10.3 The company secretary as strategic leader

Question 1

What was the#1 finding of the 2014 ICSA company secretary report?

Answer 1

The role of the company secretary is much more than just administrative. At its best, it delivers strategic leadership, acting as a vital bridge between executive management and the board and facilitating the delivery of organisational objectives.

Question 2

Mintzberg offers three categories of management that senior people flex between during a typical day. What are these?

Answer 2

1 Informational (monitor disseminate, spokesperson)
2 Interpersonal (figurehead, leader, liaison)
3 Decisional ( entrepeneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator)

Question 3

What three managerial roles does Mintzberg identify within his “informational” category of management?

Answer 3

Monitor
Disseminate
Spokesperson

Question 4

What three managerial roles does Mintzberg identify within his “interpersonal” category of management?

Answer 4

Figurehead
Leader
Liaison

Question 5

What four managerial roles does Mintzberg identify within his “decisional” category of management?

Answer 5

Entrepeneur
Disturbance handler
Resource allocator
Negotiator

Question 6

The Hay Group identified 6 specific leadership styles. What are these?

Answer 6

1 Directive
2 Visionary
3 Affiliative
4 Participative
5 Pacesetting
6 Coaching

Question 7

To what does the following quote refer?

“The supreme exercise of power is to get others to have the desires you want them to have”.

Answer 7

“Third dimension” or “smart” power