Leadership of place: Transforming communities by changing the way we lead

Abstract

By ‘place shaping’ and ‘leadership of place’ we mean approaches to the long term development and maintenance of strong, sustainable and inclusive places. We are describing the creative use of powers and influence to contribute to the well-being of a community both in terms of its economic base, the quality of life of its citizens, and ultimately its social cohesion and identity.

The place may be a local neighbourhood, a small town, or a whole region. Leaders of place may come from multiple sectors and organisations, but they must work across thematic and institutional boundaries for the sake of their communities. They must approach problems considering the long-term, and the needs and ambitions of all stakeholders, rather than engaging in short-term or organisationally-bounded behaviour.

‘Leadership of place’ is an inclusive model of leadership, based on systems thinking in a spatial context. For leaders it takes delivery of services to the next level, moving from commissioning and providing services, to also acting as leaders of an entire locality, leading partnerships and co-ordinating action across a wide range of agencies and organisations.

The Leadership of Place programme is a leadership development and change culture programme – developed out of collaboration between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at the University of Birmingham.