Leadership and Management in Public Service

Abstract

Leadership is one of the most discussed but least understood concepts in administrative science. Literature is full of myths, confusion and sometimes, obfuscation. As if the controversy about the nature of leadership, i.e., whether it is born quality or learned skill, was not enough, Peter Drucker made an unnecessary distinction between leadership and management by saying that ‘Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.’ Since then a whole branch of management has cropped up that maintains this distinction.

This essay is an attempt to not only dispel that notion but also to present a plan of action for a public servant how to intertwine his/her leadership and management skills for effective and efficient service delivery.

Introduction

 “With bad laws and good civil servants, it’s possible to govern. But with bad civil servants, even the best laws cannot help” Bismarck

Leadership is one of the most discussed but least understood concepts in administrative science. Although as old as humans started living together, it is difficult to agree on a universally accepted definition of leadership because each culture and age has several flawed assumptions about leadership, reflecting the ethos of the time and place. For this book, I will define leadership as the capability to motivate ones’ followers (or subordinates) to put in their best efforts for the achievement of national (or corporate goals) by giving them a vision to look up to, a road map to follow and serving as a role model to emulate.

Thus, a religious leader will give a vision (salvation in the hereafter) to his followers which can be achieved if they follow a roadmap (good deeds). For this to work, he does the right things and becomes a role model for them. A political leader gives a vision to his followers (political independence/victory in war) and a road map (sacrifices) but he starts the journey to serve as a role model. Similarly, in a bureaucratic organization it is the boss who provides the vision of excellence to his subordinates and sets the rules and procedures to achieve it but shows them the way by excelling himself. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Jules Masserman, Professor of History and Psychoanalyst, North-western University has described the leadership in these words;

“Leaders must fulfill three functions; provide for the well-being of the led, provide a social organization in which people feel relatively secure, provide them with one set of beliefs. People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People like Gandhi and Confucius, on one hand, and Alexander, Caesar, and Hitler on the other are leaders in the second and perhaps the third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammed, who combined all three functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the same.”

Leadership vs Management and Other Misconceptions

Unfortunately, some scholars have created an unnecessary controversy about the so-called differences between a leader and a manager. It is an irony of fate that it was Peter Drucker, the guru of management who created this unfortunate dichotomy between leadership and management by saying that ‘Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.’ Since then a whole branch of management has cropped up that maintains this distinction. Some of their stock phrases you will come across in leadership studies are  

Leadership has more to do with personality while management is more about the environmentLeadership is more art than science while management is obverse of that equationLeadership provides vision, direction while management is to collect and control resources to achieve the task givenLeadership is effectiveness first, efficiency secondary while it is reverse in managementLeadership is a leap of faith; management is taking calculated risks

All the above is nothing but crap.

Management is an organizational process that includes planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Leadership is thus a function in the management process while management is an attribute of leadership. In real life, these are two sides of the same coin.

As a public servant, there is no distinction between a leader and a manager as both are needed at all the three broad levels of any organization- strategic, operational, and tactical. It is the nature of the assignment and the situation which would determine which aspect should be given more emphasis-leadership or management.

It is a science (there are rules to learn) as well as art (needs practice for perfection). Educational degrees may mean you have a good education, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are a good leader. When it comes to leadership, the experience is the best teacher.

Similarly, it has nothing to do with grades, scales or positions; anyone who performs leadership roles and functions is a leader. Holding a formal office only gives formal legitimacy and helps in a leadership role but is not the main ingredient. It is not a trait to be inherited; rather it is a skill that can be learned, improved, and refined. Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” ― John C. Maxwell

Not based on position or rank, it is the performance, ability, and effectiveness of a civil servant that makes him a leader. Having different shades of gray- charismatic, professional, situational, leadership is mostly perceptions in the minds of followers-you are no more leaders if people reject you for any reason. It is, in fact, more like a romance that withers away if not reinforced by continued efforts to be a leader

Finally, the mother of all misperceptions- many people still think leaders are born not made and leadership is a rare ability only given to a few. This can’t be further from the truth. Everyone has the potential to become a good leader in the right environments and his willingness to perform the leadership role. Like most learned skills, it takes time, training, and lots of trial by error. Google search and you will come across dozens of studies confirming the fact that the leaders are made, not born, and that leadership development follows a specific progression. Using the Pareto Principle (my favourite!) I can say that leadership is 20 percent genetic and 80 percent a result of lessons learned through life experiences.

Leadership Theories

Literature on leadership is full of Leadership theories i.e., schools of thought which explain how and why certain individuals become leaders. Some leadership theories attempt to explain what differentiates a leader, while some explain how great leaders come to be. The Great Man Theory believes that the inherent traits that one is born with contribute to great leadership. Situational Theory recommends leaders to adopt a leadership style depending on the situation at hand, while the Behaviour Theory is all about learning the skills necessary to become a good leader.

Leadership Styles

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn

Related to above but slightly different is the discussion on the styles of leadership-how a leader, whether born or nurtured, exercises his leadership. A leadership style is a leader’s style of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. There can be different leadership styles like:

Authoritarian – where direct supervision is supposed to be the key to success and building a good work environment.Democratic – where the leader shares the decision-making abilities with his team membersLaissez-faire – where all the powers of decision making are given to the workerTransformational – where leaders are not limited by what others think or what are their perceptions. The main objective remains to redirect the thought processTransactional – where leaders focus on motivating teams through a system of rewards and punishments

There are literally hundreds of different books on leadership styles; however, I have found Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership approach the best. Developed by Blanchard and Hersey, it describes leadership style in terms of the amount of Task Behaviour and Relationship Behaviour that the leader provides to their followers. Accordingly, they categorized all leadership styles into four behaviour types, which they named S1 to S4:

S1: Directing – is characterized by one-way communication in which the leader defines the roles of the individual or group and provides the what, how, why, when, and where to do the task;S2: Coaching – while the leader is still providing the direction, he or she is now using two-way communication and providing the socio-emotional support that will allow the individual or group being influenced to buy into the process;S3: Supporting – this is how shared decision-making about aspects of how the task is accomplished and the leader is providing fewer task behaviours while maintaining high relationship behaviour;S4: Delegating – the leader is still involved in decisions; however, the process and responsibility have been passed to the individual or group. The leader stays involved to monitor progress.

From the above, you must have realised that there is no one “best” approach to leadership; you must adapt your leadership style to meet each team member’s needs depending on the level of your team member’s competence. Hence, depending on situations, a leader can choose to display a directive style, or more of a supportive style, or a style where he needs to be a visionary. The optimal approach happens when the leader uses a different approach depending on the types of tasks (repetitive or unique), and the experience level, motivation, and temperament of the followers.

If you have an entry-level employee, the approach of just telling them what to do and how to do it may be best (Directing). If you have an experienced employee, the approach of telling them the outcome and allowing them to decide the “how” may be the best approach (Delegating). Issues arise when a leader tries to use Directing approach for experienced employees (who then accuse them of micro-managing), or using a Delegating approach to an employee who just wants to learn how to do a new task.

However, there is another good theory about leadership style which needs to be mentioned- the Matrix Theory. In general, they relate to the idea of a 4 part matrix where you have People Skills (Strong and Weak) as one axis and Task Skills (Strong and weak) on the other axis. This results in four leadership “Types” described below:

Authoritarian — strong on tasks, weak on people skillsCountry Club — strong on people skills, weak on tasksImpoverished — weak on tasks, weak on people skillsTeam Leader — strong on tasks, strong on people skills

Functions of Leadership

What are the functions a leader in any organisation performs to leverage his leadership qualities for the achievement of corporate goals? Essentially these are

Knowledge of Challenges: A leader keeps him abreast of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization as well as the threats and opportunities. Based on this SWOT Analysis of the organization he is leading, he charts out the long term, short term, and immediate challenges for the organization.Formulating a Vision: Based on the challenges identified, he comes up with a clear-cut vision of where to go in the short to long term. It is a vision and not an illusion that guides him and his team.Chartering the Road map: Call it a Mission Statement or a Road map, a leader does not leave his colleagues in the lurch about the way to move forward. He spells out the appropriate strategies to reach the goals envisioned.Marshalling the Resources: One of the most important tasks of a leader is to identify the types of resources –human, physical, and financial needed for the accomplishment of the goals he has identified. At the same time, he must be very clear about the respective roles of various resources and their ideal mix.Leading by Example: Leading by example and from the front is the hallmark of good leadership which is only possible through demonstration of his expertise, knowledge, skills, and character, motivating the followers to obey his commands.

Essential Ingredients of Leadership/TRAITS

What are the essentials to become a good leader? To me these are

Professional competencyProviding a congenial environment to juniorsSelecting the right person for the right jobSetting challenging but attainable goalsEffective job description,Appropriate delegationIncentives and rewards systemPeriodic monitoring and evaluationContinuous capacity building of subordinates Professional/Technical Proficiency

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

The first requisite for being a capable leader is his/her competency to lead the organization and motivate the people around him. This, in turn, is dependent on his level of knowledge, mastery of skills, and his moral character. What are the areas in which you must excel? While it may differ from post to post but essentially these should be

Vision and Mission Statements: – Every nation-state has a vision formulated by its founding fathers and improved upon from time to time by the governing elite of the day in response to the changing times. All policies, internal or external, are formulated to achieve the permanent interest of the country visualized in that vision. Each Ministry, each Department has then to formulate its own vision keeping in view the aims and objectives of the overarching national vision. Unfortunately, some ministries do not formulate it at all, some define it in a very ambiguous way, some frame it in a faulty way.  Prepare a vision statement of the Ministry if it is not there; improve upon it if it exists but you think it is deficient. Also, look for its Mission Statement. People normally forget it or confuse it with the vision statement. Both are different concepts. Vision tells you where to go in which time frame; Mission Statement describes the strategies to achieve that Vision.Legal/regulatory Framework: Every ministry/department of the government runs under certain laws and have certain procedures for conducting its business. No need to become a legal expert, but at least you must be thoroughly familiar with the relevant constitutional provisions, rules of business, rules of procedures of the parliament, etc. It can save you from moments of embarrassment but also increase your worth among your colleagues-juniors and seniors.Facts and Figures: Well there may be hundreds and thousands of facts and figures about your organization and it is humanly impossible to remember each bit of information. However, certain essential pieces of information should be at your fingertips or at least in your notebook which you carry with you daily, maybe your smartphone or laptop. And equally, important-you must know where to get hold of them when needed!SWOT Analysis: Yes, the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats about your operational area. Taking the example of agriculture, you must know what the strong points of the agriculture sector are and what the opportunities available for its development are. At the same time, what are its weaknesses, and what are the threats the agriculture sector is facing? Same with the industry. Master this technique and I assure you it will come in good stead throughout your career.Challenges and Responses: Based on the SWOT Analysis, prepare the challenges the organization is facing or is likely to face in the short to long term and how to respond to them. Get the assistance of the technical personnel for the preparation of these challenges and strategies to respond to them. Remember, this is the meat of every organization, every ministry, and every department. Providing Congenial Environment

To have the right environment for the achievement of corporate goals, a leader recruits the best available staff for each post and provides them the necessary wherewithal to perform their duties efficiently and effectively i.e. adequate workspace, necessary equipment, sufficient logistics, financial independence, etc. Making them aware of the vision of the organisation and how it will positively impact the community will provide the right perspective for their active engagement. In this connection, providing emotional support is the most important trait of a good leader.

Show genuine care and make your best efforts to show concern about an employee, work-life balance, and family. Retaining people and keeping them motivated depends upon several variables and constants but two stand out the most-the boss and the working environment. Good bosses create the right environment for the people to work and stay. It is always worth first examining your attitude and behaviour and then looking at the big picture.  Maybe it is your personality traits that are the cause of their frustration. Change yourself before fixing the environment. 

Selecting Right Person

While every aspect of a leader is under scrutiny, the most visible one will be the team he selects to accomplish the goals he has set under the Vision/mission. Remember the age-old saying- “do not fit a square peg in a round hole”. The selection of the wrong person for a job is not only a headache for the others but a poor reflection on your leadership capabilities. Besides being morally and legally wrong, it is economically counterproductive as it adversely affects the morale of the other employees and hinders the achievement of organizational goals.

Setting Goals

Granted that the civil servants are responsible for producing soft goods that are difficult to measure; as such setting goals for their achievements is equally difficult. Yet, you should try to set goals wherever possible as setting goals for the employees is another test of your leadership qualities. Budget preparation is one such activity that demands clear milestones. Similarly writing a report, carrying out inspections, visiting subordinate offices, etc., are tasks that can be bound with timelines.

Ensure that goals and targets that are given to an employee are challenging enough to extract the best out of him but are not intimidating to put him off. They should be measurable and relevant to their respective sphere of duty and communicated to them in clear terms with a reasonable time frame. Do not leave them in the lurch. Guide them. And do not forget to reward the achievers publicly but counsel the laggards privately.

Effective Job Description

Nothing is more frustrating than an ambiguous job description. Every employee must know what he or she is supposed to do in writing and verbally. For this purpose, make it a point to carry out the job analysis of every important post at least once in a three year to find out whether your organisation still need this post at all. Maybe we can dispense with this post and re-allocate its functions to other posts? If satisfied that you need this post in original or in its amended form, then prepare its accurate job description in the light of the new demands and developments i.e. what is the exact role of the incumbent of this post, what are the duties/functions expected from him and what will be its chain of command and communications.

Appropriate Delegation

Organizational effectiveness is dependent upon several factors. Appropriate quantum of delegation to the right persons and up to the right level is one of them. Delegation can be defined as the assigning of certain responsibilities along with the necessary authority by a superior to his subordinates.

It is basically a subdivision of powers vesting in authority and its allocation to the subordinates for achieving the goals and objectives of the organization efficiently and effectively. Every process of delegation essentially involves three interrelated steps i.e. delegating authority, vesting responsibility, and holding the delegatee accountable. To carry out this exercise, use this 8Cs framework devised by me

Conceive-what duties everyone is performingChoose-what to weed out, what to retain and what to delegate to whomCapacity-is he fit to shoulder the responsibilityClarity-clear instructions about job, timeframeCommunications-constant liaison Good communication builds trust, which is essential for a great team.Confidence- repose confidence, build confidence. Managers should have trust in their teams and provide autonomy. It is a win-win for both managers and employees.Constant monitoring-everyone needs itCooperation-help them when they need you Incentives and Rewards

We, public servants, are very misers inappropriately recognising the good work done by our subordinates, forget about rewarding them. Even charitable organizations need to reward their star performers. This recognition and rewarding are not necessarily giving them the monetary benefits; even paid holidays, training opportunities, and publicly appreciating a hard worker does wonder. Principles of merit and transparency in rewarding through objective and transparent criteria should be the basis of incentive and reward system to create confidence among the field staff.

Build Teams

One of the most effective ways to achieve the organisational goals is to identify the champions and helping them to build a team around them. Search for passionate people in diverse areas of expertise and bring them together. Encourage team working among the employees. Project implementation is a highly interactive process in which the active involvement of all the employees from the bottom to the top is required. Make sure that the active engagement of the staff is reinforced by keeping the employees informed about the progress made, constraints faced, and seeking their inputs for removing them. This will encourage the ownership of the project by the staff which would motivate them to put in their best efforts to successfully execute the project.

Capacity Building

The best legacy of a leader is leaving behind an efficiently functioning organization, not a deluge. The worst officer is the one who boasts that he is so indispensable that one day of his absence from office results in catastrophe. It means he has not trained his subordinates for the leadership role. People are the most asset of any organisation difficult to replace. Timely and adequate investment in the training and development of the subordinates not only makes them more knowledgeable and skillful but also generates more camaraderie so crucial for the achievement of departmental goals and objectives.  Train them and trust them and the ideal way to do so is to show and tell them how to do things by your competency. “Leaders don’t create more followers; they create more leaders.” – Tom Peters

Periodic Monitoring and Evaluation

Never be afraid or ashamed of carrying out periodic inspection of subordinates because, with rare exceptions here and there, everyone needs to be led and monitored. Honest and frequent appraisal of the work of the employees and suggestions for improving their performance are effective tools of supervision and motivation and make midterm correction possible. Awarding and punishing is also possible only through evaluation of their performance. Make sure that any good work done by an employee is recognized timely and publicly and rewarded suitably so as not only to reinforce the right behaviour in the concerned employee but also motivate others by setting an example.

Conclusion

If you forget everything I have written above, please do remember one word-PRIDE. Apply the following time-tested “PRIDE” process i.e. Provide a positive working environment, Recognize, reward, and reinforce the right behaviour- Involve and engage the team, Develop skills and potential of employees and Evaluate and measure their performances. A few lines about each will further clarify the process;

Providing the Positive and Congenial Environment: To have the right environment for the project execution, recruit the best available staff for each post and provide them the necessary wherewithal to perform their duties efficiently and effectively i.e. adequate workspace, necessary equipment, sufficient logistics, etc. Making them aware of the vision of the project and how it will positively impact the community will provide the right perspective for their active engagement. Most importantly maximum delegation of the responsibility along with requisite authority will ensure that they have the necessary freedom to work per their capabilities and create a positive environment to work.Recognize, Reward, and Reinforce the Right Behaviour: Make sure that any good work done by an employee is recognized timely and publicly and rewarded suitably so as not only to reinforce the right behaviour in the concerned employee but also motivate others by setting an example. Principles of merit and transparency in rewarding through objective and transparent criteria should be the basis of incentive and reward system to create confidence among the field staff. Involving and Engaging the Team: Public management is a highly interactive process in which the active involvement of all the employees from the bottom to the top is required. Make sure that the active engagement of the staff is reinforced by keeping the employees informed about the progress made, constraints faced, and seeking their inputs for removing them. This will encourage ownership by the staff which would motivate them to put in their best efforts to successfully execute the task at hand.Develop Skills and Potential of Employees: Be aware that career development is a big incentive for any employee particularly for those who are employed in a fixed-term assignment like a project. To ensure that the competent employees remain with the project throughout its life cycle, highlight the areas which would enhance their capabilities necessary for their career development. Similarly, the skills they would acquire on successful completion of the project would improve their employability prospects once the project is completed.Evaluating and Measuring: Honest and frequent appraisal of the work of the employees and suggestions for improving their performance are effective tools of supervision and motivation. Make sure that the employees are regularly evaluated, progress made by them is appreciated and the reasons for the slow progress on any account can be properly diagnosed and remedial measures are taken.

Tailpiece:

Finally, remember it is easy to take credit for any successful assignment. Take equal responsibility for any task which has failed. This shows your character and employees feel that they can do the right thing without worrying about the successful or failed outcome

From the Ebook “ 10 Essential Skills for Public Servants: A Handbook” by Shahid Hussain Raja, published by Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723GMMT1