Managing, Leading or Learning?

Abstract

This chapter explores the growing interest in the leadership of public services. It examines the introduction of public service managerialism during the 1980s with its abrasive assertion of the ‘right to manage’ in the face of professional, bureaucratic and political resistance. Within this discourse, managers not only oversaw the implementation of policy but also led the organisation. The current Labour government, in line with others, shows signs of a shift towards a greater emphasis on the need for more ‘leadership’ capacity rather than ‘management’.