A senior United Kingdom Public Servant has warned her colleagues that any ‘return to normal’ following the twin shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the exit from the European Union is wishful thinking that should be avoided.
In July last year, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Sarah Munby said she imagined the sense of uncertainty she felt in the early months of the pandemic was temporary.
However, Ms Munby (pictured) said “change, ambiguity and unpredictability” were now part of life and the backdrop to leadership.
“Just in the last few months in the BEIS, we have been dealing with an unexpected and dramatic spike in global gas prices; fuel queues at the pumps and a shortage of CO2, not to mention the slings and arrows that come your way when you’re about to set out the country’s plan to meet its long-term climate ambitions,” Ms Munby said.
“The truth is there never were ‘normal times’ and there probably never will be.”
She said successful leadership was all about learning to roll with the punches, and enjoying the experience as well, if that was possible.
Ms Munby acknowledged that facing continuing challenges and unpredictability could become wearing and stressful and had spent much of the past year thinking about supporting colleagues, bringing out positives and growth.
“One of the real upsides of the pandemic has been that we have all found new ways of communicating with our teams, involving less use of enormous conference rooms and their slightly malfunctioning microphones,” the Permanent Secretary said.
She believed the pandemic had also coincided with the end of old-style dictatorial leadership practices in Departments.
“When things are stable you can, if you really want to, probably get away with an autocratic style of leadership: Set the goal, hand out the plan, ensure tasks are fulfilled.”
“I think that’s now long gone as a smart way to lead in the modern Civil Service,” Ms Munby said.
United Kingdom, 23 October 2021
