Lessons in Leadership: Professor David Pendleton

In this special 6 part series, Justin Russell meets with inspirational leaders from the UK public sector to find out how you thrive and survive at the top. The final guest in the series is Professor David Pendleton, one of the world’s leading experts on the subject. His 'Primary Colours' model of leadership, has been highly influential in government in the UK and beyond. 

David Pendleton is a Professor in Leadership at Henley Business School and an Associate Fellow at the Said Business School at Oxford. He has worked as an adviser on leadership development for a wide range of private and public sector organisations around the world.  A founder of the Edgecumbe Consulting Group in 1995, the latest edition of his book ‘Leadership: No More Heroes’ was published last year.

The pandemic has brought home to all of us the importance of the public services we sometimes take for granted. Not just the NHS but schools, local councils, the police and the prison service have all faced huge challenges keeping the show on the road. Clear leadership has been crucial to this task. Now more than ever our public services need great head teachers, chief constables, great prison governors and hospital directors. But what makes for great leadership in the public sector? How do you make sure organisations are delivering for the public and not squandering hard earned taxes? How do you handle a crisis or navigate the complex relationship with an ever-changing government?

Justin Russell is Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation. He’s spent his life working and learning from inspirational leaders who have done all of these things and more. In this special series for Bridges to the Future, he’ll be speaking to just some of those who have survived and thrived at the top to find out how they did it and what they can teach you.