How important is it for senior local government officers to focus on communities, residents, and outcomes? To what extent do leaders understand the impact they and their teams have on the lives of those they serve? Should the principle of ‘public service' be central to how we define effective leadership in local government? We increasingly see a focus on these behaviours and values from a range of public sector clients, particularly in local government where council services are so intrinsically part of the everyday fabric of life.
Local government is facing multiple, widespread and well-documented challenges, such as financial strain, rising demand for services, recruitment and retention issues, and the associated effects on colleagues' wellbeing and morale. It can often feel as though local government is considered the poor relation of the public sector and despite these pressures, councils are still expected to provide essential services that communities rely on.
While pressures on areas such as organisational change and financial viability remain, the impact and difference that well-led council services can make to residents is of primary importance when appointing to senior positions. Authorities now expect candidates to demonstrate how their leadership will impact people and communities. Authentic leadership, driven by values and a moral purpose, is becoming more central. It goes beyond just ‘doing the right thing' and represents a guiding principle to ensure services are designed and delivered with the main question being ‘are we truly making a difference?'
This shift may signal a change in priorities. Previously, the focus may have been more on the concept of place and physical regeneration of a borough or responding to financial pressures and prioritising organisational transformation. While these are still crucial, they can sometimes lead to a somewhat insular approach, with leadership from the City Hall feeling distant from its communities. Local authorities are by nature large organisations, often in prominent buildings, but those most successful keep their focus on the people they serve.
This shouldn't be surprising. After all, many who choose a career in local government are motivated by a desire to serve the public and make a difference. As a public sector talent business, we assess hundreds of senior leaders each year using GatenbySanderson's unique Altitude model. This model charts individuals against 12 key behaviours that define public sector leadership, divided into three areas:
● Focus on people
● Focus on outcomes.
Our data shows that success behaviours related to outcomes are especially dominant in senior positions like that of chief executive. Local government leaders especially stand out in this area, balancing a ‘social heart and commercial head' approach to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
However, demonstrating impact on communities involves more than an assessment of whether a candidate has overseen an improvement in outcomes. Leaders must consider how their approach affects different and diverse groups. This goes beyond inclusion – leaders must ensure services consider and hear and understand residents' different life experiences and cultural backgrounds. They must design services that don't disadvantage or overlook certain communities, and they must make changes if they have.
Leaders must show cultural intelligence and competence, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach fundamentally lacks equity and will exclude certain individuals or groups.
As executive search consultants, our role is to attract, assess, and appoint the best talent for the demands of senior local government roles. It's essential that the original questions raised earlier are not merely theoretical. They should remain central to how we define and assess effective leadership and that role profiles, specifications and assessment activity can address these core questions. Additionally this focus on impact starts from our first engagement with potential candidates, through advertising, communications, and interviews. We expect strong candidates to not only describe their role but also to clearly show the impact they've made on residents and how they've addressed inequity. This reflects a broader shift in public services provision (notably in social housing and higher education), where users are increasingly seen as customers.
While this may partly stem from growing commercialisation, it also reflects a push for improved standards and customer satisfaction – this enhanced recognition of individuals and individual outcomes is proving a similarly important trend in local government.
Philip Emms is principal consultant and Tim Hills is lead research consultant at GatenbySanderson
