What's more effective: a 'superhero' leader, a chain of command or a collaboration? ALNAP head of research and communications Paul Knox Clarke presents preliminary findings on a review of leadership styles in humanitarian action.

1. ALNAP
Who’s in charge here?
Humanitarian leadership
ALNAP

2. Why look at
LEADERSHIP?
Transformative NGO
Agenda investment

3. Are we looking at the
RIGHT THING?

4. Civil defence
Film
Fire industry
service
We reviewed
WHAT WORKS
Humanitarian
evaluations Emergency
Military
medicine

5. There are
THREE MODELS
Exceptional
individual Structured Collaborative

6. Rapid Unclear /
decision disputed
Requirement
making priorities
to collaborate
Which works best in the
HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT
(inter-
Limited agency) no
information clear line of
Large authority
number of
decisions
Politicisation

7. More about
EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUAL

8. More about
STRUCTURED

9. More about
COLLABORATIVE

10. What can we
LEARN? Principles, not
procedures
Move away
from Clarify roles –
Clear mechanisms
exceptional individual and
for collecting,
individual organisational
analysing and
approach transmitting info

11. What can we
LEARN? See leader as
facilitator
In inter-agency
Group decision
Clear membership making processes
criteria and techniques
Train together

12. We want
YOU!
As an organisation:
As individual: complete 6-
Participate in network
month ‘risk diary’
research

13. ALNAP
Thank you