Page 79 - (DK) The Business Book

LIGHTING THE FIRE 77

See also: Leading well 68–69 ■ Effective leadership 78–79 ■ Organizational Charles Handy
culture 104–09 ■ Mintzberg’s management roles 112–13
Professor Charles Handy, born
in 1932, is Britain’s best-
known management guru.
After graduating from Oxford
University he joined the
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1965, moving
Zeus— Apollo— to the London Business School
Club Culture Role Culture
As the ruler of the Greek gods, Apollo was the god of order and (LBS) in 1967 to run the only
Zeus was at the center of power and rules. Successful in times of stability, Sloan School of Management
influence. Club cultures are built on role cultures tend to flounder when program outside the USA.
affinity; proximity to the center of rapid change is required. Insurance Handy’s challenging ideas,
the club reflects an individual’s companies are among those articulate style, and use of
standing within it. Investment typically led along Apollonian provocative imagery—such as
banks often have dominant principles. his text The Empty Raincoat,
club cultures.
a critique of the “impersonal
mechanics of business
Charles Handy’s organizations”—set him apart
from his contemporaries.
Gods of Handy sees himself as a social
Management philosopher rather than
management guru—his
writings, he believes, are
commentaries rather than
Athena— Dionysus— manuals for success. His
Task Culture Person Culture opinions have influenced
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Dionysus, the god of wine, stood
was a problem-solver. Task cultures for individual freedom. In person business thinking for decades.
thrive where innovation is required, cultures, professional opinion is
but struggle with routine. privileged and management is seen Key works
Advertising agencies and as an unnecessary burden.
consultancies often display Professional service companies, 1976 Understanding
task cultures. such as legal firms, mirror Organizations
Dionysian cultures.
1978 Gods of Management
1994 The Empty Raincoat

state of flux—they adapt and year may not motivate them the The job of leadership is to align these
change in unforeseen, unplanned, next. When a company consists of a differences toward a common,
and unpredictable ways. staff of thousands, it is clear that organizational goal.
people, and therefore organizations, Organizational dynamics are
Accounting for complexity are more complex than the stylistic important because people matter.
Organizational complexity is often Gods of Management suggest. Typologies only take a leader so far.
measured by the number of Handy later wrote of the Leaders must recognize that each
countries a company operates in, Shamrock Organization—a flexible employee perceives the company
or the number of brands under a organization made of core employees, differently, and has unique drivers
manager’s control. Such peripheral outsourced staff, and an (and barriers) to effectiveness. As
institutional complexity is not external, flexible work force. Each US businessman Tom Northup
insignificant; it pales though category of worker has a different said, great leaders do not “fall from
compared to individual complexity. commitment to the organization, a heaven,” but God-like omniscience
For example, something novel that different understanding of its vision, is a useful—albeit unreachable—
motivated a member of staff one and their own motivations for work. goal to strive for. ■