This article is written by Christodoulos Koutsoulianos, author of several books about local self-government. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own, from a career spanning 30 years in local government.
- The problem: The clear separation of the mode of operation and communication between political and administrative leaders in local government.
- Why it matters: If the problems of coordination and communication between political and administrative leaders in local government are solved, then the efficiency of public administration in local government will increase and many of the problems that concern this area will be solved.
- The solution: The clear separation of responsibilities between politicians and administrative leaders will upgrade local self-government, while making municipalities more productive and more functional for their citizens.
Leadership in the public sector is a dichotomy that is characterised by the interactions of political and administrative leaders. They are both responsible for the administration and oversight of municipality affairs, with specific abilities and tasks. Political leaders represent the political agenda with values and interests. Based on these they design the policy and focus on the implementation of the political programme of the mayoral term. Administrative leaders are the professional managers who implement policies, programmes and actions. Beyond their interactions, high leadership skills are essential to ensure the optimal performance of the municipality. The decisions of political and administrative leaders, their actions and behaviours might have far-reaching organisational effects. Hence, good leadership is vital in achieving goals, in creating a favourable work culture and in enhancing the positive reputation of the municipality. At the municipality level, the elected mayors draw up strategies and policies regarding the local public sector. The administrative leaders are the connecting link between the administration and the mayor-political leader and, consequently, they also function to some extent as power advisors. In addition, they also contribute to the formation of various plans related to the implementation of strategies and policies and undertake their management.
Political leaders should be determined by the principle of responsibility.
Leadership has been defined as “a process by which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve common goals through mobilising and motivating the workforce”. Effective leadership presupposes coherence, personal growth and higher levels of satisfaction, gives a sense of direction and vision, an alignment with the environment, a healthy mechanism for innovation and creativity, as well as a source of the revitalisation of the organisational culture. As a result, municipal leaders should aim to maximise the performance and job satisfaction of their subordinates to achieve the organisational goals.
According to Max Weber, the modern civil servant works effectively based on efficiency and effectiveness, with a sense of honour and integrity, moral discipline and self–denial, and protects the purely technical functions of the state apparatus from corruption. Administrative personnel are bound not only by submission to the holder of power in the sense of legitimacy but also by self–interest, material remuneration and social prestige.
Political leaders should be determined by the principle of responsibility. According to Max Weber, three main characteristics preserve the role of the politician: a) the passion, conscious dedication and devotion to a mission, b) the willingness to take the responsibility for actions, omissions and results, and c) the ability of the politician to keep a distance from things and people. The power of a political “personality” is defined by the possession of these qualities. Finally, what should be emphasised is that the politician is not an employee but a civil servant. The perception of the political profession, according to Max Weber, “Man would not achieve the possible if he does not strive to achieve the impossible”, should govern the thinking of the political leaders. That is, whoever aims for political positions must possess the mental fortitude to ignore the fragmentation of all their hopes, and be sure that they will not be disappointed, even when some people think differently about what they want to offer them.
The quality of political leadership in a country plays an important role because it influences and shapes national and local performance. In Greece, among many countries, the absence of coordination is one of the most important deficiencies of public administration. It characterises its structure and conditions its actual operation. The mayors, as local political leaders, are usually called to express pressure on the central government to design and implement policies related to the local areas. Officials generally find it difficult to impose their positions. The nature of the relationship between the layers of public administration seems incompatible with an effective and efficient public service.
Nowadays, the needs of the public sector evolve and change and the bureaucracy has begun to be under scrutiny regarding its ability to effectively manage public problems. The bureaucratic organisation seems to be less able to satisfy modern requirements, at least in terms of achieving goals, increasing productivity, properly managing resources, as well as providing quality services to the public sector. Society has progressed and developed, and consequently, new ways of managing both the public sector and its organisations are needed. Based on all the above, the modernisation of public administration is necessary, because the public sector is becoming more efficient.
In conclusion, it is important to emphasise that the role of political leaders in municipalities and the public sector is particularly important, but also very demanding and complex, especially in eras with radical changes and increasing needs. And this is because the municipal leader is required not only to have the necessary knowledge and qualifications but also a broad spirit and strong personality, to properly and successfully fulfil their work. Today, reforms in this area are necessary, but it is a very difficult activity since it will take time, specific plans, strategic goals and research. In these new organisations, political leaders must be acceptable persons who possess morals, values and the characteristics discussed above, which will help them to achieve their objectives.
