3.1.5.1. Leadership
In tune with its thematic alignment, the School has a long tradition in appointing eminent (and occasionally international) researchers and economists (mostly with experience with politics) as directors. The School’s current director, Sir Howard Davies, is an experienced economist and has been said to have been chosen for his distinguished managerial abilities. In contrast to his predecessor Professor Anthony Giddens, an outstanding sociologist, who during his time as LSE director developed an innovative political direction named the ‘third way’ (Giddens, 1998), Davies has a clearly pragmatic profile. The distinction between Giddens and Davies is very nicely made apparent when looking at the way they think about values and idealism. While Davies is said to believe in the ‘death of idealism’ (LSE management 6) thus focusing rigidly on objective market excellence through adherence to the “best practices.” Giddens said: “None of us would have anything to live for, if we didn't have something worth dying for”. (Giddens, 1999) which suggests that he believes that individual motivation always emerges from shared values and ideals. Thus the appointment of Howard Davies can be interpreted as the manifestation of the end of the idealistic mandate the school was once founded upon.

Under Professor Giddens, there was a strong division of labour between himself and the administrator, who dealt with the organisational and managerial matters, while Giddens dealt primarily with strategic academic decisions like the recruitment of new professors or the securing of funding (LSE management 25).

In conclusion, it is interesting to note, that the School’s board has chosen two very different characters with very different professional profiles in its last two appointments. As Giddens has been described as a charismatic academic figurehead, and Davies as top notch mandarin, and a sharp communicator, who is always prepared, focused and pragmatic. Regardless of their divergent personalities, both seem to be equally effective at running the School. Given the unprecedented growth rate and varied changes impacting higher education, Howard Davies’ qualities are very useful in managing the School through the un-charted waters of globalisation. This seems to suggest, that the LSE as an institution is made up of strong enough internal institutions (departmental and other organisational structures) that the university works as a collective without a strong dependence on a helmsman steering from the top.

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