Editorial

Citation

Gilbert, P. (2012), "Editorial", International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, Vol. 8 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijlps.2012.54708baa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, Volume 8, Issue 2

If the etymology of “leadership” means that it is about travelling with people towards a desired goal, then that journey has become increasingly strewn with boulders and traps. The current financial crisis, which brings images of Sisyphus attempting to roll his boulder up the slope, and of houses of cards collapsing, tests world leaders to take tough decisions – but in ways which leaves pathways open for the stragglers to continue travelling forward to a shared destination. Mike Farrar in a recent article in The Health Service Journal states: “Frankly, without action on the way we provide health and social care, the NHS looks like a supertanker heading for an iceberg”.

All these factors load challenges on to leaders at all levels in public services, as they try to rise to the task of providing services in an age of increasing expectations (“Things can only get better” was a theme tune at the 1997 UK General election); an ageing and more disabled population; and decreasing financial resources.

In the opening article of this issue, Dr Ray Jones provides the first of our “The leadership journey” as part of our initiative to elicit people’s stories; their experience of leadership by others and themselves, in all types of organisations and at all levels. Ray has worked in social services and universities, and was also the first CEO of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, set up to provide an ethical evidence base in Social Care, to complement the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Steve Strong’s innovative work with the National Development Team for Inclusion then highlights the partnership work between local authorities and new user-led organisations. Next Rhidian Hughes’ article on workforce is very timely, as those of us who work with different teams across the public sector see that it is only the essential value-base of employees and sound leadership which is keeping some services to citizens going. Policy expects a more personal approach to those who use public services, but what about personalisation for the staff?

Finally, Dr Harry Gray uses his vast experience to question our entrenched notions of leadership. How concepts and experience change over different fields of activity, and how sometimes very dysfunctional and also highly conformist managers can be seen to have leadership qualities, but take people along the wrong path.

In this edition, the articles all complement each other and give hope in an era where the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be flickering.

Peter Gilbert