Developing the calibre of local political leaders
Latest press releasesRecent research from Warwick Business School has identified 10 key skills which local politicians need to master if they are to be effective in leading their local councils and representing local people. The research also shows that, despite their reputation for arrogance, councillors are generally more self-critical about their skills than those who know them well through working with them.
These findings, from extensive national research in local authorities across England and Wales, are of considerable value as the debate rages about how to improve the calibre of political leadership in the UK in order to strengthen local democracy and improve public services. Personal development is still a fairly new idea for political leaders and there are very few courses in political leadership.
Jean Hartley and her team developed the Warwick Political Leadership Questionnaire (WPLQ), with funding from the local government Improvement and Development Agency and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The research has pioneered new thinking about political leadership and systematically analysed the core skills of political leadership. Most research on leadership to date has focused on managers, but there are crucial differences in the leadership exercised by politicians.
The Warwick researchers identified 10 dimensions of political skill (statistical analysis confirms that the dimensions are robust). These includebeing a good advocate for local people; being able to take a strategic overview; being personally effective in working with people and managing emotions; having well developed political intelligence or 'nous’; being a good communicator; and being effective in influencing and motivating change in other groups and organisations.
Politicians are used to getting feedback about the way that they lead councils and communities because they work in the full glare of publicity and often have to make unpopular decisions – but much of the feedback can be either hostile or sycophantic, leaving politicians feeling defensive about their skills.
The Warwick Political Leadership Questionnaire is a tool for political leaders, which provides systematic feedback on 10 dimensions of skill, and also on how they "read" the local context and the way they tackle the challenges of leadership. Based on 360 degree feedback, a councillor first rates themselves and then provides details to Warwick of others who know him/her well and who also rate the person on the same set of skills.
Raters are chosen from amongst those who work with the political leader inside the council, in the community, in partnerships, and at other levels of government. So raters can be senior managers, MPs, health and police chiefs and community activists for example. Warwick collected 260 ratings from 19 councils, with an average of 13 ratings per political leader (leaders came from all political parties). Councillors were more self-critical about their skills than those who rated them, which suggests that development and training may help political leaders to identify and capitalise on the skills that they possess or can strengthen. These results will also be of interest to the political leadership of other public services, and the Warwick team is adapting the WPLQ for use also in the health service, criminal justice and other levels of government.
These findings, from extensive national research in local authorities across England and Wales, are of considerable value as the debate rages about how to improve the calibre of political leadership in the UK in order to strengthen local democracy and improve public services. Personal development is still a fairly new idea for political leaders and there are very few courses in political leadership.
Jean Hartley and her team developed the Warwick Political Leadership Questionnaire (WPLQ), with funding from the local government Improvement and Development Agency and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The research has pioneered new thinking about political leadership and systematically analysed the core skills of political leadership. Most research on leadership to date has focused on managers, but there are crucial differences in the leadership exercised by politicians.
The Warwick researchers identified 10 dimensions of political skill (statistical analysis confirms that the dimensions are robust). These include
Politicians are used to getting feedback about the way that they lead councils and communities because they work in the full glare of publicity and often have to make unpopular decisions – but much of the feedback can be either hostile or sycophantic, leaving politicians feeling defensive about their skills.
The Warwick Political Leadership Questionnaire is a tool for political leaders, which provides systematic feedback on 10 dimensions of skill, and also on how they "read" the local context and the way they tackle the challenges of leadership. Based on 360 degree feedback, a councillor first rates themselves and then provides details to Warwick of others who know him/her well and who also rate the person on the same set of skills.
Raters are chosen from amongst those who work with the political leader inside the council, in the community, in partnerships, and at other levels of government. So raters can be senior managers, MPs, health and police chiefs and community activists for example. Warwick collected 260 ratings from 19 councils, with an average of 13 ratings per political leader (leaders came from all political parties). Councillors were more self-critical about their skills than those who rated them, which suggests that development and training may help political leaders to identify and capitalise on the skills that they possess or can strengthen. These results will also be of interest to the political leadership of other public services, and the Warwick team is adapting the WPLQ for use also in the health service, criminal justice and other levels of government.
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