The digital world is moving fast, and public services are under growing pressure to keep up, delivering smarter, more citizen-focused services. At the heart of making that shift is leadership.
At a recent roundtable hosted by Tile Hill, senior leaders from across local and central government came together to talk about how strong leadership can really unlock the value of digital tools, data, and innovation.
Leadership – the catalyst for change
Leadership came through as the biggest factor in driving digital progress. It's not just about having a bold vision, it's about bringing people with you, making the case for change, and connecting digital ambitions to real organisational goals. You don't need to be a tech expert to lead in this space, but you do need to understand the bigger picture, ask the right questions, and make sure digital decisions are rooted in strategy.
Ed Garcez, chief digital and information officer at Essex CC, captured it perfectly: ‘Digital is a team sport. Digital leaders need to be the grease: they need to remove friction.' This sentiment underscored the idea that the most effective leaders aren't just strategic thinkers; they're facilitators, enablers, and culture shapers.
Real transformation doesn't come from quick fixes; it's about long-term vision and purpose. When change is driven by a clear sense of direction, it builds resilience, improves services, and helps teams stay engaged. That only happens when leaders recognise that digital isn't a standalone project, it cuts across everything. It's already shaping every part of the public sector, and the opportunity is huge. But making the most of it takes joined-up thinking, long-term investment, and leadership that's in it for the long haul.
Empowering teams and building digital culture
Building a digital-first culture is about more than just tools, it's about mindset. It means creating space for experimentation, encouraging learning at every level, and breaking down silos. And that starts with leaders who walk the talk and create safe spaces for people to try new things.
Upskilling is key, especially among middle managers. Without confident, capable leaders at every level, transformation just doesn't stick. The Government's six-point reform plan makes that clear: digital underpins everything from service design to inclusion and performance. It's no longer a nice-to-have, it's the foundation.
Data as a strategic asset
A recurring theme was the need to reframe our relationship with data. It should no longer be seen as a compliance exercise but as a powerful tool to inform policy, improve services, and enable prevention.
Roundtable contributors spoke about the importance of investing in data capability, not only in systems, but also in people and practice. And good data requires leadership that prioritises integration, transparency, and responsible use.
The Charity Technology Leaders 2015 Report noted a rise in the number of organisations prioritising data governance and reporting. Likewise, the Government's blueprint includes the development of a National Data Library that is designed to improve access, reuse, and public benefit from data.
Digital literacy and inclusion – still a work in progress
Despite progress, the digital divide remains real for staff and service users alike. The Government's vision rightly puts inclusion at the heart of digital reform, committing to ‘design services around the user' and ‘support the digitally excluded'.
Our roundtable discussion underscored the need for organisation-wide digital literacy, so that everyone, not just tech teams, can contribute to, and benefit from, transformation.
The emerging role of AI in public sector leadership
AI is quickly moving from buzzword to real-world capability in the public sector. Whether it's taking the admin load off stretched teams or helping shape policy decisions, it's starting to open up new ways to work smarter and serve people better.
But the message from our roundtable was clear: this can't be led by hype. It needs to be led with intention. Leaders have a big role to play in making sure AI is used in the right way, ethically, transparently, and in a way that reflects public values.
‘AI is a tool, not a strategy,' one attendee noted. ‘It can unlock real value, but only when it's applied thoughtfully and within a clear governance framework.'
Leaders must be confident in asking critical questions. Is the use of AI solving the right problem? Is the data underpinning it robust and fair? Are we putting the right safeguards in place to protect privacy and public trust?
Beyond governance, AI also presents an opportunity for leaders to rethink how services are delivered. Intelligent automation can free up staff for higher-value work. Predictive analytics can help agencies intervene earlier and more effectively. But unlocking this potential requires strong leadership that can navigate both the opportunities and the risks.
As with any digital capability, the success of AI depends less on the technology itself and more on how it is led, implemented, and integrated into service design. With the right leadership, AI can become a critical part of a smarter, more responsive, and more human-centred public sector.
Leading from the centre, enabling at the edges
Our roundtable discussions made one thing clear – unlocking digital potential is fundamentally a leadership challenge. Technology alone does not transform services, people do. And it takes bold, forward-looking leadership to drive that transformation at scale and with purpose. As Mehmoona Ameen, former service director of transformation and digital improvement at Peterborough City Council, said: ‘Technology leaders in the public sector must be visionary because they operate in an environment where innovation, public trust, and long-term societal impact intersect. Visionary leadership is critical because Government and public-sector organisations face complex problems, legacy systems and budget constraints.'
Digital is no longer a standalone function, it is a cross-cutting enabler of policy, operations, and service delivery. This shift has profound implications for leadership structures, most notably the evolving role of the chief digital and information officer. Positioned at the intersection of technology, strategy, and delivery, the CDIO plays a critical role in embedding digital into the core of how public bodies work.
The Government's 2022-25 roadmap commits to elevating digital, data and technology (DDaT) leaders: ‘We must position DDaT leaders at the top of our organisations, ensuring they have the authority and accountability to drive real change.'
As AI and emerging technologies become further embedded, the need for joined-up, ethical leadership grows. CDIOs and public sector leaders must lead not just transformation projects, but cultural and structural change.
Ultimately, realising the full potential of digital in the public and civil society sectors depends on committed leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and a shared vision that puts people and purpose at the centre. The opportunity is significant but so is the responsibility.
At Tile Hill, we support organisations in finding the leaders who can drive digital transformation, shape culture, and deliver services that meet modern demands.
Laura Murphy and Andrew Stilwell are Senior Consultants at Tile Hill
