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Concurrent A3
Human Instinct: Leadership Before and After 1911
Peter Drucker said ‘the concept of ‘management’ was coined in 1911. Before that, everyone assumed that the owner ran the business’.
While ‘management’ is relatively new, ‘leadership’ has been part of human societies for all time.
In his presentation Andrew will explain the basic instincts of humans and their relevance to managing modern organisations. He will connect two fields of study – evolutionary psychology and management – and offer important messages for managers of modern organisations: managers can choose to design management systems that operate naturally for the species, and lead in a way that humans respond to best. The presentation will draw on the research and work of leading evolutionary psychologists, primatologists and zoologists.
Andrew O’Keeffe has over 25 years experience as a senior human resources practitioner with a number of organisations, including IBM, Optus and Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM). He now works for the consulting firm Hewitt Associates.
While HR Director at SKM, the company was a finalist in the AHRI NSW best practice awards in 2004 and was one of the ten Top Companies for Leaders in the Asia Pacific in 2003.
Andrew is the author of “The Boss”, a novel about the impact of work on the human spirit which is based on true stories about bosses.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney, where he majored in Economics and Industrial Relations. He is currently a member of the Advisory Committee reviewing the Master of Management in Human Resource Management at Macquarie Graduate School of Management.