As the election proper finally kicks off, there’s a major question yet to be asked. Where have all the great leaders gone? In his latest book, Reinventing Management, London Business School’s Julian Birkinshaw bemoans the fact that the study of management has become obscured by our obsession with leadership. This excessive focus on those at the top of organisations has meant not enough attention being paid to those making sure strategy is delivered. Would that this were the case in politics.

UK politics at the moment is all about politicians and not leaders. It’s about the grubby tactics of political trench war, with every point in the polls viciously contested. With a prime minister as unpopular as any in recent times, who has presided over the worst recession for a generation, it seems inconceivable that the talk should be of a hung parliament. An extremely well funded opposition should be looking confidently ahead to a comfortable majority. One reason this isn’t the case is down to a lack of vision. Politics has become reactionary and tactic-led, when it should be all about principles.

One way this election differs from 1997 is that there isn’t a bright hope of a brilliant future. Forget the promises of things getting better; whatever happens, the grim truth is that things will probably get worse.

And as with all elections since 1997, the search for soundbites is more evident than the search for big ideas. No wonder the electorate has gone off politics. It’s a coalition of the bland leading the bored. With the campaigning into its third day, the sense of ennui is palpable. Journalists are scouring key marginals for interesting vox-pops, but all they seem to get are quotes about disappointment with the system.

Writing in Director in January last year, leadership expert Jo Owen identified five criteria for assessing our political leaders: vision, crisis management, ability to motivate, decisiveness, and trustworthiness. At the time, none of the party leaders came up to scratch and little has changed since. If anything, Conservative leader David Cameron’s rating has dropped even further. Assuming Cameron secures a majority, he may yet grow into the leadership role. But the chaotic nature of the opposition’s campaign—and the sense that his beliefs are out of step with much of his party’s—don’t provide a basis for hope.

Gordon Brown meanwhile scores well on crisis management, but that’s it. It hardly speaks to a vision for the future. After 13 years in power the New Labour project looks worn out. Like an old tyre that’s been patched up too many times, there’s no sense in another retread. It is indeed, a time for change. More importantly, it’s a time for strong leadership and a clear vision for the future. At the moment that’s not an option open to voters.

Richard Cree

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