Saïd Business School appoints first Poet Laureate

The University of Oxford's Saïd Business School has appointed Dr Athol Williams as its Poet Laureate, in a first for a business school globally. The role reflects a growing recognition of the value of poetry in developing the human skills required for leadership, including judgement, empathy and the ability to engage with complexity.

Dr Athol Williams & Professor Mette Morsing, Saïd Business School

Dr Williams, a Senior Fellow of Management Practice in Strategy at Saïd Business School and an established South African poet, will use the honorary position to integrate poetry more deeply into teaching and learning at the School. While Poet Laureates traditionally compose and advocate for poetry linked to an institution, Dr Williams intends to extend the role to support leadership development, arguing that poetry offers a distinctive way of thinking about ambiguity and human connection.

Dr Athol Williams said: ‘Compassion, judgement, connection, are going to become more critical for leaders. At Oxford Saïd we are developing leaders that the world needs, so we need to be developing leaders with these [very human] capabilities. And I think poetry has a vital role to play in that. Great leaders are ones who can relate to other people in meaningful ways. Poetry is a powerful resource that leaders can draw on.’

Compassion, judgement, connection, are going to become more critical for leaders. At Oxford Saïd we are developing leaders that the world needs, so we need to be developing leaders with these [very human] capabilities. And I think poetry has a vital role to play in that. Great leaders are ones who can relate to other people in meaningful ways. Poetry is a powerful resource that leaders can draw on.
Dr Athol Williams

Professor Mette Morsing, Interim Dean, Saïd Business School, said: ‘Poetry in a business school provides a so far under-appreciated, yet rich, vehicle to sharpen perception, strengthen critical thinking and deepen empathy.... Often treated as mere workplace entertainment, [poetry is] undervalued as a catalyst for organisational transformation and innovation. Athol’s own poetry writings and readings are already legendary and full of impact. We are honoured that [Athol] should undertake this role at Oxford Saïd Business School.'

Research has explored links between poetry and leadership, particularly in relation to critical thinking and the capacity to engage with uncertainty. The interpretive nature of poetry - its use of metaphor, ambiguity and layered meaning - can mirror the complexity of real-world decision-making.

Poetry in a business school provides a so far under-appreciated, yet rich, vehicle to sharpen perception, strengthen critical thinking and deepen empathy.
Professor Mette Morsing

Dr Williams added: ‘We often talk about business, about the complexity of the world, ambiguity in the world. And we want our students to embrace that. But what does embracing mean? Reading poetry is an exercise in untangling complexity. A Tennyson poem doesn't always jump out at you immediately. You've got to think about it. And then, as you think, as you piece it apart, as you apply your mind to it, the power of the poem emerges. For me, that's an exercise with complexity, in dealing with ambiguity, which we don't have ways of teaching in other ways. I'm seeing poetry, not only for its beauty and inspiration, but also as a contributor to education.’

Dr Williams has published seven poetry collections and more than one hundred poems in literary journals. Since joining the School in 2023, he has incorporated poetry into lectures and events, including an MBA guest lecture on ‘Poetry and Leadership’, and readings at School events and ceremonies.

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