Interview with Professor Bob Garratt, author of The Fish Rots from the Head

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Bob Garratt, author of The Fish Rots from the Head. Bob has consulted internationally for over 25 years on five of the six continents. He is known for his discreet work on corporate governance; board review and development; director mentoring; top team development; and strategic thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.

Findings

Bob Garratt discusses his reasons for revising of his bestselling book, and how the role of the board needs to function within an organization, in order to get the best from the business and have long‐term success.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Social implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

Originality/value

Bob comes from a background where organizational learning and development are underpinned by the rigor action learning and the blending of human behavior with the feedback mechanisms of cybernetics. Bob wrote the first book called The Learning Organization in 1986 and has experience working with large‐scale organizational changes in the engineering, financial services, defense electronics and non‐profit sectors as well as in government.

Citation

by Juliet Harrison, I. (2011), "Interview with Professor Bob Garratt, author of The Fish Rots from the Head", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 36-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281111147116