Reckless opportunists: Elites at the end of the Establishment (Manchester Capitalism)

"Aeron Davis takes a close look at the state of elites today. He argues that the Brexit vote and 2017 election outcome are signs of a deeper leadership crisis that has been developing over decades. The great transformations of the 1980s onwards have not only upended societies, they have reshaped elite rule itself. Too many leaders today, regardless of intent, are ignorant, precarious, rootless and self-serving. Although richer, they have lost coherence, influence and control. Increasingly, they are just reckless opportunists, getting what they can amid the chaos they have created. Their failings are not only damaging wider society, they are undermining the very foundations of the Establishment itself. The book, based on interviews with over 350 elite figures, asks: how did we end up producing the leaders that got us here and what can we do about it?"--Publisher's description The Summer of 2016 revealed a crisis in Britain's political, economic and media elite. Once successful leaders were dropping everywhere. These multiple crises at the top are no coincidence. The roots go back several years. We have been producing a generation of leaders who, regardless of intent, are short-term, precarious, ignorant, un-rooted and self-serving. This isn't a matter of a few deficient personalities. It's a structural problem that has developed over decades. The central theme of the book is that: the British elite has lost control. They can earn more than ever before and their decisions have powerful consequences that are widely felt. They are highly skilled when it comes to pursuing their own self-interests. But, they are also rather less able to exert control or predict the consequences of their actions. What is best for them can often be bad for their organisation, their employees or publics. These failings have an increasingly devastating effect on society and the wider public. Aeron Davis looks at the growing crisis of leadership in Britain today. He argues that increasingly self-interested elites are not only damaging society they are destroying the basis of Establishment rule itself. The book, based on over 350 elite interviews, asks: how did we end up producing the leaders that got us here and what can we do about it? -- . Aeron Davis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.