Stepping Into Place: Advice for Aspiring Directors of Place in Local Government

The role of Director of Place is one of the most dynamic, outward-facing, and strategically vital positions in local government. It sits at the intersection of regeneration, infrastructure, housing, planning, climate resilience, and economic development making it a linchpin for shaping the future of communities. Whether you're newly appointed or aspiring to step into this leadership space, the challenges and opportunities are immense and evolving rapidly. In 2025, councils are navigating unprecedented financial pressures, structural reform, and rising public expectations. The Director of Place must not only deliver services but also lead transformation, foster cross-sector partnerships, and champion inclusive growth.

This is a role that demands agility, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of place-based systems. It requires you to be both visionary and grounded to set strategic direction while responding to the lived realities of residents, businesses, and stakeholders. Drawing on reflections from experienced Directors of Place, recent sector insights, and leadership development programmes, this post offers practical advice and inspiration for those preparing to lead place-based services in 2025 and beyond. From building trust across directorates to navigating political dynamics and fostering innovation, the guidance shared here is designed to help you thrive not just survive in one of the most complex and rewarding roles in local government.

1. Lead Strategically, Not Just Operationally

One of the most common reflections from experienced Directors of Place is the importance of balancing strategic vision with operational awareness. It’s easy, especially in the early days, to get pulled into the minutiae responding to emails, troubleshooting service issues, or firefighting political concerns. But the real value of the role lies in your ability to step back, see the bigger picture, and guide your organisation toward long-term outcomes. As one contributor put it:

“You need to know when to be on the dance floor and when to step onto the balcony.”

This metaphor captures the duality of the role. The “dance floor” represents the day-to-day operational demands being visible, responsive, and hands-on when needed. The “balcony” is where strategic leadership happens: scanning the horizon, aligning services with wider policy goals, and shaping the future of place.

New Directors of Place often feel pressure to prove themselves by being everywhere and knowing everything. But trying to control every detail can lead to burnout and missed opportunities. Instead, the advice is to trust your teams, delegate effectively, and focus your energy on the areas where your leadership will have the greatest impact. Another reflection from the field highlights the risk of becoming reactive:

“If you’re constantly in the weeds, you’ll miss the patterns. You need to create space to think, to plan, and to lead.”

This is especially important in 2025, when councils are navigating complex challenges from housing shortages and climate adaptation to economic regeneration and community empowerment. Directors of Place must be systems thinkers, capable of connecting dots across departments, partners, and policy agendas.

Strategic leadership also means being politically astute. You’ll need to understand the priorities of elected members, anticipate shifts in national policy, and position your council as a credible voice in regional and national conversations. But this must be done without losing sight of the operational heartbeat of your services. Ultimately, leading strategically is about creating clarity, building alignment, and enabling others to succeed. It’s not about having all the answers it’s about asking the right questions, setting the right tone, and making space for innovation.

2. Build Relationships Before You Need Them

Place leadership is inherently collaborative. Directors of Place operate at the crossroads of public service delivery, economic development, infrastructure, and community engagement. Success in this role is rarely achieved in isolation it depends on your ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships across a wide spectrum of stakeholders. One experienced leader put it simply:

“Make friends before you need them.”

This advice speaks to the proactive nature of relationship-building in local government. Whether you're working with elected members, senior officers, developers, community groups, or regional partners, the strength of your relationships will often determine the success of your initiatives. Waiting until a crisis or a major project arises to forge these connections is too late. In the early weeks of the role, it’s essential to invest time in understanding the landscape who holds influence, who has insight, and who can help you deliver. This includes internal relationships across directorates, where silos can easily form, as well as external ones with the private and third sectors. One contributor noted:

“Most of your time will be spent managing relationships public, private, and third sector.”

This is especially true in 2025, as councils face mounting pressure to deliver climate-ready housing, inclusive regeneration, and infrastructure improvements with limited resources. National guidance increasingly emphasises the need for joined-up working, with organisations like ADEPT and the LGA calling for stronger cross-sector partnerships to tackle complex challenges.

Relationship-building also plays a critical role in political navigation. Directors of Place must understand the priorities and personalities of elected members, anticipate shifts in political direction, and maintain trust even when decisions are contested. One reflection from the field highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence:

“Think about people’s reactions their body language. Ask for feedback in a soft manner, outside of formal environments.”

Creating space for informal dialogue, listening actively, and showing genuine interest in others’ perspectives helps build credibility and influence. It also fosters a culture of collaboration, where constructive challenge is welcomed and diverse voices are heard. Ultimately, the advice is clear: don’t wait for a problem to start building bridges. Relationships are the infrastructure of leadership and like any infrastructure, they require investment, maintenance, and care.

3. Join the Dots Across Directorates

One of the most underestimated challenges for new Directors of Place is the assumption that collaboration across departments will happen naturally. In reality, it rarely does. The role demands active, intentional effort to connect people, priorities, and processes across the organisation.

As one contributor reflected:

“I took for granted that things were automatically joined up. They’re not. You have to join the dots brief and brief again until it lands.”

This insight is particularly relevant for those transitioning from larger, more integrated councils to smaller or more fragmented authorities. In some cases, previous roles may have benefited from strong corporate coordination, but as a Director of Place, you are often the glue holding disparate services together planning, housing, transport, regeneration, and environmental services, to name a few. Joining the dots means more than just convening meetings. It involves creating shared understanding, aligning objectives, and ensuring that officers and councillors across directorates are working toward a common vision. It also means repeating key messages, sometimes multiple times, until they resonate and take root.

This is especially critical in councils undergoing reorganisation, transformation, or financial strain. When resources are tight and priorities are shifting, silos can deepen. Departments may retreat into their own agendas, and communication can falter. In these moments, the Director of Place must step in not just as a leader, but as a connector. One anonymous reflection emphasised the importance of persistence:

“In the first few weeks, there was a real need to brief and brief again on the same thing, until it landed with officers and councillors.”

This kind of repetition isn’t redundancy it’s reinforcement. It helps build clarity, trust, and momentum. It also ensures that strategic initiatives don’t get lost in translation between departments.

Moreover, joining the dots requires emotional intelligence. Understanding how different teams operate, what motivates them, and how they respond to change is key. It’s about reading the room, listening actively, and adapting your approach to bring people with you. In short, don’t assume alignment create it. The ability to foster collaboration across directorates is not just a soft skill; it’s a strategic imperative for delivering place-based outcomes that are coherent, inclusive, and impactful.

4. Encourage Constructive Challenge

Effective leadership in local government isn’t just about setting direction it’s about creating the conditions for others to contribute meaningfully. One of the most powerful ways to do this is by fostering a culture where constructive challenge is not only accepted but actively encouraged.

As one contributor reflected:

“Don’t surround yourself with yes people. Encourage feedback even outside formal settings. It builds trust and improves decision-making.”

This advice speaks to a common pitfall for new Directors of Place: the temptation to rely on a small circle of trusted voices or to unintentionally discourage dissent. In a hierarchical environment, staff may hesitate to speak up, fearing that challenge will be seen as disloyalty or obstruction. But without open dialogue, blind spots grow, innovation stalls, and poor decisions go untested.

Creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel confident to raise concerns, offer alternative views, and share ideas is a hallmark of effective leadership. It requires humility, emotional intelligence, and a genuine commitment to listening. One leader noted the importance of informal feedback:

“Ask for feedback in a soft manner, outside of formal environments.”

This means making space for conversations that aren’t confined to performance reviews or structured meetings. It’s about being approachable, showing vulnerability, and demonstrating that challenge is welcomed, not punished. Encouraging constructive challenge also strengthens decision-making. When diverse perspectives are brought to the table, risks are better understood, assumptions are tested, and solutions are more robust. It helps build resilience in teams and ensures that strategies are grounded in reality.

In the context of place leadership where decisions often have long-term implications for communities, infrastructure, and investment this kind of inclusive dialogue is essential. Whether you're shaping a local plan, negotiating with developers, or responding to public scrutiny, the ability to draw on a wide range of insights will serve you well. Ultimately, the message is clear: don’t seek comfort in consensus. Seek strength in challenge. The best leaders are those who invite scrutiny, embrace difference, and lead with curiosity.

5. Get Clarity on Your Brief Early

One of the most practical and powerful pieces of advice for new Directors of Place is deceptively simple: get clarity. Before diving into delivery, transformation, or stakeholder engagement, take time to understand exactly what is expected of you and get it in writing. As one contributor advised:

“Get the expected achievements against the brief clear and in writing from the start including outputs and budgets.”

This isn’t just about job descriptions or corporate plans. It’s about understanding the political intent behind your appointment, the strategic outcomes your council is aiming for, and the resources available to achieve them. Without this clarity, misalignment can quickly creep in between you and your chief executive, between departments, and between elected members and officers. In the early weeks, it’s easy to assume that everyone is working from the same playbook. But expectations can vary widely, especially in councils undergoing change, facing financial pressures, or operating with new leadership. Taking the time to clarify your brief helps avoid confusion, sets boundaries, and ensures accountability from day one. This includes:

• Defining success: What does a “win” look like in your first 6–12 months?

• Understanding constraints: What budgetary, political, or legal limitations are in play?

• Clarifying scope: Are you expected to lead transformation, deliver capital projects, manage statutory services or all three?

• Identifying key stakeholders: Who are the influencers, decision-makers, and potential blockers?

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One reflection from the field emphasised the importance of formalising this understanding:

“Including outputs and budgets in writing gives you something to refer back to when priorities shift or scrutiny increases.”

This is particularly important in 2025, when many councils are operating in volatile environments. With reorganisation, funding uncertainty, and rising public demand, Directors of Place are often asked to do more with less. A clear, documented brief helps protect your time, focus your energy, and ensure that your efforts align with organisational goals. It also provides a foundation for performance management and political accountability. When expectations are clear, it’s easier to demonstrate progress, manage risk, and negotiate support when challenges arise. In short, don’t start running until you know where the finish line is. Clarity isn’t a luxury it’s a leadership necessity.

6. Listen More Than You Speak

One of the most powerful tools in a Director of Place’s leadership toolkit isn’t a strategy document or a delivery plan it’s the ability to listen. Deeply, actively, and without assumption.

As one contributor wisely noted:

“Don’t assume what worked elsewhere will work here. Listen deeply. Your shadow as a leader affects how staff feel about work.”

This reflection captures a crucial truth: every council, every community, and every team is different. What succeeded in your previous role may not translate in a new context. The temptation to replicate past successes can be strong, especially when under pressure to deliver quickly. But effective leadership starts with understanding not imposing.

Listening is more than a passive act. It’s a deliberate choice to slow down, ask questions, and create space for others to speak. It means engaging with frontline staff, understanding the lived experience of residents, and tuning into the informal dynamics that shape organisational culture.

The idea of a leader’s “shadow” is particularly resonant. It reminds us that leadership is not just about what you say it’s about how you show up. Your tone, your body language, your responsiveness, and your presence all send signals. Staff will take cues from how you treat others, how you handle pressure, and how you respond to challenge. That shadow can either inspire trust and motivation or breed anxiety and disengagement.

In times of change, listening becomes even more critical. Whether you're leading a regeneration programme, navigating political shifts, or managing service transformation, people need to feel heard. They need to know their insights matter and that their concerns are being taken seriously.

One contributor emphasised the importance of humility:

“We cast a shadow as leaders… we don’t always receive the impact we have on others.”

This is a call to self-awareness. To recognise that leadership is relational, and that your impact is often felt more deeply than you realise. By listening more than you speak, you build trust, foster inclusion, and create the psychological safety needed for innovation and collaboration.

In short, don’t rush to fix listen to understand. The most effective Directors of Place are those who lead with empathy, curiosity, and respect for the voices around them.

7. Focus on What Matters, Not Just Politics

In the complex world of local government, it’s easy for new Directors of Place to become entangled in internal politics, organisational hierarchies, and the pressure to be seen in the right meetings or aligned with the right people. But experienced leaders consistently advise against this trap. As one contributor put it:

“Don’t get wrapped up in where you fit in the organisation. Focus on what matters. Pick the thread that unravels the real impact.”

This advice is especially relevant in today’s climate of governance reform, financial uncertainty, and public scrutiny. With councils facing budget deficits, service redesigns, and structural reorganisation, the temptation to play it safe or politically can be strong. But the most effective Directors of Place are those who stay focused on outcomes on what will genuinely improve lives, regenerate communities, and deliver long-term value. Focusing on what matters means identifying the core issues that, if addressed, will unlock wider progress. It’s about spotting the thread in a complex situation the one that, when pulled, reveals the deeper challenge or opportunity. This could be a stalled housing development, a neglected town centre, or a breakdown in cross-sector collaboration. The key is to look beyond surface-level noise and ask: What will make the biggest difference here?

It also means resisting the urge to constantly position yourself within the organisational hierarchy. One reflection from the field highlighted how easy it is to become preoccupied with status:

“People get wrapped up in the politics, where they fit in the organisation. Focus on what matters.”

This doesn’t mean ignoring politics altogether political awareness is essential in local government. But it does mean prioritising substance over optics, and impact over influence. It’s about being values-led, not ego-led. In practice, this might involve:

• Championing a neglected issue that others have avoided

• Backing your team even when it’s politically inconvenient

• Staying focused on delivery when internal dynamics threaten to distract

• Being brave enough to challenge groupthink or inertia

Ultimately, the advice is to stay grounded. The Director of Place role is about shaping the future of communities not climbing internal ladders. By focusing on what truly matters, you’ll not only deliver better outcomes you’ll earn respect, build trust, and lead with integrity.

Sector Context: Why This Role Matters More Than Ever

The role of Director of Place has always been central to shaping communities, but in 2025, it carries even greater weight. Local government is undergoing seismic shifts structural, financial, and cultural that make place leadership both more challenging and more critical than ever.

Reorganisation

The government’s latest round of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the most ambitious in decades. It aims to simplify council structures by replacing two-tier systems with unitary authorities across England. This reform will affect approximately 41% of England’s population, redrawing boundaries and merging services in 19 areas. For Directors of Place, this means leading through transition harmonising services, managing cultural integration, and ensuring continuity while redesigning delivery models. It’s a rare opportunity to shape the future of local governance, but it comes with complexity and risk.

Financial Pressure

The financial strain on councils has reached a critical point. Birmingham City Council, Europe’s largest local authority, issued a Section 114 notice in 2023 due to an £87 million budget gap and a £750 million equal pay liability. Croydon Council has issued three such notices since 2020[3]. Other councils including Thurrock, Woking, and Slough have followed suit, and several more are on the brink. A Section 114 notice effectively halts all non-essential spending and signals that a council cannot legally balance its budget. For Directors of Place, this means operating in an environment of extreme financial scrutiny, where innovation must be balanced with fiscal discipline.

Public Trust

Despite these challenges, local government continues to enjoy higher levels of public trust than central government. According to the Office for National Statistics, people in the UK trust non-political institutions like local councils more than Parliament or political parties. However, understanding of how local government works remains low, which can hinder engagement and accountability. Directors of Place have a unique opportunity to bridge this gap by making local services more visible, accessible, and responsive to community needs.

Employment Trends

Local government employment has hit a record low of 1.97 million in June 2025, down 1.1% year-on-year. This decline reflects ongoing austerity, academy conversions, and recruitment challenges. While central government employment has increased, local authorities are struggling to retain and attract talent. This places additional pressure on Directors of Place to lead with fewer resources, build resilient teams, and champion workforce wellbeing amid uncertainty. In this context, the Director of Place is not just a service leader they are a change agent, a connector, and a guardian of public value. The decisions made in this role will shape not only the built environment but also the social and economic fabric of communities for years to come.

Final Thought: Be Brave, Be Bold

In a sector managing not just decline but the real risk of collapse, bold leadership is no longer a luxury it’s a necessity. Directors of Place are being asked to lead through complexity, uncertainty, and transformation. That requires courage, creativity, and a willingness to take risks.

As one contributor powerfully put it:

“Avoid trying not to make mistakes. Be prepared to fail. Stretch yourself. Innovation comes from risk.”

This is a reminder that perfectionism can be paralysing. The fear of failure can lead to missed opportunities, cautious decision-making, and stagnation. But the most impactful leaders are those who embrace experimentation, learn from setbacks, and push boundaries in pursuit of better outcomes.

Being brave doesn’t mean being reckless it means being intentional, values-led, and willing to challenge the status quo. It means standing up for what matters, even when it’s unpopular. It means backing your team, trusting your instincts, and leading with authenticity. And being bold means thinking beyond the immediate. It means asking: What kind of place do we want to create? What legacy do we want to leave? Whether it’s through regeneration, climate action, inclusive growth, or community empowerment, Directors of Place have the opportunity to shape the future in profound ways.

We know this guide isn’t exhaustive and we want to keep learning. If you’re a current or aspiring Director of Place and there’s something you wish had been included, or a piece of advice you’d offer others stepping into the role, we’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts with us at info@truthaboutlocalgovernment.comYour insights could help shape future editions and support the next generation of place leaders.