Tony Hayward, the attractively boyish-looking new head of BP, was quoted in the Financial Times last week as saying he has a "leadership style that really listens".

There are three things wrong with these five words. First, if you have to resort to telling people what your leadership style is, you are failing to exhibit any particular style at all. Second, styles don't listen. Third, and most fatally, if you think the biggest part of leading is listening you are either disingenuous or deluded.