This reading would be well complemented by another classic of the leadership literature: “The Prince” (1532), by Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). Despite the ubiquitous use of the term “Machiavellian” in a rather pejorative fashion, there is much in “The Prince” that is informative and interesting, and the work as a whole is more subtle that it is often given credit for, especially in its recommendations for leaders. The literature on leadership is full of such books: intelligent, insightful and very often misunderstood. Tony Humphrey’s “Leadership With Consciousness” is a useful addition to the leadership literature. It is clearly written, admirably focussed, and provides welcome insight into the role of individual psychological processes in producing the social and economic predicaments in which much of Europe finds itself. The solutions to these predicaments may be complex, but more “leadership with consciousness”, as suggested by Dr Humphreys, would certainly be a good start.
Brendan D. Kelly, Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Adult Psychiatry, University College Dublin, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 62/63 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. E-mail brendankelly35@gmail.com
61