In this discussion, to accompany the Unlikely Leaders series, three OU academics discuss a modern approach to leadership and join the broadcaster Liz Barclay to debate the merits of their own nominations.

Unlikely Leaders Discussion

What do you imagine when you think of a leader? Is the customary vision of the powerful politician or business leader still entirely relevant today? In these recent times of massive political and economic upheaval, it appears that society’s faith in its traditional leaders is at its lowest ebb: for many they're no longer a source of support or trust, and as a result people have started looking elsewhere. In this series of short films,  Open University experts nominate their own ‘Unlikely Leader,’ from Russell Brand to Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, challenging our assumptions about the meaning of Leadership and encouraging us to think differently about just what makes a ‘great leader’. As conventional leaders continue to let us down, the ‘Unlikely Leaders’ might just be our salvation.