Accountability and Leadership in the Catholic Church - What Needs to be Improved
The Catholic Church is many things: a sign and instrument of Christ; a gathering of flawed human beings; and a mystery. It is, in some ways, unlike any other organization in the world, yet it is, nevertheless, an organization: as St John Henry Newman observed, “it has developed according to the laws under which combinations of men develop”. There are better and worse ways of structuring, and leading, organizations. Over the past century, a body of knowledge has developed about how to create “healthy”, effective organizations. This volume applies this knowledge to the church—in a way that will be of great interest to all who wish to understand the church, as well as to students and practitioners of organizational development—and identifies flaws in its organizational life. The ways in which its leaders are selected, trained, supported, and directed, must improve. Options for constructive change are outlined. Things can, and should, change, if the church is to show the world the light within it.
Mission Mastery. Revealing a 100 year old leadership secret
This book reveals the story of how the first large learning organization was formed.
Emerging around 1870, it involved an organizational transformation that followed a
disaster some 60 years earlier. The great success of this process was the introduction
of a totally new approach to leadership – a competitive edge that would go undetected
for another 100 years.
The original development involved the Prussian/German Army under a great leader,
Helmut von Moltke. NATO countries finally discovered this “secret weapon,” which
they have since implemented in their mission command centers, in the 1980s. The
book distils five underlying features or pillars of the transformed organization, and
describes how they can be applied in civilian organizations to attain a state of Mission
Mastery.
Never before published, these ideas are supplemented by numerous references and practical examples to illustrate the persuasive power of the case made – namely that most civilian organizations are weak in terms of the fi ve key ingredients needed for Mission Mastery.
"This book is a must-read for all charged with developing tomorrow's leaders"
Sir Michael Perry, GBE – previously Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer at
Unilever, Chairman of Centrica, Chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body,
Independent Director at Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte. Ltd and
Chairman of the Faculty Board at the Said Business School, Oxford University
"Mission Mastery is a masterwork"
Professor Stephen J. Perkins, DPhil (Oxon) Dean Guildhall Faculty of
Business & Law, London Metropolitan University, UK
"No other book on organizational leadership is as relevant today as Mission Mastery"
Gerald A. Arbuckle, Organizational Anthropologist,
and author of Humanizing Healthcare Reforms
The Accountable Leader
The Accountable Leader is centred
around three themes – leadership,
accountability and organizational
structure – and explores what it means
for managers to be held to account at
all levels in an organization. This
enlightening title demonstrates that
most leadership-related problems
arise from the ineffectiveness of
organizational structures that lack
accountable jobs.
During the course of the book, the author looks at the link between accountability, organizational design and leadership. The Accountable Leader illustrates how the three concepts are related, and how accountability is at the heart of sound organizational architecture, which in turn is a pre-condition for truly effective leadership, leadership development, and a rewarding career path.
Including numerous international case studies and practical tips, The Accountable Leader brings home the importance of clear accountability as a necessary and robust platform for the assessment of potential leaders and leadership development.
The Healthy Organization
Despite the huge volume of research on organizational design, ranging from
the
work of management gurus and journalists to that of sociologists and
behavioural
scientists, most organizations remain profoundly unhealthy.
In this fully updated second edition of his groundbreaking book, Brian Dive reveals that the unhealthy features of both large and small organizations all stem from the same source, namely the lack of true decision-making accountability (DMA), and he introduces a totally new approach to leadership development.
By following the steps outlined in the book, Brian Dive reveals that healthy organizational management will lead to greater competitiveness, spark innovation and increase employee empowerment and commitment..
