What makes a Good Leader
The positive impact that a good leader can have on an organisation's performance and culture is becoming increasingly recognised, and interest is growing in this important element of management.
There is a range of views as to the answer to this question and an equally wide range of theories and models to help others to follow in their footsteps.
In the public sector 'success' is defined in various ways - from official performance measures to 'softer' measures such as customer satisfaction or a perceived sense of transparency. Here leadership is as much about building relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders as it is about growing a strong workforce or delivering positive outcomes for consumers. As such it requires focused and strong leaders.
The public sector is of particular importance to London, employing 25% of London's workforce. The complexity and diversity of both organisational needs and labour markets, London's position as a global city and the constant dynamic of change and future challenges all provide a demanding environment for the leaders of London's public sector.
Against this background, the London LSC commissioned a report aimed at gaining insights into current leadership good practice and the challenges that are faced by leaders of public services in London. The report was based on a study of the leaders of 2S successful public service organisations - from Primary Schools to Prisons, Further Education to Fire and Rescue and NHS Trusts to
Neighbourhood Services.
Published in July 2006, the report identifies how these leaders have overcome particular challenges, and how their approach can be replicated by future public sector leaders in London.
Findings from the research fell into three main themes:-
- How successful leaders respond to the scrutiny of their services by outside agencies;
- What successful leaders do to develop the sector's human resource;
- and how successful leaders improve on the way in which public services are delivered.
These three areas made up a series of masterclasses, which took the research as their starting point and sought to identify and embed practical ways forward to drive improvement into the next generation of London's public sector leaders.