On Monday, 13^th October 2025, Dr. Irfan Ali, Chairman BoD, Central Power Purchasing Agency, conducted a lecture on “Leadership in Public Sector Organisations” to participants of the 38^th Senior Management Course at the National Institute of Public Administration, Lahore.

Dr Irfan distinguished the leader’s role from the managers in public service: managers safeguard continuity, rules, routines, resources, while leaders set direction, mobilise people and own outcomes. He contrasted colonial-era command-and-control with today’s citizen-centred leadership that values collaboration and accountability. Defining leadership as context-aware influence grounded in values, competence and service, he argued it arises from institutional mandates, personal character, and crucially, consideration to citizens’ needs and aspirations. Heightened threat perception, he noted, often catalyses renewal and demand for new leaders.

On qualities, he emphasised that no leader embodies all attributes at all times, yet effective public leaders show belief in self and mission, clear goals, trust and sincerity, two-way communication, environmental awareness, decisiveness with ownership of consequences, and the courage to stand alone when principle requires, illustrated with examples such as Dr Hameed Akhtar and Mr Tasneem Siddiqui. He distinguished direct (field) from indirect (allied-organisation) leadership. Addressing constraints, political culture, resource scarcity, narrow choice sets, corruption risks, and citizen-state disconnect, he showed how reflective practice, ethical clarity and coalition-building can turn hurdles into public value. A Q&A explored navigating political-economy pressures, strengthening internal communication, and designing teams and incentives for ethical, results-oriented leadership.