From management to leadership : the challenge for executive secretaries in local councils

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to explore the evolvement of leadership in local government by focusing on the role of the Executive Secretaries. The research will explore the notions of both management and leadership, and ask whether the concept of leadership is being or can be adopted by the Executive Secretary of the Local Councils. In order to perform this research, seven in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with Executive Secretaries from different local councils in Malta. Through these interviews, key findings and emergent challenges to adopting a leadership approach were extrapolated. These relate to: (1) Adopting a leadership approach whilst maintaining their key functions of managers within the available resources and a bureaucratic, centralised and political environment. (2) Persuading the politicians to take measures to control and eliminate risks whilst reaching the objectives, including the performance of reality checks of proposals. (3) Crafting of the strategy required to achieve the vision set by the Council. (4) Creating a team based approach that is ready to understand and accept the communicated vision, and align the followers by establishing trust and credibility towards the leader. (5) Communicating the vision to the relevant employees and stakeholders whilst finding motivators, taking into consideration the complex dynamics under which they operate and a scenario that is usually not prone to change. Following the above, five main recommendations were presented in an effort to introduce an approach of how public officials such as Executive Secretaries can be change drivers and leaders while maintaining their intrinsic role of managers. These are available below: 1) To include leadership as one of the selection process criteria for new Executive Secretaries 2) To plan, develop and implement a leadership programme for Executive Secretaries and local councillors, focusing on areas such as strategy, communication and stakeholder involvement. 3) To consider a National Conference on leadership in local government and, following the involvement of all Executive Secretaries, issue a proposal on potential legal amendments that will strengthen leadership aspects of Executive Secretaries. 4) To introduce simplified measures and make a concrete effort to reduce bureaucracy so that resources can be allocated to strategy, planning and initiatives which would enhance stakeholder satisfaction. 5) Whilst ensuring that the process of decentralisation continues, to strengthen the regional offices to act as a point of reference and to facilitate co-operation between the different councils on strategic issues.