Professional Development of Civil Servants: Trends and Perspectives Based on Adaptive Leadership

Abstract

The article analyses the results of surveys of students of higher educational institutions of Ukraine regarding the resumption of activities in the conditions of a full-scale invasion of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine. It was determined that new conditions and challenges to development require actualizing the issue of adaptive leadership development as one of the important soft skills among the competencies of a successful education seeker. This is of particular importance in the training of civil servants — leaders of communities, who, within the framework of their official powers, must take on not only the issue of ensuring personal needs (livelihood, education, development), but also the responsibility for making non-standard decisions in changing conditions of uncertainty and danger. Taking into account the challenges and urgent needs of civil servants in the conditions of war, a generalization of the results of the survey of civil servants and representatives of local self-government regarding the development of adaptive leadership, non-standard decision-making and responsibility in solving adaptive problems was carried out. Requests for the development of relevant competencies of adaptive leaders are proposed to be included in educational programs for the training and advanced training of civil servants. It has been proven that the main criteria for the adaptability of the modern civil service can be defined as the professional development of civil servants as adaptive leaders, increasing the level of their professional competence, the development of personal leadership qualities, the use of best world practices, and the creation of institutional prerequisites for the reform of the civil service and public administration, sustainability and follow-up of the civil service system, its prompt response to demands and challenges arising in connection with the processes of social transformation, economic development, and European integration of Ukraine.