Thought Leadership
12 Mar 2026
Leadership: Still a contact sport. Now unmistakenly a team one.
Leadership still carries weight. The pressure and scrutiny haven’t eased. What has changed is the belief that one person can carry it alone. In this article, Matthew Hotten challenges the myth of the heroic leader and argues that modern public sector leadership depends on collective performance. Drawing on the West Midlands Tri-sector Challenge, he explores why leadership must move within teams, especially under pressure, and why organisations must reward it accordingly.
12 Mar 2026
Employment Rights Act 2025: A New ERA – What Local Government HR Should Focus on Now
Lorna Wells examines what the Employment Rights Act 2025 means for local government HR. The most significant reform of UK employment law in a generation will unfold over several years, from industrial action reform and expanded protections to redundancy and harassment duties. Lorna sets out what matters now, what is coming next, and how councils can prepare steadily and strategically.
12 Mar 2026
Why quality of matches matters more than quantity of applications in public sector recruitment
In public sector recruitment, success is often measured by how many applications a role receives. But volume does not guarantee quality. In this article, Chloe Herrmannexplores why focusing on genuine engagement, transparency and trust leads to better matches between candidates and employers. By shifting attention from quantity to intent, public sector organisations can improve outcomes, reduce pressure on resourcing teams and build a stronger, more sustainable workforce for the future.
12 Feb 2026
Sharing Interview Questions: Fairness, Transparency or Too Far?
Is sharing interview questions a step towards fairness, or does it risk undermining effective selection? This article explores the growing debate around transparency in recruitment, balancing candidate experience with robust assessment. Drawing on resourcing practice and inclusion principles, Graham Bradley considers reasonable adjustments, role expectations and hybrid approaches, and why there may be no single ‘right’ answer, only better, more thoughtful conversations.
12 Feb 2026
Go on then. Prove it.
In the first article of the Modern Leadership Without the Script series, Matthew Hotten invites leaders to reflect on whether experience alone is enough in today’s fast-changing environment. While experience brings judgement and stability, shifts such as hybrid work, AI and growing complexity require more than precedent and speed. The piece highlights the importance of staying curious, asking better questions and being open to not having all the answers. Experience should be a foundation, not a fortress, particularly when the context around leadership continues to evolve.
12 Feb 2026
From Faithless to Fearless: Reflections from the Festival of AI in Practice
Michelle O’Neill reflects on the Festival of AI in Practice and what it revealed about AI in local government. Across five days and 1,600+ participants, the message was clear: AI is a people and leadership issue, not just a digital one. The article explores readiness over speed, the importance of purpose and “return on intention”, and the need for honest conversations about adoption, equity and governance. From Copilot rollouts to AI amnesty and behaviour change, Michelle argues that intentional, human-centred leadership is what turns AI from hype into meaningful transformation.
15 Jan 2026
Making reasonable adjustments work: What recent tribunal decisions tell us
These cases show that good practice in disability management isn’t just about avoiding risk, it’s about how we engage with people, understand their needs and make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions. Lorna Wells explores two recent tribunal cases that demonstrate employers getting it right, offering practical lessons for local authorities navigating complex neurodiversity and adjustment requests. The article highlights what meaningful engagement looks like and why clarity and fairness matter for both people and organisations
15 Jan 2026
Transformation from the Inside Out: Building HR capacity for successful Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Local Government Reorganisation is one of the most demanding transformations councils will undertake, yet HR teams, responsible for guiding people through change, are often the least supported. In this article, Rachael Simpson explores why HR capacity is a strategic risk, not a functional detail, and how leadership teams can strengthen the people foundations that determine whether LGR succeeds. It offers practical guidance drawn from real programmes and highlights the investment, influence and support HR teams need to deliver lasting organisational stability.
15 Jan 2026
It’s Time to Rethink Change Management: From Managing Projects to Growing Conditions
Change management has helped councils bring structure to uncertainty for decades, but the world has shifted. Change is no longer an event to manage; it’s the environment we all operate in. Michelle O'Neill explores why traditional models are no longer enough and how leaders can build the conditions where people feel safe, able to learn, experiment and adapt. Because when change is constant, our real advantage is the environment we grow, not the processes we control.