QUALITIES A MODERN CIVIL SERVANT MUST HAVE

Data-literate and evidence-driven

Makes sure data and evidence guide policy making decisions and aren’t an afterthought

User-centricity

Designs and builds services with real people in mind and involves them in decision-making.

Humility

Avoids overconfidence in their own knowledge; is open to different opinions and ideas

Prototyping

Is adept at testing new ideas and improving on them incrementally

Curiosity

Is proactive in finding new ways of working; continually builds on their skills

Risk-taking

Is not afraid to deviate from the norm to innovate

Collaborative

Has the ability to find common ground, negotiate differences and work with civil servants across different departments

Tech-savvy

Understands and keeps up with new technological developments and their potential

Flexibility

Is open to change, even when it means overhauling bureaucratic systems.

Reflective

Has the ability to critically assess their own work; awareness of biases

Outcomes-focused

Is motivated by results over process

Resilient

Has the ability to experiment, fail and try again

Empathy

Understands colleagues’ and citizens’ experiences

Tenacity

Tenacity and consistency to achieve practical results to improve people's lives; to build that vision of a better society.

A sense of duty

A public servant should always be mindful of the "servant" in public servant. In our context, a government position often is seen as a status position, and not one of serving the public good.

A hint of rebellion

The most effective public servants are those that challenge, constantly. They challenge their own ideas and biases, they challenge the way it has "always been done" and they challenge senior thought leaders.

The really effective ones collaborate with partners who will challenge the status quo, also. Challenge and collaboration lead to innovation, and that is what will help us all to solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Fairness

What makes a good public servant, particularly in terms of politicians and political office-bearers, is the quality of operating from a premise of ideas and principles, not individual interests and partisan agendas.

Kindness

A brilliant woman who manages a research centre at the University of Auckland, once said : "Everyone here is smart, so distinguish yourself by being kind". Patience, resilience and kindness are the traits of a good civil servant.

Future-proof skills

Public servants need to be considerably more data- and tech-literate to understand the powers and opportunities afforded by emerging technology.

Innovative

Sometimes professional and strategic skills reach their limits due to legacy structures and systems of public sector organisations. In these cases, civil servants need to be innovative to redesign the tools of governance and develop novel solutions to persistent and emergent policy challenges.

Professional

Civil servants in a professional civil service are qualified, impartial, values-driven and ethical. These are foundational and suggest the need to ensure civil servants are certified professionals in their area of expertise.

Embracing Servant Leadership

Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term “servant leader” in 1970 when he published his essay “The Servant as Leader.” Greenleaf wrote that the servant leader feels a sense of duty to lead. This stands in sharp contrast to traditional leadership, where someone may assume a leadership position purely out of a desire for privilege or power. Servant leaders understand that they intend to serve others. Public servants can embrace the following qualities of servant leadership:

• Being mindful of and caring for the underprivileged in society.
• Prioritizing the growth and well-being of individuals and their communities.
• Displaying awareness, empathy and foresight.

Leading by Example

One way to inspire others is to lead by example, such as by demonstrating a careful commitment to ethical conduct. Someone who leads and places himself or herself in the same situations as others can inspire others.

Policy advisory skills

Leveraging technology and synthesising a growing range of evidence-based scientific insights (e.g. behavioural economics, data science, strategic foresight) and a diversity of citizen perspectives for effective and timely policy advice to political decision makers.

Engagement skills

Working directly with citizens and users of government services to improve service experience, legitimacy and impact by leveraging the “wisdom of the crowd” to co-create better solutions that take into account service users’ needs and limitations.