The leadership role of the municipal chief administrative officer

Abstract

A great deal has been written about leadership, but not much of it focuses on the unique role of the municipal chief administrative officer (CAO). This article argues that the complexity of the position of municipal CAO comes about because the incumbent must lead in three different directions simultaneously: down (dealing with subordinates), out (dealing with residents' groups, media, and other governments), and up (dealing with the mayor and council). Leading in each of those directions requires a different skill set such that the effective CAO must be able to wear a variety of hats and must be able to switch those hats very quickly. The suggestion is made that we need to re-consider the ethics and values associated with the position to update our thinking about the expectations of the position. © The Institute of Public Administration of Canada.