Summary

Since it’s publication, I have been reading through Quebec’s “Referential of Competencies for Public Service Leaders.” This framework was designed to help public servants navigate change and lead with coherence. What struck me most is how much of it applies not only to government ministries but also to small towns like ours. It helped me reflect on what kind of governance can allow a place like North Hatley to become its best version of itself.

1. From Management to Meaning

The Referential reminded me that governance is not only about efficiency or procedure; it is about meaning. Leadership, in the public sense, is about aligning actions with purpose and values.

I was surprised at how directly it spoke to our local reality. So much of municipal life happens in the everyday: repairs, permits, budgets. Yet behind all of that lies something much deeper—a need for coherence between what we do, why we do it, and how it serves the people who live here.

It helped me see that governance is less about having every answer and more about asking the right questions together. The framework helped me see public administration in a new light—not as bureaucracy, but as a shared system of trust.

2. Strategy and Tactics – Two Essential Roles

One of the distinctions that stood out to me in the Referential is the difference between strategic and tactical responsibilities. It is a simple idea, but one that clarified a lot. The council’s role, at its best, is to set the strategic direction—to articulate vision, long-term priorities, and the values that should guide decisions. The administration’s role is to translate that direction into day-to-day action: to manage teams, allocate resources, make decisions, and deliver services effectively.

This separation of roles does not divide a municipality; it unites it. When both parts understand their purpose—one focused on why and where we are going, the other on how we get there—governance becomes less reactive and more coherent. It turns potential friction into collaboration.

3. The Six Roles That Anchor Good Governance

The Referential outlines six roles that every public leader, regardless of level, is invited to practice. The first is “porteur de sens,” or bearer of meaning, which reminds us that public work only makes sense when our decisions remain connected to purpose and ethics. The second is “propulseur de l’experience-employe,” or promoter of the employee experience, a call to create workplaces that value people and foster inclusion.

The third, “producteur de resultats,” or producer of results, emphasizes the importance of measurable outcomes and accountability to citizens. Then comes “pilote de changements,” or pilot of change, which encourages us to approach innovation with openness, allowing room for experimentation and even mistakes. The fifth role, “generateur de participation,” or generator of participation, highlights that governance is at its strongest when citizens and partners are invited into the process and can see how their input shapes outcomes. Finally, the sixth role, “leader authentique,” or authentic leader, speaks to humility, empathy, and integrity as the foundation of credibility in public life.

These are not titles to claim or boxes to check. They are ongoing practices—ways of thinking and behaving that help a community move forward together.

4. A Personal Note

This framework also resonated with me personally. My own family comes from a background of entrepreneurs—people who built things, took risks, and learned by doing. My wife’s family, meanwhile, spent their lives in public service—valuing structure, responsibility, and the common good.

Somewhere between those two worlds, I have come to appreciate how different organizations express their commitment to society. Entrepreneurship taught me initiative and measurable results; public service taught me patience and fairness. Both, in their own ways, are acts of care—one focused on building, the other on preserving.

That balance is what I recognize in this framework: the courage to act and the humility to listen.

5. What I Take From This

If we were to draw inspiration from this framework locally, it might help us imagine what coherence looks like in practice. A council that thinks about the long view—what our choices mean for the next generation. An administration that delivers clear, accountable, and accessible service. And a community that feels invited to participate, not simply informed.

I do not see these as prescriptions but as a compass—a way to orient ourselves toward clarity, openness, and shared trust.

Closing Reflection

The Referential does not present a perfect model. It offers something far more useful: an aspiration. Like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it reminds us that progress is possible when guided by respect, coherence, and shared responsibility.

For me, reading it was a quiet reminder that good governance is less about control than about stewardship. It is not about being right; it is about being coherent.

That is the kind of leadership I hope to keep learning—and practicing—here, one small step at a time.