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We are celebrating ADEPT's 140th anniversary year by showcasing the voices of past and present ADEPT Presidents, reflecting on the evolution of place leadership and exploring the challenges, innovations and aspirations shaping the future of the sector.

In his blog Neil Gibson, Chair of the Live Labs 2 Commissioning Board and Past President of ADEPT 2018 to 2019, reflects on the next generation of place leadership, how we invest in people and ensure inclusive service delivery.

I joined ADEPT’s President Team in 2010 when ADEPT was formed from the County Surveyor’s Society in 2010. Since then, I’ve served as its Treasurer, President and now volunteer on the Leadership Team and as chair of the Live Labs 2 Commissioning Board. 

My career as an Executive Director for Place has given me both a deep appreciation of the challenges and opportunities that strong, confident place leadership can create. ‘Place’ is like writing the score and conducting the orchestra: about bringing many moving parts together – people, services, communities, partners and environments.

ADEPT members are central to this task. Working with their local politicians and their communities, they see the big-picture challenges and opportunities in their places, mapping the way forward through the inevitable complexity to make a difference. Constantly shifting political, environmental, technological and financial contexts mean place leaders must keep revisiting the skills and competencies needed to succeed.

Closing skills gaps and building future leaders

One clear challenge for ADEPT members is finding space to think strategically and outside the box. Partnerships with Amey (EiPL and PACE programmes), SOLACE (emerging senior leader pathways) and Colas/Multiverse (Digital Academy) help provide that space to learn and develop the skills that future place leadership demands.

We are also pushing innovation through initiatives like the Live Labs 2 programme on decarbonising local highways. The Future Highways Research Group, a collaboration with Proving Services, is a growing network providing the opportunity to develop and test innovative solutions to sector challenges

But future leadership is not just about developing skills. It’s about ensuring that the next generation of leaders is diverse, representative and excited to build careers in local government. Competing with the private sector for Gen Z talent is a challenge, but projects like the ‘Find Your Path’ recruitment campaign, in partnership with Colas, show how we can reframe careers in local government to be relevant, dynamic and purposeful.

Inclusive leadership and the power of story

Inclusion sits at the heart of place leadership. The PACE programme in 2024 highlighted how essential it is for leaders to articulate a shared sense of place – for themselves, their partners, their stakeholders and their communities. 

These many interpretations must be brought together to achieve a commonality and sense of place that can be understood and shared by all. Only then can place leaders build a collective unified purpose, working with partners to share messages and advocate for their places.

Storytelling is a powerful tool. It allows leaders to make sense of complex challenges and give communities the belief that change is possible. Listening to your audience helps to create your story, but offers wider benefits to truly understand the place and its communities.

Storytelling was used creatively by the Council at Barnsley to provide inclusive leadership as it emerged from a difficult period in its history, to write a new narrative with its communities. That is inclusive leadership in action: not only delivering, but ensuring people genuinely feel part of the journey.

The leadership qualities of tomorrow

Place leadership will look different in the future. Technical expertise will always matter, but increasingly it is the strategic qualities - curiosity, evidence-based thinking, ambition for change and the ability to tell a compelling story - that will define success.

Place will remain a complex political ecosystem of diverse communities and people, the built environment and geography, economy and technology, and history and culture. 

Bringing all these interconnected elements together is an incredibly difficult process, but as local government will continue to face unprecedented budgetary and political pressures, the need for strong and tenacious place leaders has never been more vital.

Leaders will need to:

• Frame the big picture – understanding what makes their places tick and being bold about the changes needed. 
• Be storytellers – winning over local politicians, investors and communities with honesty and vision.
• Develop empowered cultures – organisations that measure success by outcomes, are customer focused, and embrace collaboration.
• Harness technology and AI – not as bolt-ons, but as core enablers to deliver faster, smarter, more citizen-focused services.

Resilience and tenacity will remain constants, as pressures on budgets, politics and communities will not ease. But place leadership has always been about navigating turbulence with creativity and courage.

How will the concept of place change?

The concept of place has always been central to geography – a space with meaning, shaped by people and context. 

Understanding the history of our places will remain important to how we see how both past and present will shape the future. The past is still visible in the built environment and the spaces between, and in the changing heritage and culture of the people who live there. The latter will always create the feel of a place and its sense of cohesion and ownership, as much as its physical form and demographics.

The three key components of place: location, locale, and a sense of place, can be applied at any scale and do not have to be fixed in time or space. With continuing globalisation, we will see the concept of place change as its physical setting and cultures are influenced by new ideas and technologies.

Final reflections

Across its 140-year history, ADEPT has continually evolved – and it must continue to do so. Its role is to remain connected to its members, to campaign nationally, and to create the networks, opportunities and programmes that help its leaders stay relevant and resilient.

So my message to ADEPT members in this anniversary year is simple: get involved and make a difference. It’s your association. 

And my advice to future leaders is simple: invest in people. The places of tomorrow will be shaped less by the technical brilliance of individuals and more by the collective capacity of diverse, skilled and motivated teams.

Further information

• Read the full collection of essays
• Find out more about our 140th anniversary
• Watch our 140th anniversary celebration film and animated timeline

Author

Neil Gibson is Chair of the Live Labs 2 Commissioning Board and Past President of ADEPT 2018-2019