We are working with the Royal Shakespeare Company as it embarks on a major programme of change in the way it is led and managed, to mirror the physical transformation of its home in Stratford-upon-Avon.

From 2007 to 2010 the RSC will embrace and extend the principles of the ensemble, currently being applied to the acting company, to the whole organization, both in its internal management and external relations. Currently, business school models of leadership and organizational development are mostly focused in the commercial world. The RSC hopes to provide a new model, based on the collaborative and distributed leadership practice of the ensemble, to drive the vision of the Company forward, harnessing the management of creativity.

This method of leadership will become even more important for both the public and business sectors as they struggle to embed decision-making and action across entire systems, and are challenged by emerging markets across the globe. The transfer of knowledge between the business and cultural sectors has never been more vital. We are following this journey, observing and reporting back through a publication on the organizational development thereby providing a leadership legacy for the future.