New author Danny says future business leadership could be written in the stars.
A Staffordshire-based organisational psychologist and business owner has plotted a new course for business leaders in his debut book.
Danny Wareham has helped scores of company owners, from micro-businesses to LEGO and WorldPay to build purposeful, people-focused workplaces.
Now the award-winning workplace culture expert is challenging organisations to “reimagine leadership for a connected age.”
The book, ‘Constellation’, is the first of its kind to look at a leadership model without a leader, where a purposeful culture allows all team members to contribute towards success. It is aimed at both academics and the business community.
Danny said: “I start with the question who leads when the leader isn’t in the room?
“We all recognise that our own behaviours, decisions and approaches – even our language – are influenced by the unwritten rules and norms of the groups that we’re in. Whether that’s with friends, family or clients, culture subtly nudges us towards what’s acceptable and away from what’s not tolerated.
“Traditional leadership models are based on the idea of the leader as an individual hero: the visionary chief executive, the decisive manager, the charismatic figurehead.”
But Danny says this overlooks valuable aspects of human behaviour, explaining, “culture, not hierarchy, is what governs behaviour when the leader isn’t in the room, and the leader isn’t in the room most of the time.”
“The research demonstrated that we needed a new leadership model that wasn’t hindered by hierarchical structures, Danny adds. “I looked at this during my academic thesis and have used that work as a building block for my book.”
“Constellation leadership means that, for companies, you don’t have to have the leader in the room to get things done.”
But it’s not just theory. Constellation includes case studies and interviews with the British Army, NASA’s astronaut training manager for the Challenger Shuttle, and cutting-edge software development teams.
The book, with its title based on the idea that we are part of a vast grouping of stars, has won praise from a group of pre-publication readers.
Jo Garland, Director of Customer Engagement at the LEGO Group, said: “Constellation leadership may well be the leadership of tomorrow. It takes you on a thought-provoking journey through leadership history, relatable case studies, and an invitation to explore the real power of organisational culture.”
While Melanie Robinson, Deputy CEO of the Institute of Leadership, said: “Grounded in research yet highly readable. Constellation explores leaderless leadership with clarity and engaging prose, offering fresh insights for navigating today’s connected world.”
Danny, from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, runs Firgun Ltd, a company founded in 2021 to foster high performing teams, through leadership and culture.
The company uses the imaginative strapline ‘happy bees make tasty honey’ to illustrate what can be achieved when teams focus on a constructive culture.
Danny is well known as a speaker on business and culture across the UK with organisations including the Institute of Leadership and Henley Business School.
Constellation is available for pre-order in UK bookshops, including Waterstones and Foyles, and online. It will also go on sale in Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, and Walmart stores in the US and Canada.
