ABSTRACT
When it comes to overseeing the performance of a national elite system, it is a common view that leadership is different to management. More specifically, leadership is often felt to relate to the more aspirational and inspirational aspects of work in this role, whereas management is typically associated with ‘doing what needs to be done’. Despite their apparent differences, however, those responsible for national systems are required to both lead and manage and so these terms will feature throughout this chapter. It is also fair to state that the general principles of leadership can be quite similar across different national systems. However, the application of these general principles can – and in fact should – vary in relation to the specific needs and goals of each environment. In this vein, my primary goal in this chapter is to offer a personal view on some general principles of leadership when leading a national system; covering both ‘what to do’ and ‘how to do it’. Throughout, I also aim to demonstrate how these principles need to be tailored to ‘match the context’. In doing so, I draw on my experience of leading various systems over the last 20 years, but with a particular focus on my time as CEO of High Performance Sport New Zealand (hereafter HPSNZ) between 2012 and 2017, as well as Canada’s ‘Own the Podium’ from 2006 to 2011.
