JANUARY 2018

CO-OPERATIVE
LEADERSHIP
– IN PRACTICE
LEADERSHIP
BOB CANNELL,
Co-operative Business
Consultants
People have been devising theories of
co-operative leadership for at least two centuries;
often reflecting the dominant culture of their
times. Recently Co-op News reported the Global
Women’s Leadership Network decrying a lack
of women coming through ‘the pipeline’ into
‘c-suite’ positions (How to cultivate more women in
leadership roles in credit unions, 7 December 2017).
Whatever this means, they seem to know what they
want. Or do they?
A lifetime of practical experience in worker
co-operatives, both as a ‘manager’ (the reason
for the quotes will become apparent) and as a
Co-ooperative development advisor, has given
me very different ideas about leadership as it is
practiced IRL (In Real Life) in co-op businesses
struggling to maintain order and survive.
Here are some examples.
No names of course
I was called in to a bakery co-op with multiple
business problems. They had four members and
one permanent employee. I pointed out that to
conform to the First Co-op Principle, they should
offer membership to her as she was clearly helping
to manage the business as well as being a baker,
and wanted to be in the members’ meetings.
‘Oh ‘A’ won’t like that,” I was told. ‘A’ being the
oldest member. The next time I went, she was
a member. But the others, at ‘A’s behest, had
appointed themselves directors and now met as a
board without her. ‘A’ apparently didn’t like any
of my other suggestions either, like putting their
prices up so they could pay themselves a living
wage. The other members simply obeyed.
42 | JANUARY 2018