Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Page 160

Special Editions

Dear Fellow Social Service Leaders,
At the end of 2014 and early 2015, I shared 2 letters 1 with all of you on
leadership in the social service sector. I shared about the expanded horizons
for learning in the sector with initiatives such as the sabbatical leave scheme
and how this allows for self-directed learning. I also touched upon the
importance of customized coaching and building a culture of learning in
order to grow and mould leaders within the social service sector. I shared
four keys factors needed in order for sector leaders to succeed, namely: 1)
Supporting Team Leadership, 2) The ability to collaborate, 3) The ability to
manage outcomes and produce quality improvements and 4) The ability
to innovate and implement. I also shared my hopes for the sector in the
coming years, emphasizing the key role seasoned leaders have in nurturing
the new generation of leaders to lead improvements for the sake of our
clients. As we start the New Year, it is timely to start considering what leading
improvements may look like.

Investing in Others
Nelson Henderson said, “the true meaning of life is to plant trees under
whose shade you do not expect to sit.” This is true too of investing in others.
To invest reasonably well, we need to appreciate the future and its
opportunities and risks. We can then invest in helping our people to gain
broad insights into the complexities of social issues and a vast capacity to
continue working in spite of constant frustrations and disappointments.
We need to stay on course as leaders to instil a sense of mission and to
be considerate leaders who can lead and inspire employees to take an
interest in higher-level concerns. To do this, leaders need to be intellectually
stimulating and be able to articulate a shared vision of jointly acceptable
possibilities. We need to frequently raise standards, take calculated risks
and get others to join us in our vision of the future. Employees are looking
to leaders who are willing and able to show them new ways of looking at old
problems, to teach them to see difficulties as problems to be solved and to
emphasize rational reasoning.

Results focused and social skills
We are often asked what the two characteristics leaders should sharpen are.
Most would narrow these to being results focused and having social skills.
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Both letters can be found at this link: http://app.msf.gov.sg/Publications/Letters-to-SocialWork-Students-Series under Volume 1 titled “Reflections on Social Service Leadership 1”
and “Reflections on Social Service Leadership 2”.
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