Leadership in the British civil service: an interpretation

Chapman, R.A. and O'Toole, B.J. (2010) Leadership in the British civil service: an interpretation. Public Policy and Administration, 25(2), pp. 123-136. (doi: 10.1177/0952076709340510)

Abstract

This article is essentially a polemic. The argument is that when politicians and officials now talk of ‘leadership’ in the British civil service they do not use that word in the way in which it was previously used. In the past leading civil servants, acting in partnership with ministers and within constitutional constraints, exercised leadership in the sense of setting example, inspiring confidence and encouraging loyalty. The loosening of traditional constitutional patterns, the marginalization of senior officials in the policy process and the emergence of business methods as the preferred model for public ­administration have led to a political and administrative environment in which leadership in the British civil service is now about encouraging patterns of behaviour which fit in with these changes. Leadership skills are now about ‘delivery’; they are not about motivation. It is time for politicians, officials and scholars to be open about this.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: O'Toole, Prof Barry
• Authors: Chapman, R.A., and O'Toole, B.J.
• Subjects: J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Public Policy and Administration
• Publisher: Sage
• ISSN: 0952-0767
• ISSN (Online): 1749-4192
• Published Online: 14 October 2009
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2009 Sage
• First Published: First published in Public Policy and Administration 25(2):123-136
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher