1. Local Government
Leadership Study
Martin Tucker
GatenbySanderson

2. What we did
• Study to determine how government policy and the economic
downturn has impacted upon LG priorities.
• Determine whether these changing priorities are reflected in
leadership skills at CX level
• Consider what does the future hold?
• Where are the skills gaps?
• How effective is the sector in planning the succession of key
leaders?

3. Our findings
• Local Government has too many priorities!
– There were 29 different categories of priorities in total ranging from
the very broad ‘change’ to the more specific ‘pension schemes’.
• Modernisation is the most important priority now by some
margin but falls in significance post recession
– Is this optimism or short termism?
• The number one skills gap is ‘vision’
– Does this reflect a lack of farsightedness amongst current CXs or that
visionaries are a rare breed?
• Focus/strategic direction considered relatively less important
– See point one above!

4. The role itself
• 73% think that the CX is more important than ever
– But 46% believe that the role is less aspirational as a career
• And 92% believe there is insufficient CX succession
planning/development within the sector
• While modernisation, new business models and innovation
are seen as key, 68% of respondent organisations had no
plans to re-shape the role of CX

5. Leadership Priorities Now
21% Modernisation
30% Engagement
Efficiencies
Partnership working
13% New busines models
Economic prosperity
5%
Strategic thinking
5%
10% Other
8%
8%

6. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
7%
21%
Modernisation
All Other
79%
93%

7. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
9%
13%
Engagement
All Other
87%
91%

8. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
10%
13%
Efficiencies
Efficiencies
All Other
All Other
90%
87%

9. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
5%
8%
Partnership Working
All Other
95%
92%

10. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
7%
8%
New Business models
business
All Other
93%
92%

11. Leadership Priorities Now & Post Recession
5%11%
Economic Prosperity
All Other
89%
95%

12. Top CX Qualities & Skills
25
20
15
10
5
0
Pre Now Post
Visionary Political astuteness Resilience
Communication Make change happen Strategic direction
Integrity Interpersonal Fiscal

13. Biggest Skills gaps
Visionary
Commercialism
Making change happen
26% 18%
Interpersonal/influential
12% Motivational/inspirational
5%
5% Focus/direction/decisiven
11% ess
5%
5% 7% Emotional Intelligence
6%
Communicator
Partnership working
/collaboration
Other

14. Making behaviours meaningful
• We probably know what we want from more traditional skills
such as political adroitness and budget management
• But may be less sure footed when it comes to more
impalpable qualities such a ‘visionary’ or ‘engagement’ and
‘innovator’
• What do these look like? how do you know when you’ve got
them? and how can you measure it?
• How do you ensure focus on the competencies that matter
most for future growth of the organisation?
• How do you build a critical mass?

15. What do these skills look like?
• Being a visionary
– Steve Jobs?
– Clive Sinclair?
– Rausing (Tetrapak) brothers?
• New Business models:
– Terry Leahy of Tesco?
– Michael Dell?
– Jeff Bezos of Amazon?
• Engagement
– Richard Branson?
• Efficiencies & forcing change
– Michael O’Leary?

16. Which sector likely to fill gaps?
7 6 0
7 Private
37
Suppliers to public sector
15 Not for profit
LG
Health
28
CG
Education

17. Thinking like the private sector
Key Business Competencies:
• Results Driven – clarity around accountability and results
• Collaboration, influence and engagement – effectiveness in
working with peers or partners not in line of command
• Strategic orientation – an ability to identify and create long term
advantage to the organisation
• Customer impact – an obsession with anticipating customer impact
• Change leadership – driving through change
• Developing organisational capability – attracting and developing a
critical mass of talent
• Insight – how the environment or ‘market’ will impact upon the
organisation

18. What you can do now
• Time to re-look at JDs/PSs
• Sharpen your focus in terms of priorities
• Establish what competencies are needed to achieve these
AND clearly define what these look like
• Identify clear actions and outcomes required to achieve
excellence
• Don’t expect to find all competencies in one person
– Nurture the brilliance ‘spikes’ rather than tackling weaker areas
• Fill in the gaps by creating a critical mass of talent
– Implement a long term gap analysis
– Adjust recruitment processes