Laura Empson - Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas

Laura Empson tackles a hugely complex phenomenon: the nature of leadership in professional service firms, where no one wants to be a follower and leaders only survive through the consent of their colleagues. She has created a truly fascinating portrait of what it means to be a leader in such settings. The book is full of rich insights engagingly told, and often revealed in the words of the professional leaders themselves. This portrait will resonate strongly with practising and aspiring professional leaders who will find much to learn from the stories she tells and the insights she develops. Scholars of management will appreciate her work, not only for its significant contribution to academic knowledge, but also because it speaks to us directlywe are, after all, professionals and struggle with similar issues of leadership in our own working lives.

Professor Ann Langley, HEC Montral

A richly detailed analysis of the complexities of modern professional organizations. The observations, based on more than twenty years of research, show a deep understanding of the tensions inherent in all successful firms. For those of us who lead or aspire to lead such firms, the lessons and conclusions are telling and valuable.

Philip Davidson, Managing Partner, KPMG UK

Professor Empson has made a major contribution to the literature on how professional services firms work and how they are best led. This is very well-researched and insightful analysis, based on a wealth of interviews, and written in a very readable style. All in all, a must on the reading list.

Edward Braham, Global Senior Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

A modern global management consultancy practice contains a complex mix of people from differing backgrounds with different cultures and aspirations. Leading them is a daunting task but a task which is helped significantly by the insights within the book. I wish I could have read this book fifteen years ago.

Mike Cullen, Former Global Managing Partner (Talent), EY

Partnerships play a vital role in the modern economy. The spirit of partnership is a mystery to those who have not experienced it directly and also sometimes to partners themselves. This book is a highly readable explanation of what makes professional firms work and, importantly, how they are successfully led.

Sir Gerry Grimstone, Chairman of Standard Life, Deputy Chairman of Barclays

This is an exciting and challenging book. It manoeuvres extremely well between what we know, academically, about professional leadership, and the concerns of thinking practitioners. The central ideas of plural leadership, leadership constellations, and ambiguity challenge all of us to re-evaluate our notions of leading professionals. Professor Empson has made an important contribution.

Professor C. R. (Bob) Hinings, University of Alberta

This is a must-read for anyone wondering why it is so challenging to lead in professional environments and how to do it more effectively. Empson masterfully brings together findings from research with the lived experiences of those she has studied to provide in-depth and detailed analysis of what it takes to survive and thrive in these politicized, but highly rewarding, work environments.

Professor Mary Uhl-Bien, Neeley School of Business, TCU

Its accepted wisdom that leading a professional services firm is different from other leadership roles, but very few have been able to explain why and in what ways. Laura Empson unravels this mystery, shining light deep into the underlying challenges leaders face and explaining ways to navigate them. An important book in a neglected and misunderstood area.

Hugh Verrier, Chairman, White & Case

Professor Empson has done an exceptional job making theory understandable and relevant to those actually involved in leading professional organizations whilst helping those more interested in the theory better understand how the real world works. Leading a professional organization can be lonely and Lauras research insights will help those grappling with the challenges of leadership to realize that they are not alone.

Jeremy Newman, Former Global CEO, BDO

Empsons latest book lifts the lid on the idiosyncrasies, paradoxes, and tensions of leadership in professional services firms. Featuring insights drawn from hundreds of interviews, Leading Professionals offers invaluable guidance to current/future leaders and management professionals alike.

Wim Dejonghe, Global Senior Partner, Allen & Overy

First, thank you to the more than 500 professionals I have interviewed over the course of this research. I am grateful for the many hundreds of valuable hours they have given me, and for their thoughtfulness, eloquence, and honesty in responding to my questioning.

Second, I would like to thank the Economic and Social Council of Great Britain, who have funded three of the research studies on which this book is based.

Third, thank you to my colleagues with whom I have co-authored over the years: Johan Alvehus, Mats Alvesson, Louise Ashley, Joe Broschak, Chris Chapman, Imogen Cleaver, Royston Greenwood, Bob Hinings, Ann Langley, Ioana Lupu, Tim Morris, Daniel Muzio, and Crawford Spence.

Fourth, I would like to thank Caroline Scotter-Mainprize for the tremendous work she has done to help me translate my academic research into practitioner-friendly language. Writing a book is a long and lonely process and I have very much appreciated her encouragement and support throughout this time.

Fifth, thank you to my colleagues in the Cass Centre for Professional Service Firms who have provided such a constructive forum for discussion. In particular, I would like to thank Tony Angel and David Morley for their meticulous and thoughtful feedback on key chapters.