Summit, which was attended by 600 people, 50 percent agreed that our leaders need more people who are willing to challenge their viewpoint and champion change – a spirit that was embodied by the candid debate and new possibilities at London Business Schools Global Leadership Summit.
Sabine Vinck