Leaders in the Shadows: The Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers

by David Siegel

Overview

In most municipalities across Canada, the top public servant is the chief administrative officer (CAO) or city manager. Compared to elected politicians such as the mayor and the council, the work of a CAO is often overlooked and not well understood. In Leaders in the Shadows, David Siegel brings the CAO into the limelight, examining the leadership qualities of effective municipal managers.

Using the examples of five exceptional CAOs who have worked in municipalities of varying sizes across Canada, Siegel identifies the leadership traits, skills, and behaviours which have made them successful. Interweaving the stories of his subjects with insights drawn from leadership theory, Siegel offers an engrossing account of how CAOs must lead “up, down, and out” in order to succeed. Offering well-rounded accounts of the challenges and opportunities faced by public servants at the municipal level, Leaders in the Shadows is a valuable resource for academics and practitioners alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442619821
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	02/26/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	344
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Siegel is a professor emeritus of political science at Brock University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Chapter 1. The leadership qualities of a municipal CAO
Chapter 2. The leader-generalist: Michael Fenn
Chapter 3. The task-oriented leader: Mike Garrett
Chapter 4. The relationship-oriented leader: Judy Rogers
Chapter 5. The leader as partnership builder: Keith Robicheau
Chapter 6. “I’m a better employee when I love the community I’m living in”: Robert Earl
Chapter 7. Conclusion

What People are Saying About This

Tim Mau

“David Siegel provides compelling evidence regarding the skills, abilities, and behaviours required for success in this critical municipal role. Leaders in the Shadows could become a bible for municipal administrators as well as local politicians and political activists.”

Katherine A.H. Graham

“Leaders in the Shadows provides the first series of comparable case studies of the work that chief administrative officers do and of the approach that five contemporary leaders in the role have taken to their careers and to their work. David Siegel’s book makes a major contribution to understanding the role of the CAO in large and small Canadian municipalities.”

Editorial Reviews

Leaders in the Shadows provides the first series of comparable case studies of the work that chief administrative officers do and of the approach that five contemporary leaders in the role have taken to their careers and to their work. David Siegel’s book makes a major contribution to understanding the role of the CAO in large and small Canadian municipalities.”

—Katherine A.H. Graham, School of Public Policy and Administration, and Senior Advisor to the Provost, Carleton University

“David Siegel provides compelling evidence regarding the skills, abilities, and behaviours required for success in this critical municipal role. Leaders in the Shadows could become a bible for municipal administrators as well as local politicians and political activists.”

—Tim Mau, Department of Political Science, University of Guelph

From the Publisher