www.simonwestern.com |
simonwestern@gmail.com
Professional profile
I am a multi-talented, innovative and adaptive leader. My professional training, academic achievement and life experience form a unique skill-set. I have worked with leaders at the most senior corporate level and with the socially marginalized as a family therapist and health service manager. My academic and research credentials are exemplary, focusing on leadership, coaching and organizational theory. My recent book Leadership A Critical Text (published by Sage 2007) takes an unorthodox approach to leadership and identifies new insights into leadership development. I am a gifted communicator and as a manager I have a track record of delivering success. I am a systemic thinker and design and implement strategies that are bold and aspirational. My outstanding ability is to see the hidden dynamics and opportunities in organizations, generate a vision with others, and then to build creative networks to deliver success. My passion is to take leaders and organizations beyond their own paradigms.
Education
2005
PhD Thesis: A Critical Analysis Of Leadership: Overcoming Fundamentalist Tendencies
Lancaster University Management School, UK
1998
MA (Distinction) Consultation and the Organization: Psychoanalytic Approaches D10
Tavistock Clinic, London UK
1992
MA Counseling Studies
Tavistock Clinic, London UK
Publications
Books
Leadership: A Critical Text. Sage Publications (2007)
Democratising Strategy Book Chpt. Organizations Connected: A Handbook of Systemic Consultation Eds Huffington C. Campbell
D. Karnac Publications (Forthcoming 2008)
Coaching A Critical Text (Sage 2008 forthcoming)
Articles
'Look Who's Talking' in Coaching at Work. London: People Management, Vol. 1:2 pp. 31-34, 2006.
'Plain Living - Provocative Thoughts' in The Friend - Quaker Journal: 8th September 2000
'Turbulent Times' in The Friend - Quaker Journal: 28th August 1998
Papers
'Pairing for Leadership' Leadership Research Conf. Said Business School, Oxford University, 2002
'Learning from Practice' with Professor J. Gosling - British Association for Managers, 2002
'Where's Daddy' ISPSO International Conference, Toronto Canada, 1999
Research Grants
'Leadership Formation' £10,000: FE Leadership study, Centre For Excellence of Leadership, 2007
Career Summary
Founder and Director of Privileged Conversations Ltd. (Consultancy Co.) 2004 - Present. Clients include:
Northern Leadership Academy - Designing innovative online leadership resources
Home Office Delivering leadership/culture change programme with Lancaster University
Thought Leader Centre for Excellence in Leadership, (CEL) London UK
Think! Coaching Business - Developing an innovative leadership coaching framework
Lancaster University Management School
Director of Coaching - Lancaster University Management School UK 2004-2008
Establishing a new executive coaching provision and post graduate programme.
Leadership Development - Designing and delivering innovative leadership programmes, for senior executives in all sectors e.g. The Art of Leadership for CEOs in FE sector.
Post-Graduate Teaching Lancaster University Management School, 2000 - Present
Teaching on the EMBA, MPhil. Critical Management; MA in Management Learning; MSc. Marconi Leadership.
Internationally - McGill University in Montreal, I.I.M Bangalore
Director of Lead2Lead, Strategic Leaders Unit, Lancaster University. See 2001- PresentClients included: Senior Leaders from Astra Zeneca, BAESystems, Basell, Gaz de France, Gap Inc. USA, Lufthansa, Marconi, NHS Chief Executives, Red Cross (Sudan) & U.N. (Kosovo)
Professional Qualifications & Memberships
Registered Family Therapist (not current) - UK Council for Psychotherapy
Accredited Counsellor (not current) - British Association for Counsellors
Registered Nurse (Psychiatric & General) (not current) - U.K.C.C.
Member of the International Society for the Psychoanalytical Study of Organisations (ISPSO)