JANUARY 2018

CONNECTING, CHAMPIONING AND
CHALLENGING THE GLOBAL CO-OP
MOVEMENT SINCE 1871
Holyoake House, Hanover Street,
Manchester M60 0AS
(00) 44 161 214 0870
www.thenews.coop
editorial@thenews.coop
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Anthony Murray
anthony@thenews.coop
DEPUTY EDITOR
Rebecca Harvey
rebecca@thenews.coop
EDITORIAL
Anca Voinea | anca@thenews.coop
Miles Hadfield | miles@thenews.coop
DESIGN: Keir Mucklestone-Barnett
DIRECTORS
Elaine Dean (chair), David Paterson
(vice-chair), Richard Bickle, Sofygil
Crew, Gavin Ewing, Tim Hartley,
Erskine Holmes, Beverley Perkins and
Barbara Rainford.
Secretary: Ray Henderson
Established in 1871, Co-operative News
is published by Co-operative Press Ltd,
a registered society under the Cooperative
and Community Benefit Society
Act 2014. It is printed every month by
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readers as well as to other co-operatives,
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organisations.
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is to connect, champion and challenge
the global co-operative movement,
through fair and objective journalism and
open and honest comment and debate.
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cooperativenews
Our view: Plotting a course for
co-operative leadership
Collective leadership is a phrase that must put fear into many managers – but this is
undoubtedly the co-operative way.
Co-operatives are the epitome of ‘collective leadership’ – typically this is led
in collaboration between the member-elected board and the board-appointed
managers. Through the act of co-operation, these two groups of people reach the
common goals of the co-op.
There are some gleaming examples, such as the East of England Co-op which,
as a retail co-op, abolished the role of chief executive and instead established a
management team, which works closely with the board.
Then there are worker co-operatives, which strive for a flat structure. Bob Cannell,
who was a worker-owner at Suma, says that people at Suma quickly learnt that
“management is a function, not a status”.
It’s not always positive. There are co-ops that operate their own elite structure, which
keeps ordinary members out. But there is no one-size approach to co-operative
leadership, according to business adviser Kate Whittle. She also believes that some
people are fearful of leadership in a co-operative – but this is only because people
assume that “command and control” is the only way to lead.
As well as looking inside the co-op sector, it’s always helpful to look outside. Craig
Dearden-Phillips is a long-time leader of social businesses, and he has interviewed
many other leaders to figure out how leaders are categorised – and what also makes
a good leader.
There are many opinions on what constitutes leadership – and Bob Cannell may sum
it up perfectly when he says the co-op leader is the one who says: “Listen everyone,
we have a problem. What are WE going to do about it?”
ANTHONY MURRAY - EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Co-operative News is printed using vegetable oil-based
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JANUARY 2018 | 3