Nelson's Management Style Could Have Come From a Modern Textbook

1. Read the text.

Millions find it hard today to identify with dead white European males, and 20th century warfare has made it almost impossible to use war leaders of the past as role models for the present. Yet leaders and heroes are still needed, and Nelson’s character, and his preparation for the Nile adventure, still make him an example for everyone, black or white, male or female, British or otherwise. The reason lies less in what he did, more in how he did it.

Even in the toughest boardroom battle, very few people today have to carry the level of responsibility Nelson bore in 1798. Yet the way he bore it could have come from a modern textbook:

– developing teamwork with defined roles and close personal relationships;

– allowing the expression of different ideas;

– providing clear, shared and understandable goals;

– permitting participation in decision-making;

– encouraging initiative;

– promoting sense of ownership and commitment.

All today are at least recognised as valuable, and all were present in his conduct of the campaign. If he had had time to write books, he could have advanced management theory by two centuries.

In 1798, he faced something which management-speak would call “a challenge”. The word seems hopelessly inadequate. With continental Europe controlled by revolutionary France, the Royal Navy had been forced to leave the Mediterranean. In Toulon, the French were preparing a colossal fleet and army – 17 major warships with more than 300 troop ships. Nelson was selected to find it and, if possible, defeat it. He was only 39 years old and had never commanded a fleet before, yet in London his task was seen as crucial to all Europe’s destiny.

Before his fleet assembled, he knew several of his captains personally and the rest by reputation. Immediately after their rendezvous, he began to work upon all of them the wonder of his command, the magic “Nelson touch”. Asking them to come in turn to the ship, he encouraged them into informal open discussions – an unheard-of combination of briefing and brainstorming. While always knowing who was in charge, their common understanding grew so great that later, paraphrasing Henry V, he said: “I had the happiness to command a band of brothers.”

By Stephen Howarth

From the Financial Times

2. Train your reflective mind! Answer the questions:

a) The article states that 20th century warfare has made it almost impossible to use war leaders of the past as role models for the present. Do you agree? Why or why not?

b) Can a military style be used in business today? Do you know such examples?

c) Why would Nelson have advanced management theory by two centuries if he had written books?

d) Management-speak is the language of management books. Why is the word “challenge” inadequate, or not enough, to describe what Nelson had to do?

e) How far can military-type methods be used by business leaders?

3. Number these things in order they are mentioned in the article:

a) letting people say what they want

b) giving clear aims to people

c) getting people to work together

d) getting people to feel they belong to the organisation

e) getting people to decide and do things on their own

f) allowing people to take part in deciding things

4. What do these figures refer to in the text?

1. 5

2. 17

3. 20

4. 300

5. millions

6. 39

7. 1798

8. 1759

5. Find adjectives in the text that describe the following:

1. the common understanding among Nelson’s officers of what they had to do

2. the combination of briefing and brainstorming

3. Nelson’s discussions with the officers

4. the “Nelson touch”

5. the task facing Nelson

6. the French fleet

6. Find all the irregular verbs in the text and compose sentences of your own using them.

7. How to write these words – separately, hyphenated or together?

1. w a r s h i p

2. d e c i s i o n m a k i n g

3. t r o o p s h i p

4. o w n e r s h i p

5. b o a r d r o o m b a t t l e

6. m a n a g e m e n t s p e a k

7. t e x t b o o k

8. u n h e a r d o f c o m b i n a t i o n

9. i n a d e q u a t e

8. There is a French word “rendezvous” used in the article. Do you understand its meaning? Here is a list of some other French words and expressions frequently used in English. Can you understand them? Do you use them? Why do you think they have come to live in other languages?

• Rendezvous

• Comme il faut

• Bonjour

• Salut

• Prestige

• Noblesse oblige

• à la guerre comme à la guerre

9. Match the words to build new word combinations:

1. to command	a. inadequate
2. understandable	b. in charge
3. common	c. as valuable
4. a sense	d. fleet
5. personal	e. goals
6. to recognise	f. personally
7. to define	g. discussion
8. to know	h. understanding
9. colossal	i. of ownership
10. hopelessly	j. a fleet
11. informal	k. roles
12. to be	l. relationships

10. Discussion:

Nelson had to work with lower-rank people building informal relationships. Do you think it is appropriate and can be done in any sphere of business?

Vocabulary-work:

Can you define the people you talk to?

Choose one phrase from the box to complete each sentence.

supplier	shareholder	owner	colleague
boss	manager	leader	customer
investor	director	chief executive officer

1. My name is Cliff Stonebroke. Cliff Enterprises belongs to me. I am the … I also manage the company myself, so I am the … .

2. I am Cliff Stonebroke’s sister. I sit on the Board of his company. I am a … .

3. I am Mr. Stonebroke’s secretary. He is my … .

4. I hold equity in this company. I am a … .

5. Cliff Stonebroke is a friend of mine. I have put some of my own money into Cliff Enterprises. I am a … .

6. I buy things from this company. I am a … .

7. This company buys things from me. I am … .

8. I am the head of a team in the technical department. I am a team … .

9. I have lunch every day with a woman at the desk next to mine. She is my … .

10. I work for Cliff Enterprises. I head a department of about 50 people. I am a … .

KEY:

Ex. 4. All figures can be found in the article except № 8 – 1759.

To find the answer you need to count – it’s the year Nelson was born.

Ex. 7. 1. warship; 2. decision-making; 3. troop ship; 4. ownership; 5. boardroom battle; 6. management-speak; 7. textbook; 8. unheard-of combination; 9. inadequate

Ex. 8.

• Rendezvous – originally, in French “rendez-vous” – свидание, встреча

• Comme il faut – как подобает; хорошо одетый, элегантный; воспитанный, с хорошими манерами; приличный, порядочный

• Bonjour – приветствие (при встрече и расставании), здравствуй(те)!, добрый день!; прощай(те)!

• Salut – привет!; поклон, приветствие

• Prestige – престиж, авторитет; очарование, обаяние

• Noblesse oblige – (высокое) положение обязывает

• à la guerre comme à la guerre – на войне как на войне; умение применяться к обстоятельствам

Ex. 9. 1. j; 2. e; 3. h; 4. i; 5. l; 6. c; 7. k; 8. f; 9. d; 10. a; 11. g; 12. b

Ex. 10. 1. owner; chief executive officer; 2. director; 3. boss; 4. shareholder; 5. investor; 6. customer; 7. supplier; 8. leader; 9. colleague; 10. manager