Leadership in the Public Sector



Leadership in the Public Sector

Introduction

Public leadership, in contrast, is most likely to occur within the domain of public administration and public service (Van Wort, 2005). This subfield has expanded, and perhaps even embraced, gender analysis. However, as is discussed later, conflation of management and leadership confound analysis, as ambiguity about the “political” nature of public service.

Discussion

Some of the key debates involve distinctions between leaders and power wielders or leadership and management. To lead (a verb) requires some action, but what distinguishes it from management? Vision, a capacity to inspire followers to follow? How much willingness is needed given the coercive overtones of many leadership contexts, especially those in the public sector? How much does the act of leading involve empowering followers, and how much involves behaving in particular ways recognized as the act of leading? Leadership (a noun) is a process, but besides some type of exchange with followers, what aspects distinguish this process from activism or community organizing around political issues? Leaders (also a noun) must somehow be different from followers or do things in ways that mark them as leaders. These observations drive scholars toward traits, character, style, and behaviors of individuals deemed leaders, but given differences in context and the vagaries of the leadership processes, pinning down specifics becomes a challenge.

Even within the realm of public and political leadership, the level of analysis becomes crucial for alleviating confusion. In considering the processes involved in changing minds, an element of leadership, Howard Gardner analyzes processes at the national level, institutional level, group level, one-on-one situations, and within one's self (Gardner, 2004). He correctly analyzes that leadership of a nation, with a diffuse collection of citizens who seldom cohere through a single set of values, is more challenging than attempting to lead an institution whose ...