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'HR Manager, not leader'

Maya

I thought this was an interesting little news story, whereby Keir Starmer was described - in what must be taken in a derogatory way - as 'an hr manager, not a leader' in a recent book by a couple of journalists. 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/02/cooper-defends-starmer-after-book-says-chief-of-staff-called-him-an-hr-manager

The comment has sat in the back of my brain since I read it, because it raises the age-old issue of HR being seen as ineffectual, timid, and definitely not leadership material. Maybe with a bit of 'uhoh, watch out, here comes the fun police' thrown in!

Not sure I have a specific question for the community on this, just thought it was worth sharing.

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  • Just to add my own 2p to the discussion, this is a further illustration of the fetishisation of "leadership" as an unqualified good.

    This seems bizarre to me, given that are replete with examples of excellent leaders with malign or selfish motives in politics, right now. These are people who are galvanising their followers into actions that ultimately benefit only the leader, persuading them to believe the leader's lies over the evidence of their own eyes and ears, changing the very fabric of the societies that propelled them to power. They are, by every reasonable definition, highly effective leaders. But would you really want to work for them?

    Frankly, the country could do with a bit of "management" for a few years.
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  • Just to add my own 2p to the discussion, this is a further illustration of the fetishisation of "leadership" as an unqualified good.

    This seems bizarre to me, given that are replete with examples of excellent leaders with malign or selfish motives in politics, right now. These are people who are galvanising their followers into actions that ultimately benefit only the leader, persuading them to believe the leader's lies over the evidence of their own eyes and ears, changing the very fabric of the societies that propelled them to power. They are, by every reasonable definition, highly effective leaders. But would you really want to work for them?

    Frankly, the country could do with a bit of "management" for a few years.
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