Download - Public Sector Leadership: The Fundamentals (I) - · PDF file2 Public Sector Leadership: The Fundamentals (I) ! Role of the Public Sector ! Until now: To solve the problems and challenges

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Public Sector Leadership: The Fundamentals (I)

UNITAR Mustofi Fellowship

Hiroshima, Japan 18 – 22 February 2012


! Why the need? ! A gap between how public sectors exist at present and

how the interests of a nation need them to be

! A gap between public service cultures and the public interest

! Necessary for good “Governance” ! The way in which the underlying values of a nation are

“institutionalised”

! Formal Aspects:

! Separated powers

! Checks and balances

! Means of transferring power

! Transparency, and accountability.

! These values must guide the actions of public officials throughout the system.

! They must be imbedded in culture..

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! Role of the Public Sector ! Until now: To solve the problems and challenges faced

in a specific environment.

! From now: People who will promote institutional adaptations in the public interest. ! The need to promote certain fundamental values

! “Public spiritedness”

! Must be based on clear and widely accepted rules

! Must have committed leaders and qualified people to undertake appropriate reforms

! To harness effectively resources at a national level

! To maximize returns on invested resources


! Role of the Public Sector on a Regional Level ! Economic development depends on:

! Local initiative, adaptability and capacity

! The existence in a community of the basic infrastructure necessary to facilitate business, commercial or industrial activity

! A supportive legal framework

! The ability to mobilize necessary resources and respond rapidly to an ever-changing environment

! Local authorities require greater independence and entrepreneurialism

! Local authorities must work towards a closer balance between the service needs of individual communities and the actual distribution of goods and services within that community.

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! Leadership ! Leads to enhanced management capacity and

organisational performance ! Integrates various HRMcomponents

! Recruitment and selection

! Training and development

! Performance management

! Public service ethics

! Succession planning.


! Public Sector Leaders must have; ! GLOBALISATION: An understanding of the economic,

political, social and ecological dimensions of globalization ! The shifting of national responsibilities towards both

international and locally based institutions, as well as the private sector.

! GOVERNANCE: An understanding of the institutions of governance: ! The legal framework in which they operate

! The interaction of governmental institutions with each other, as well as the private, and the non-profit sectors.

! STRATEGIC ANALYSIS: An understanding of the financial, political, and economic environments in which government operates ! The ability to manage complexity and change

! A knowledge of the technical and quantitative skills necessary to assess policy formulation, evaluation and management.

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! Public Sector Leaders must have; ! ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT: An understanding of

individual and organizational behavior ! The organization’s relationships to client groups

! The managing of diversity

! The ability to work as a team

! The development of effective leadership capacity

! PROFESSIONALISATION: A focus upon ones

relationship to the public ! The role that values play in governance

! The development of appropriate ethical practices and professional excellence.


! Personal Attributes of Leaders ! Vision:

! Define what their organization should strive to be and to do

! Articulate that vision succinctly

! Formulate a strategic visions that specifies the means by which the vision will be attained

! Promote commi tment f rom the i r fo l l owers by communicating in a manner that is both clear and compelling

! Implementation of the Vision ! A vision that is not implemented remains only a dream.

! The effective leader takes steps to ensure that the vision is translated into specific actions

! Managers

! Subordinates The Role of Public Sector Leadership in Fostering

Socio-Economic and Political Development in Africa Tag Elsir Mahgoub Ali

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! Personal Attributes of Leaders ! Effective Implementation Actions:

! Structuring

! Selection, training and acculturating of personnel

! Motivating

! Managing information

! Team building

! Promoting change

! Motives and Traits: ! Effective leaders are:

! Full of drive, energy and ambition

! Tenacious and pro-active in pursuing their goals

The Role of Public Sector Leadership in Fostering Socio-Economic and Political Development in Africa

Tag Elsir Mahgoub Ali


! Personal Attributes of Leaders ! Motives and Traits:

! Effective leaders:

! Want to lead – they do not crave power for the sake of dominating others but for the sake of achieving an overarching goal

! Are honest and have integrity

! Have a high degree of self-confidence

! Are often creative

! Are strategically flexible

! Knowledge, Skills and Ability ! Leaders have:

! Extensive knowledge of their discipline, technology and the organizational environment in which they are working The Role of Public Sector Leadership in Fostering

Socio-Economic and Political Development in Africa Tag Elsir Mahgoub Ali

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! Personal Attributes of Leaders ! Knowledge, Skills and Ability

! Leaders have:

! A variety of skills.

! “People skills”

! Listening

! Communication

! Network building

! Conflict management

! Assessment of self and others

! Problem solving

! Decision-making

The Role of Public Sector Leadership in Fostering Socio-Economic and Political Development in Africa

Tag Elsir Mahgoub Ali


! Developing Future Leaders: Current Trends ! Defining a competence profile for future leaders:

! Competencies required for future leaders could be different from those required for present leaders

! Responsibility, Capability, and Role.

! Must work to predict what forms the future public sector will take, and what challenges will be faced

! Identifying and selecting potential leaders: ! Select future leaders from outside or to nurture them within

the public sector?

! Encouraging mentoring and training: ! Once potential leaders are identified and selected, the next

step is to train them continuously.

! Specialised institutions for leadership development?

! Training courses?

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! Developing Future Leaders: Current Trends ! Keeping leadership development sustainable:

! Developing future leaders takes a long time

! Must develop a comprehensive programme from the whole-of-government perspective

! Allocate more of managers’ time to developing leaders

! Link incentives with performance for better leadership

! Developing Future Leaders: Potential Issues ! Groups of leaders may begin to pursue their own

interests rather than the national interest ! Such groups become closed and insufficiently responsive to

wider changes in society.

! The organisation as a whole must work to build a leadership cadre that is more responsive or representative


! Developing Future Leaders: Potential Issues ! Must identify how to re-orient and refresh existing cadres if

they have begun to get out of step with the society they represent

! Leadership strategies must be based on a clear diagnosis of the national challenges being faced ! Also – the current characteristics of the public sector culture

! Any successful leadership strategy involves culture change ! Very difficult

! Takes place over a long period and in response to a variety of powerful pressures.

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UNITAR Mustofi Fellowship

Hiroshima, Japan 18 – 22 February 2012
