LEADERSHIP IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR: QUALITIES AND DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES

Abstract

This academic article examined Leadership in the Government Sector: Qualities and Development Approaches. Leadership is the process by which individuals exert influence to guide groups to achieve goals, emphasizing both personal characteristics and social interactions. Leaders differ from managers in that they focus on inspiring and transforming rather than controlling them in the public sector. Leaders must be ethical, transparent, and build public trust, especially during crises. Furthermore, leaders are individuals, while leadership is the process of exercising influence and interaction to achieve organizational goals. Many scholars define leadership as the ability to influence, coordinate, and unite a group. Therefore, leadership is not limited to official positions, but also includes informal leaders who influence others. Public sector leaders must possess vision, integrity, transparency, and good communication skills. They must also manage change, embrace participation from all sectors, and be innovative. Leaders who combine these qualities can drive effective and sustainable development. For leadership development in the public sector, leaders should be developed through education, organizational culture building, and mentoring, promoting the use of digital technology and public participation in management, and implement continuous evaluation systems to improve and enhance leadership effectiveness sustainably. Obstacles and Challenges: Key obstacles to Thai public sector leaders include corruption, policy inconsistency, and resistance to change. Financial constraints and insufficiently transparent evaluation systems remain. These factors reduce administrative efficiency and undermine public confidence. Therefore, a transparent leadership selection system should be established, lifelong learning encouraged, and the civil service restructure modernized. This should foster collaboration between the public, private, and public sectors to drive policy with participation. The goal is a transparent, efficient, and truly socially responsive public administration system.