Prime Minister Gordon Brown & All Talents!
Posted by Oliver Nyumbu
June 28th, 2007
Today I was talking to a very able senior manager who like most of us has been watching with interest how Prime Minister Brown has assembled his top team. Prior to the announcement of the new Cabinet, journalists were evidently trying to outdo each other in second guessing.
There was also much comment in the media about the transitions the Prime Minister might be facing. Writing in the Financial Times, Jonathan Guthrie had this to say,
“In switching from finance director to chief executive, Mr Brown will be hampered by his poor ability to anticipate the reactions of others, a common failing of highly numerate males…”
That was first thing this morning. Then followed the announcement, in the afternoon, of the make up of the Cabinet. And indeed, it soon became clear that perhaps it was us the public who had been poor at anticipating exactly what this government of all talents would look like. There is Jacqui Smith the first woman Home Secretary and, according to the Evening Standard, ‘…is regarded as one of the few senior ministers able to speak fluent human.’ It goes on to suggest ‘Her down-to-earth manner should be popular with police officer, immigration officials and other staff who come under the remit of the Home Office, many of whom have been irritated by the high-octane clashes with John Reid and Charles Clarke’.
The appointments of the Milibands (David and Ed) respectively to the Foreign Office and the Cabinet Office as well as the appointment of, former Tory, Shaun Woodward to minister for Northern Ireland suggest impressive emotional intelligence skills on the part of the Prime Minister.
The senior manager college I mentioned above was wishing that her own organisation might indeed take a leaf out or Gordon Brown’s book and become a business of all talents. Currently, it has a culture of leadership by attribution rather than by talent driven contribution. I wish her well.
Tags: talent
