John Adair (author)
Encyclopedia
Professor John Adair is a British academic who is a leadership
theorist and author of forty books (translated into eighteen languages) on business, military and other leadership.
and educated at St Paul's School before undertaking his National Service
as a Second Lieutenant
in the Scots Guards
from 1953 to 1955. Unusually, he served as adjutant of a Bedouin
regiment in the Arab Legion
and was briefly in command of the garrison of Jerusalem in the front line. He also studied at Hull
Nautical College (where he qualified as an Arctic trawler deckhand in 1955) and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1959. He later obtained a doctorate from King's College London
in 1966 and a BLitt degree from Jesus College, Oxford
in 1971. He became a Fellow
of the Royal Historical Society
in 1966. After working as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1961 to 1967, he later worked for the Industrial Society before becoming Professor of Leadership Studies
at the University of Surrey
in 1979, a post he held until 1984. He was a visiting professor at the University of Exeter
from 1990 to 2000. He is currently an Emeritus Fellow of the Windsor Leadership Trust where he regularly speaks on Leadership development programmes. Since 2006, he has been Honorary Professor of Leadership at the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong
. In 2009 he was appointed Chair of Leadership Studies United Nations System Staff College in Turin.
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
theorist and author of forty books (translated into eighteen languages) on business, military and other leadership.
Life
Adair was born in LutonLuton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and educated at St Paul's School before undertaking his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
from 1953 to 1955. Unusually, he served as adjutant of a Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
regiment in the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
and was briefly in command of the garrison of Jerusalem in the front line. He also studied at Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
Nautical College (where he qualified as an Arctic trawler deckhand in 1955) and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1959. He later obtained a doctorate from King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in 1966 and a BLitt degree from Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
in 1971. He became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
in 1966. After working as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1961 to 1967, he later worked for the Industrial Society before becoming Professor of Leadership Studies
Leadership studies
Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences , in humanities , as well as in professional and applied fields of study...
at the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
in 1979, a post he held until 1984. He was a visiting professor at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
from 1990 to 2000. He is currently an Emeritus Fellow of the Windsor Leadership Trust where he regularly speaks on Leadership development programmes. Since 2006, he has been Honorary Professor of Leadership at the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
. In 2009 he was appointed Chair of Leadership Studies United Nations System Staff College in Turin.