The Leadership Qualities of a Successful Municipal CAO Presentation to Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators May 31, 2011 David Siegel Department of Political Science Brock University dsiegel@brocku.ca 1
Definition of a leader Influential increment beyond managerial compliance (Katz & Khan) the opposite of brute force (Burns) about articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished (Richards & Engle) 2
Leader s skills (Katz and Khan) Technical skills specialized knowledge, use of tools and techniques Human skills build cooperative effort Conceptual skills understand the entire entity and its environment 3
CAOs must lead in three directions Leading up Leading down Council CAO Staff Leading out Business groups Residents groups Other governments Media 4
Leading down Manage staff Maintain morale Balance interests of departments Power through control 5
Leading out Business groups Residents groups Media Other governments 6
Leading out how to do it Negotiator, broker Guide groups Power through influence Inspire confidence Proactive position with media Proactive with other governments 7
Leading up Most difficult Power through influence Mediator, negotiator Inspire confidence Expertise Objectivity Professionalism 8
Roles of councillors and CAO Councillors Part-time amateurs Sensitive to local issues No clear agenda Short time horizon CAO Full time expert Substantive knowledge Experience Long time horizon 9
Potential roles of a CAO Catalyst & policy innovator Advisor to elected officials Classical administrator 10
Two sins to avoid Clientelism Triumph of political expediency over professional values If a resident wants something, let s give it to her. Technocracy Triumph of experts over representatives of the people I don t care what the people want, this is the right answer. 11
Types of Council-CAO Relationships (Mouritzen & Svara) Separate roles Autonomous administrator Responsive administrator Overlapping roles 12
Separate roles Councillors broad policy decisions and general oversight CAO provide advice based on technical expertise CAO s skills not fully utilized Clientelism Technocracy Here s the report, tell me when you ve decided. 13
Autonomous administrator CAO defines administration very broadly Uses power of bureaucracy and expertise to control council Administration potentially out of control Lack of accountability Clientelism Technocracy Council doesn t know what it s doing. I have to make all the decisions 14
Responsive administrator CAO as political agent of council Competence sacrificed to responsiveness Start-stop dynamic CAO s skills not fully utilized Clientelism Technocracy I figure out what council wants to do. Then I tailor my advice accordingly. 15
Overlapping roles Policy and administration not separate, but complementary Reciprocal influence CAO oriented to public interest and problem solving, rather than compartmentalization Mutual accommodation and respect Clientelism Technocracy Let s work together to figure out how to do this. 16
CAOs must lead in three directions Leading up Leading down Council CAO Staff Leading out Business groups Residents groups Other governments Media 17
Or end up like this: 18
References Burns, James MacGregor. Leadership. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. Katz, D., and R.L. Kahn. The Social Psychology of Organizations, 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley, 1978. Mouritzen, Poul Erik and James H. Svara, Leadership at the Apex. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2002. Nalbandian, John. Professionalism in Local Government: Transformations in the Roles, Responsibilities, and Values of City Managers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1991. Siegel, David, The Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers, Canadian Public Administration (June 2010), pp. 139-61. Yukl, Gary. Leadership in Organizations, 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. 19