Dr Stephen Brookes has a long and distinguished career within several aspects of the public sector, spanning fifty years in the military, the police service, both central and regional government and, for fifteen years at the University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School, as a Reader (Associate Professor) in Public Policy and Leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Compass Leadership Limited

Dr Stephen Brookes

Welcome to my website which supports my book, published in 2016, "The Selfless Leader".I am updating this site from 2019 to build on the work that I have been doing over the years since its publication, in developing leadership approaches and tools and techniques in support of collective leadership
Dr Stephen Brookes (October, 2020)


He was the Programme Director for the MSc in International Healthcare Leadership, which is a unique blended learning programme that is delivered across the Global Centres of Alliance Manchester Business School with five cohorts in Singapore and Dubai respectively.

Throughout his career, effective negotiation has played a critical role in his various leadership positions and, together with colleagues who are experts in both civil litigation and corporate negotiation, Stephen provided regular input on negotiation skills to full time and global MBA students. He is the author of the ‘Selfless Leader’, published by Palgrave Macmillan in February, 2016.

His other publications include 'The New Public Leadership Challenge' (2016), published by Palgrave Macmillan which he co-edited with Kieth Grint and Trust and Confidence in Public Services and Government, co-edited with Sue Llewellyn and Ann Mahon, published by Routledge in 2013.