Leadership has been studied for centuries, although its examination in modern times has largely focused on the work of senior executives in private sector, profit-making organisations.
In this free course, you will learn more about leadership in the context of public service provision, by public sector organisations, community and voluntary groups, and political bodies.
You will explore the distinctive features of leadership in public service, including its increasing focus on the generation of public value and the negotiation of different forms of public interest. You will learn some of the key skills of public leadership such as political astuteness, working in collaboration and conflict handling.
Throughout, you will look at different types of public leadership, exploring the different roles of elected politicians, public servants and community activists (or detract from) the public good. You will consider different levels and contributions of leadership - from frontline police officers or social workers through to prime ministers.
Finally, you will have the opportunity to examine, through a series of interviews with key stakeholders, how awareness of these key facets of public leadership is helping to change the face of policing in Britain today.
Learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- understand the importance of leadership in public services and the role of leaders in the creation of public value
- reflect on experiences of leadership in the public sphere for personal development
- assess the style, effectiveness and political astuteness of public service professionals and activists exercising leadership
- recognise how to improve personal effectiveness in leading teams, change and innovation
- propose collaborative solutions to complex problems and conflict solutions in the public sphere.
This course was produced in association with:
The Open University would really appreciate a few minutes of your time to tell us about yourself and your expectations of the course. We welcome your feedback and suggestions to improve the experience for others.
Copyright information
Creative Commons: The Open University is proud to release this free course under a Creative Commons licence.
However, any third-party materials featured within it are used with permission and are not ours to give away. These materials are not subject to the Creative Commons licence. See terms and conditions and our FAQs.
Full copyright details can be found in the Acknowledgements section of each week.
First Published: 31/10/2016
Updated: 20/06/2019