Do you really need to suck up to your boss? (Surely there are other ways to get ahead at work.)
Growing up, Andrew O’Keeffe keenly observed cooperative relationships between workplace unions and mining company management which, in turn, benefited the wider Broken Hill community. Deciding to explore these ideas further, using a broader and more anthropological approach, the author sought out ancestral experiences, knowledges, and insights by speaking to a dozen first nation societies across the globe including Pintupi (Australia), Mohawk (Canada), Maasai (Kenya), and Waorani (Ecuador). Collecting fundamentals from each – structure, organisation, leader attributes, culture, power, identity, learning, gender roles, group harmony, social cohesion – O’Keeffe curated 11 Principles of First Leadership and then applied them to contemporary workplaces. ‘Actions for Workplace Leaders’ features an interesting blend of spot-on universal truths combined with more nuanced and complex, even troublesome, comparisons. For example, respect is a universal attribute of leadership across both contexts, however, stories of gender roles, inequity and power benefit from reframing, deeper consideration and interpretation. While societies and workplaces don’t always compare, there is a lot to learn.
I found Chapter Six, ‘Checks on Leadership Power’, particularly insightful. Power in ancestral societies comes mostly from the community, with leaders serving the people. The associated power highlights the fundamental character of the leader. This contrasts with a typical workplace, where power usually comes from patronage and support from above, best illustrated by the practice of ‘managing up’ to get ahead. Such leadership power usually relates to control – of resources, hiring, firing, reviewing pay – which soon become weapons in the wrong hands.
First Leaders features a wonderful photo gallery, useful index, bibliography, links to online resources and tools, and a handy set of workplace checklists. The book is considered and practical, at times quite idealistic, as it explores and seeks inspiration from first nation experiences, insights, and practices.
Reviewed by Mark Parry
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