A Consultative Approach to Management & Leadership

-

-

There is great interest in discovering new ways to lead and manage organizations. This research systematically describes the Bahí model of consultation and assesses its applicability for business leadership and management. One specific question explored is if and how Bahá'í business owners and managers in the metropolitan New York construction industry apply Bahá'í consultation in the workplace. Two discovery strategies are used: (1) Bahá'í business owners and managers are intereviewed to assess if and how they incorporate Bahá'í consultation in their management practices, and to clarify impediments, challenges, and successes. Non-Bahá'í business owners from the same industry and locale are interviewed for a comparison. (2) The author reflects on his own consultative approach to management as practiced within the context of the same New York construction industry. The author considers how his book Lifecycle of Corruption (1999) is translated into practice.