In business and in politics, if there is a problem, you have to do something about it. Good leaders have either to develop Talent, or not be afraid of getting rid of poor performers and rotten wood. Unless you have Talent you can’t pursue effectively your aims and objectives or your strategic intent.

What Cameron has begun to understand, and where he has started to take action, is around some of the issues of Talent and Organisation. He has decided what needs to be done and is doing it. Brown is doing the reverse – eg he is living with incompetence. When this happens  the rot seeps into other parts of the triangle.

In terms of Organisation – how things are done – Cameron has already begun to describe that in a way that Brown hasn’t started to yet. Cameron is saying – if you want to be an MP, if you want the Whip, you have to fall into line. Brown needs to improve existing Talent, and get rid of the people who don’t measure up. Otherwise he will not be a convincing leader. You can’t do what he is doing and just sit on the fence.

Nor has Brown been good at articulating what his Purpose is anyway, what the strategic orientation of the government is, and the philosophy, the values, the ethics, the aims and so forth. It’s never been on his agenda.  His sole agenda was first to get the Role of Prime Minister (not what he was going to do when he was there). And then to make life difficult for the Opposition.

Cameron has to pay attention to Purpose also – because unless he can articulate a story that is convincing to people, however good he is at managing Talent (development or departure – shape up or ship out) or Organisation, it won’t be enough. For effective leadership you have to pay attention to all three.

Brown hasn’t understood what he has to do in order to be seen as an effective leader.  Cameron appears to have instinctively understood that certain things need to be done around the triangle, in the way that Brown hasn’t. Brown won’t recover unless he takes this responsibility seriously.  There are certain things that good leaders have to do – and Brown isn’t doing them, and is paying the price for it.

Will he have the courage – or the capacity – to do things differently?