1. FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN MALAYSIAN CIVIL SERVICE THE CHALLENGES & FUTURE LANDSCAPES
2017 EROPA CONFERENCE / 13 SEPTEMBER 2017 / GRAND INTERCONTINENTAL SEOUL PARNAS, KOREA

2. NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME

3. HUMANISING PUBLIC SERVICE
Openness
Engagement
Observe & obtain direct feedback
Balance
Sense of belongings
Public-Private-NGO Partnerships
6 elements
TAN SRI DR. ALI BIN HAMSA
CHIEF SECRETARY
THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA

4. MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SERVICE BEYOND 2020
Source: The Future of Malaysian Public Service 2020 and beyond, Department of Public Service

5. LEADERSHIP LANDSCAPE:
Today’s context has changed in ways that make leadership more difficult to exercise in the present time than it was in the past…
Public confidence and trust – Societies are more advance than before, sophisticated and have a greater access to information via new media and technological platforms. By 2030, most of the information considered to be private today will be freely available to the public. In the era of hyper-connectivity, it has changed the environment and expectations for public leaders.
Organisational structure – Moving towards agile organisation, hierarchies are less pyramidal now than it used to be. Further, new generation into the workforce is also about to shape a new normal. Empowerment and devolution of power sees 21st century leaders generally have less power, authority and influence.
Stiff economic competition – It is a challenge to maintain economic performance, increase resilience and offering conducive business environment. Critical components is on regulatory framework, practices of good governance in public sector and enhance efficiency and public organisational performance.
Environmental sustainability – Leaders today ought to be closely involved in managing sustainability issues at organisational as well as community and national level. Managing resource scarcity and crises not only challenged public leaders to be technically competent but also able to be effectively engaged with community.
Emerging technologies – The applications of emerging technologies in public services are still nascent but the realm of possibilities and potential impacts is infinite. Well understanding on these disruptions will ensures public leaders to be more informed and inspired.
Source: RSOG Analytics

6. LEADERSHIP IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SERVICE:
Public sector leaders are still lacking in terms of resilience to stress, global mindset & tenacity; focused more as processor instead of innovator and have low assertiveness level.
Need to improve and change the management style to a “coordinate and cultivate” approach, in order to boost staff morale and achieve optimum performance within the public sector.
Malaysian senior public officers are on track and factors of derailment are relatively low.
Based on Leadership Gap Indicator study reported that public leaders perceived getting information, making sense of it; problem identification, inspiring commitment, strategic perspective, confronting problem employees and leading employees as skills currently important to effectively lead the organization.
Three competencies namely Influencing, Leadership & Power, Risk Taking and Innovation and Strategic Planning were found to be crucial in providing the breakthrough and quantum leap with regards to long term planning and direction of public service.
Source: RSOG Analytics

7. INTERNAL LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES:
Managing and motivating is very challenging in public service environment. This also relates to managing workloads and motivating subordinates to drive organisational performance in the situation where resources are declining.
In a challenging fiscal position, public service still need to improve outcomes. Governments around the world are under pressure to improve public sector performance and at the same time contain expenditure growth.
Source: RSOG Analytics

8. Contextual Landscape on Future Leadership:
DIGITAL / DIVERSITY / ENGAGEMENT
Digital
become a common vernacular
embedded in modern lifestyle
revolutionalised the work, workplace and workforce environment
transform cultures
new capabilities have emerged such as big data analytics and digital knowledge
digital quotient and adaptive culture embracing digital technologies
agility
Diversity
“to make different, to give variety”
multiculturalism
structural or functional diversity, business diversity and workforce diversity
having a diverse team is becoming the norm
dealing with multiple stakeholder always a key element of any transformation
demographic changes in employment
Engagement
foundation for a host of critical skills
impacts most everything particularly in self- and organization-level.
be more amenable to an increasing public needs
successful conversation via an effective engagement and collaboration
humanising public service highlighted on the importance of emotional aspect in public service
Source: RSOG Analytics