Leadership

Abstract

Describes how Drummond forged a powerful Secretariat whose members held him in high esteem, despite a self-effacing nature and a certain remoteness. Loyalty to subordinate staff was the keystone of his leadership. He took pains to involve others in decision-making, achieving a team spirit at the top level and an esprit de corps in the wider Secretariat. He asserted his authority, firmly but gently, ensuring that his senior colleagues were responsible for their actions and that they undertook them as ‘servants of the League’ rather than as his personal subordinates. His leadership is further highlighted in the effective relations he established, beyond the Secretariat, with Robert Cecil; Wilson’s adviser, Colonel House; Albert Thomas of the International Labour Organisation; and High Commissioner for Refugees, Fridtjof Nansen.