CREDIBLE

The benefits of an expert-led world.

Drawing on more than 15 years of empirical research, Goodall, a professor of leadership at London’s Bayes Business School, makes her book debut with a persuasive argument about the need for expertise in leaders. “When non-experts are put in charge of organizations,” she writes, “disaster often strikes.” She attributes the devaluing of expertise to a growing distrust of authority, a populist bent toward “majority decision-making,” and a belief “that everyone’s views are of equal validity.” While in the past, leaders emerged from those who rose through the ranks of an organization, leadership ability has come to be assessed “in terms of verbal skills” and an individual’s “personal characteristics or, more simply, their charisma.” Business schools, she asserts, have contributed to an “unfortunate shift towards generic management,” creating “business and management” as a separate academic field. Citing many examples in areas such as health care, manufacturing, sports, and technology, Goodall has found that expert leadership leads to success. Top universities are led by scholars, not outsiders recruited from business, and the best performing hospitals are led by clinicians. Basketball teams, too, “won more games if they were led by coaches who were former all-star players or had long playing careers in the NBA.” Expert leaders convey a clear sense of purpose, take a long view, create a productive work environment, perform to high standards, and signal excellence. They share their organization’s culture and values. Once experts are found, though, they often need to be persuaded to lead. Financial remuneration may help, as does their capacity “to identify psychologically as leaders.” They also need to know “that they will be developed and supported in the transition from expert to leader while being assured that they will be able to make tangible differences for the benefit of their teams, organizations, and stakeholders.”

Well-grounded arguments for effective leadership.