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Ethical Competencies for Public Leadership

Pluralist Democratic Politics in Practice

  • Identifies six core ethical competencies for public leadership in pluralist societies
  • Written by a practitioner, for practitioners
  • Develops a set of soft skills and interpersonal competencies for putting pluralist democratic politics into practice
  • Offers tools for mentoring and professional development

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Introduction: Ethical Public Leadership

    • David Bromell
    Pages 1-19
  3. Pluralism, Tribalism and Civility

    • David Bromell
    Pages 21-43
  4. Rights, Interests and the Public Interest

    • David Bromell
    Pages 45-67
  5. Freedom, Toleration and Respect

    • David Bromell
    Pages 69-93
  6. Equality, Identity and Impartiality

    • David Bromell
    Pages 95-122
  7. Fairness, Justification and Transparency

    • David Bromell
    Pages 123-147
  8. Community, Reciprocity and Sustainability

    • David Bromell
    Pages 149-172
  9. Conclusion: Building Ethical Muscle

    • David Bromell
    Pages 173-185
  10. Back Matter

    Pages 187-190

About this book

This book identifies six ethical competencies for public leadership in contexts of pluralism. While diversity in proximity generates conflict where people want and value different things, the right kind of leadership and the right kind of politics can minimise domination, humiliation, cruelty and violence.

Written by a public policy advisor for fellow practitioners in politics and public life, this book applies political theory and social ethics to identify a set of competencies—being civil, diplomatic, respectful, impartial, fair and prudent—to keep ethics at the centre of a pluralist democratic politics. The six competencies are described in behavioural terms as personal resolutions. They offer valuable tools for mentoring and professional development.

This book will appeal to politicians and those who advise them, and anyone who engages in or aspires to public leadership, whether in the public sector, the private sector, the community and voluntary sector or academia.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    David Bromell

About the author

David Bromell has worked in senior policy advice roles in central and local government in New Zealand since 2003. He teaches political philosophy and public policy part-time in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Senior Associate of the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University and an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Canterbury.

He has been a visiting research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Otago and the NRW School of Governance at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Ethical Competencies for Public Leadership

  • Book Subtitle: Pluralist Democratic Politics in Practice

  • Authors: David Bromell

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27943-1

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-27942-4Published: 13 November 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-27945-5Published: 13 November 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-27943-1Published: 31 October 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 190

  • Topics: Public Administration, Political Leadership, Public Policy, Political Communication

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access