3 common mistakes that hold public sector leaders back

Over the past three decades, working for and with local, state and Federal government agencies as well as private corporations across Australia I have found that there are no major differences in leading a large organisation in private industry, versus a large organisation in government.?

Leadership is leadership whatever your industry or business and a number of similarities exist between the public and private sectors. For example, both are populated with organisations of diverse sizes, budgets, and missions.

What is different however is the?context.

Naturally private sector organisations focus on profits and shareholder value and operate within a business framework with a need to work within market forces and a licence to operate. Public sector organisations however typically focus on regulatory implementation of legislation and service delivery to stakeholders and the public and operate within a unique framework within branches and levels of government.?

The art and practice of public sector leadership is rapidly changing. Today, the leaders of all levels across government are needed to lead with a growth mindset, to be authentic and vulnerable, to effectively engage and lead their teams through continual change, to build trust and demonstrate integrity as well as attract, foster and grow talent.

It is this context that I see several key factors that hold many leaders back from growing their career and building high performing teams without the hustle. These common mistakes include not focusing on building their:

1. Confidence
2. Competence, and?
3. Credibility

CONFIDENCE?

Through my numerous coaching sessions, workshops and discussions with public sector leaders, I see the need for leaders to grow and own their confidence in order to compete for talent and positions in the global talent pool. Forced lockdowns have accelerated the shift to distributed government, also opening new pools of talent in the regions and outer metropolitan suburbs. In NSW alone, predictions say up to 900 leadership roles in government will be based in the regions by 2025.

In addition, during these uncertain, high change times, people want to work for leaders who have a high degree of personal conviction and this only comes about from knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, having a strong sense of self-worth and the confidence to communicate with clarity.

COMPETENCE

Many public sector leaders are now called on to run diverse teams of staff from software engineers, designers, analysts, inspectors, policy researchers and strategists, to innovation and stakeholder engagement experts some of whom will be permanent public servants, some contractors and some partner vendors. This requires a high level of competence.?

“The most invaluable leaders radiate not just competence but compassion. They lift people up while driving them forward.” Lolly Daskal - The Leadership Gap: What gets between you and your greatness.?

The pace of delivery, working virtually and increasingly remotely, and a premium on collaboration are also changing how the work of government is done. The new federal Australian Public Service Academy is a step in the right direction of building competence in leaders and many traditional approaches to government will fall by the wayside as stakeholders, employees and citizens demand new, practical, relevant leaders not constrained by the bureaucracy of the past if they are to is to remain effective and relevant.

CREDIBILITY

The daily COVID-19 updates by public health officials pointed to an inexorable push for bureaucratic leaders to increasingly operate in public sphere – to be seen and to be credible. This suggests much of the formality and rule-based cultures that dominate public agencies in the past must relax. As a former Senior Media Advisor for NSW Health and Communications Director for WorkSafe NSW I know only too well the challenges faced by public sector leaders when it comes to becoming a publicly seen figure. ?

Not everyone is a chief health officer, director or minister but learning to present and share the work of the government in a way that lets more people see and understand the how and why of decisions in an agency is slowly but surely becoming the norm. This willingness to engage in the public arena brings upsides and learning to present in a succinct, credible manner is critical to building your credibility and the public face of your agency. Indeed, Police, emergency services, community engagement managers and health officials are regular users of social and traditional media.?

Overlooking these three key areas of confidence, competence and credibility can seriously hold a public sector leader back. More and more creative approaches are required to managing and leading teams and inspiring communities. With forethought, training and support leaders can learn to become more agile, innovative and resilient in adapting to change and can continue to build their career and profession whilst making meaningful difference for the people they serve.?

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