Chief Executives, leadership and management of an authority: Birmingham over the last 25 years
| Published date | 01 January 1999 |
| DOI | 10.1177/095207679901400102 |
| Author | Kester Isaac-Henry |
| Date | 01 January 1999 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Chief
Executives,
leadership
and
management
of
an
authority:
Birmingham
over
the
last
25
years
Kester
Isaac-Henry
University
of
Central
England
Introduction
The
last
quarter
of
the
20th
Century
has
witnessed
the
most
rapid
change
in
local
government
since
its
full
inauguration
in
the
last
quarter
of
the
19th
century.
Not
only
has
there
been
wide
scale
reform
of
its
structure
(1974),
there
has
also
been
an
extensive
reappraisal
of
its
work,
role
and
value.
That
process
of
change
is
to
continue
as
the
'new'
Labour
administration
seeks
to
transform
local
government
still
further.
The
concept
of
leadership
stands
at
the
centre
of
the
government's
proposals
for
change.
One
implication
is
that
local
government
lacks
effective
political
and
managerial
leadership
which
lessens
its
ability
to
provide
quality
service
to
its
communities
and
creates
a
democratic
deficit
(DETR,
1998a;
DETR,
1998b).
This
stress
on
leadership
is
tapping
a
rich
seam
of
contemporary
management
theory
concerning
the
differences
between
management
and
leadership.
Management
theorist
seeking
to
differentiate
between
the
two
concepts
argue
that
while
transactional
[traditional]
managers
make
only
minor
adjustments
in
the
organi-
sation's
mission,
structure,
and
human
resource
management,
transformational
leaders
not
only
make
changes
in
these
three
areas
but
they
also
evoke
fundamental
changes
in
the
basic
political
and
cultural
systems
of
the
organisation
(Tichy
and
Ulrich,
59).
Thus,
whereas
managers
make
incremental
adjustments
to
their
organisation,
leaders
evoke
fundamental
changes
by
altering
values
and
transforming
the
organisation.
The
'leader'
does
this
by
providing
the
organisation
with
both
a
mission
and
a
vision
and,
through
these,
command
commitment
and
'followship'.
Hence
the
concept
of
the
high
profile,
vision
setting,
value
changing
transformational
leader
who,
through
personal
skills,
character
and
charisma,
is
able
to
evoke
fundamental
changes
in
the
basic
political
and
cultural
systems
of
the
organisation
he/she
leads.
The
effectiveness
of
such
leaders
is
measured
not
by
how
much
they
support
and
sustain
organisation
values
and
traditions
but
by
the
extent
to
which
they
change
them
(Terry,
1995,
pp.40-44).
Public
Policy
and
Administration
Volume
14
No.
I
Spring
1999
14
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