A few weeks ago, a customer and local photographer contacted me and asked if there was any way she could get on top of one of our water tanks to take some aerial photographs of the Greek Orthodox Church. My immediate thought was to react with an emphatic, NO! That’s too dangerous! It takes specials skills, equipment, certifications, and permits! B esides, I have been here ten years and I have never even been on top of that tank. However in my next thought, I realized I was falling into the same pattern as so many individuals who work in the public sector: a bias for saying NO . You see, our roles are subject to greater public scrutiny because we are seen as a government agency responsible for taxpayer money. Because of this, we perceive our jobs as living in a fishbowl where the public is constantly watching and waiting for us to do something wrong. Screw-ups in government often become front-page news. Consequently, we become averse to making even minor decis...
Reflections on the subject of leadership and how it is applied (and even sometimes misapplied) in the public sector.