– The purpose of this paper is to discuss critical perspectives on what has become a dominant approach to public sector management and leadership in England and sets out a new conceptual perspective on leadership to improve this situation, namely a relational one.
– A review of key literature on the topics discussed.
– A new relational perspective on leadership and management is proposed, along with epistemological, ethical and practical considerations.
– The paper proposes this new approach to leadership and management in the public sector, but no empirical findings are discussed.
– The perspective proposes that an explicit consideration of relationships and contextual factors should lie at the heart of leadership and management and all its practice.
– This is the first time that a relational perspective on public sector management and leadership has been explicated.
