The traditional leader is seen as a charismatic hero, a lone figure, towering above the rest. These are seen more in the military or business worlds – Gen. George Patton, auto executive Lee Iaccoco, computer guru Steve Jobs. But in reality, the success of a leader depends on the context, or environment, in which theyRead… Read more »
Ask any senior leader and he or she will tell you that leadership is both a lonely game and a team sport. Leading Can Be Lonely. Senior leaders can feel lonely when they have significant responsibilities and oftentimes little authority or control over a situation, and they have no one they can turn to. I’veRead… Read more »
Citizen engagement has traditionally been viewed as citizens participating in community activities such as testifying on policy proposals, budgets, and strategic plans. But government does more than policy and budget. And citizens want to do more than testify or volunteer at the local food bank. How can governments at all levels engage their citizens inRead… Read more »
Leadership “experts” list dozens of characteristics that they say are important for successful leaders. Many lists overlap, but I think they really come from the experiences and observations of the writers. One former senior level political appointee, Linda Springer, recently observed that a common set of successful characteristics private sector – being decisive, directive, andRead… Read more »
Last week I was invited to speak to an audience of Canadian government executives about leading in a world of change. I’ve spoken a lot about performance and collaboration in past years, but never specifically about leadership. So this was an opportunity for me to reflect on my experiences and observations over my career inRead… Read more »
The Government Accountability Office has stepped into new territory by adding climate change to its list of the 30 most high risk challenges facing the federal government. What’s their rationale for adding it? Typically, we think of the GAO focusing on territory familiar to auditors, which is what most of the high risk list does:Read… Read more »
Is there a recipe for successful cross-agency relationships that are enduring? Or is each initiative so dependent on context and personalities that there is no way to offer general principles of success? With Valentine’s Day approaching, there are all sorts of advice columns about improving relationships. Well, A new IBM Center report by Dr. JaneRead… Read more »
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is often attributed to business guru Peter Drucker. But Oxford professor Christopher Hood raises a provocative question: Does “management by numbers” actually lead to improved performance? Dr. Hood, who is a well-respected public management professor, poses this question in a recent article in the Public Administration Review andRead… Read more »
Harvard business sage John Kotter writes “We can’t keep up with the pace of change, let alone get ahead of it.” He says the historical success of hierarchical structures “can’t handle the challenges of mounting complexity and rapid change.” Large companies (and governments) cannot ignore the daily demands of running large enterprises that depend onRead… Read more »
There is a new “map” of the Federal Government, courtesy of the Administrative Conference of the U.S. It is an update of an earlier “map” created in 1980 by the Congressional Research Service. The National Geographic periodically publishes updated maps of the contours of the U.S. but there is no institution that takes on aRead… Read more »