1.2.2.1 Leadership and culture

Leadership has a strong influence on the culture and behavior of all organizations. Clear direction and priorities will ensure that both significant and apparently minor decisions made across the organization support a consistent approach to achieve the business objectives. Such decisions include appropriate investment decisions to reflect the asset management strategy (UKRLG and HMEP 2013).

Below is a list of some of relevant aspects of leadership and organizational culture as applied to asset management:

• Senior management must demonstrate leadership by creating a culture and environment reflecting an agency-wide commitment to asset management.
• Strong leadership should run throughout the organization to influence the many functions of road infrastructure management, and link them all so that they support the wider asset management approach.
• An asset management culture promotes a coordinated approach across the organization to the long-term management of the network by aligning the activities of individuals and teams to common objectives rather than to individual priorities.
• An asset management culture should avoid conflicting priorities and messages, lack of understanding, or lack of a collaborative approach.
• Achieving good leadership requires a certain amount of knowledge on the part of leaders. The key issues and benefits of asset management should be articulated by the asset management staff in ways that are non-technical and meaningful.