‘Public leadership: navigating uncharted waters’
Research insights for public body leaders
In partnership with Association of Chief Executives, Public Chairs’ Forum and Windsor Leadership.
Throughout 2023, the Association of Chief Executives, Public Chairs’ Forum and Windsor Leadership partnered to explore the changing nature of public body leadership through a research project. The culmination of this research is the insight report: ‘Public leadership: navigating uncharted waters,’ based on contributions from over 60 public service leaders.
Leaders considered how they are responding and rising to increasing demand and complex challenge, centred around the key question: “How might we release the true potential of public body leaders?”
‘Public leadership: navigating uncharted waters’ identifies several barriers to leadership success that are perceived to be systemic across public bodies, including:
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- Focus on bureaucracy, rather than culture and strategy.
- Lack of investment in self.
- The increasing complexity and scale of challenges and expectations of public leadership.
To overcome these barriers, public body leaders may want to adopt certain characteristics to equip them for the future. Our research identified key leadership attributes for success:
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- Being courageous in public purpose; acting on convictions.
- Collaborating at scale.
- Navigating complexity and uncertainty.
- Embracing the Nolan Principles.
However, public body leaders cannot achieve their visions alone. Organisations can play a crucial role in enabling success by:
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- Developing a common understanding and acceptance of the shift in culture and workplace expectations.
- Embracing diversity in every way.
- Agreeing on a shared approach to workplace change.
- Allowing leaders to lead.
“It has always seemed to me that leading a public body is like captaining a ship on an ocean voyage; sometimes the winds may blow, and there may be rough seas, but by having a clear vision and adept steering the destination can be reached.”
Project partners
Representing the partners, the project sponsors include:
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Martin Jones CBE, CEO Parole Board, ACE Chair |
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Jonathon Story, CEO Windsor Leadership |
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Helen Pitcher OBE, Chair Criminal Cases Review Commission, PCF Chair |
Core project team
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- Ellie Copeland, former Membership, Communications and Research Officer, ACE – PCF.
- Louisa Dale, former Secretary, ACE – PCF
- Simon Whitbread, Leadership Development Director, Windsor Leadership
