The recent turmoil in parliament brings to the fore once more what happens when leadership is out of balance.

Why is leadership crumbling? What can be done to get us out of this mess? In our work with organisations we often analyse what is happening around the triangle of Purpose, Talent and Organisation.

A good leadership team and a good leader in particular, will focus on all three points of the triangle. If they fail to do that, then the triangle collapses and we get into the mess we are in now.

Gordon Brown has failed to pay sufficient attention to all three points on the triangle. What is behind each of them?

Purpose: aims and objectives, values, strategic intent, philosophy, ethics

Talent: the talent that is available in pursuit of purpose; need to measure the quality and develop it

Organisation: the policies, practices, procedures, structures and roles; they are the glue that holds together purpose and the talent

When the triangle is out of balance we have a problem. If you don’t pay attention to all three points, the whole thing will collapse. And confidence in parliament – and its leadership – has collapsed.