Democratising strategy

Synopsis: In this book, each contributor describes the way they use the systemic model in their consultancy practice. Their key ideas are illustrated via a case example (or examples), where possible including detailed accounts of the exercises and techniques they use inspired by systemic thinking. They conclude with a evaluation of the work, pinpointing its strengths and weaknesses and what the contributor learned from it as well as how it might be developed or applied in other situations

Learning leadership from Barack Obama: A short case study.

In a recent case study I asked if America would vote for a Messiah Leader (Management Online REview, Feb 2008), well the answer has been a huge yes. In that case study I argued that it wasn’t enough to be a Messiah leader, that promising hope, being charismatic and a wonderful orator was never going to deliver on its own. So what took Barack Obama to the Whitehouse and what leadership lessons can be learnt from his victory

Will America vote for a messiah leader?

In this article Simon Western describes four key leadership frames or discourses, one of which is the Messiah discourse. Simon Western poses the question, will America vote for a Messiah leader? Offering insights into Barack Obama and Hillary Clintons’ leadership styles, the article discusses the impact they have on the subconscious hopes and fears of voters

Leadership: A critical text

Providing a critical review and analysis of the key debates within leadership, this book challenges the notion of the individual or hero leader. The author develops the idea of leadership as a distributed process between lots of agents in an organization. In doing so he provides a new framework which readers can use to understand and implement this distributed type of leadership. Chapters include vignettes and case studies to support readers' understanding of ideas, and pedagogical features emphasize core learning points

Assessing Interactions between Agriculture, Livestock Grazing and Wildlife Conservation Land Uses : A Historical Example from East Africa

Despite mobile livestock grazing being widely recognized as one of the most viable and sustainable land uses for semi-arid savanna, which can deliver clear wildlife conservation benefits, the levels of pastoral sedentarization and transitions to agricultural livelihoods continue to rise in many pastoral communities across the world. Using questionnaire interviews with community elders, our study assessed changing trends in livestock grazing, wildlife conservation, and sedentarization levels from the 1960s to the present day across three savannas in southern Kenya. Our study identified the drivers of land uses and land subdivision and the implications of land use change on savanna ecology. Over the last half century, there has been a 30% decline in livestock grazing land in southern Kenya due to the expansion of land for agriculture and wildlife conservation. Despite the decline, livestock grazing remains the preferred land use in subdivided and privatized lands. Pastoralist land used for wildlife conservation was perceived to be higher (30%) in southwestern Kenya compared to southeastern Kenya (16%), despite their geographical proximity. These historical insights provide useful lessons for maintaining space for wildlife, diversifying livelihoods, and increasing the resilience of pastoralists in the process of transitioning from traditional subsistence to market economies and the threats of social and ecological dislocatio

Imaging fetal brain connectivity in high risk pregnancy

Our hypothesis is that differences in the regional connectivity within the fetal brain (the structural and functional connections between regions of the brain) can be observed with fetal fMRI as early as in the second trimester of pregnancy. If we can detect differences in an at-risk fetal brain and associate that with plancental and maternal data, we could recommend interventions, such as diet or medication changes, and then monitor the impact of treatment on the fetal brain.https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/brainscanprojectsummaries/1000/thumbnail.jp

Inverse dynamics modelling of upper-limb tremor, with cross-correlation analysis

A method to characterise upper-limb tremor using inverse dynamics modelling in combination with cross-correlation analyses is presented. A 15 degree-of-freedom inverse dynamics model is used to estimate the joint torques required to produce the measured limb motion, given a set of estimated inertial properties for the body segments. The magnitudes of the estimated torques are useful when assessing patients or evaluating possible intervention methods. The cross-correlation of the estimated joint torques is proposed to gain insight into how tremor in one limb segment interacts with tremor in another. The method is demonstrated using data from a single patient presenting intention tremor because of multiple sclerosis. It is shown that the inertial properties of the body segments can be estimated with sufficient accuracy using only the patient's height and weight as a priori knowledge, which ensures the method's practicality and transferability to clinical use. By providing a more detailed, objective characterisation of patient-specific tremor properties, the method is expected to improve the selection, design and assessment of treatment options on an individual basis