The professional local elected official as integrative political leader
As increasing numbers of Finnish municipalities have introduced positions for full-time and part- time elected officials, the work of local political leaders has become professionalized. This article advances the understanding of the competence needs of professional local elected officials. The empirical data consist of interviews with local elected officials. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results indicate that the professional local elected officials tend to work as integrative political leaders. These integrative political leaders work adaptively as they aim to advance collaboration between different actors. They need, for example, communication and interaction skills, self- leadership skills, political skills, knowledge management skills, and systemic understanding to be successful in their work.
