Public Sector Leader Change Strategies: A Focus on Technical or Collaborative Solutions

Abstract

The quality of leadership in the public sector has long been an issue for politicians, being critical to service improvement and to new strategic arrangements within localities. Local authorities have improved as chief officers have adapted to partnership and matured in their collaborations with other agencies. New collaborative models of leadership are emerging in local government in particular — however, how to embrace innovation remains a challenge across the public sector especially in central government. Critical barriers to change include a lack of alignment between local leaders and national performance frameworks and the tension between chief executives with very different approaches to change and service innovation.