Effect of Strategic Leadership Practices on the Performance of Tharaka Nithi County Government

Abstract

One of the most critical aspects of leadership is strategic leadership. The concept of strategic leadership allow firms to engage in activities that involve sharing with employees a clear vision and set of shared values as well as the freedom to make decisions with the fewest restrictions from the firm. Strategic leadership support moral values, ethics and management from participatory and democratic models. Despite this, strategic leadership is not well developed among county governments in Kenya. The aim and objective of this study was to establish the influence of strategic leadership techniques on performance of the Tharaka Nithi County Government. The study was guided by resource-based theory and upper echelon theory. The study employed case study method and the population of the study were executives in Tharaka Nithi County. Primary data was collected using interview. The data was analyzed using qualitative models through content analysis method. The study findings reveal the county top management had adopted strategic leadership practices in their operations. Some of the strategic leadership practices adopted included the organization vision and mission, frameworks for teamwork and collaboration, ethical and moral leadership through its code of ethics, support to the employees by the leaders and strategic thinking. Strategic leadership promotes the performance of the County. The study recommends the need for moral and ethical management in the county to promote high performance and effective service delivery.