ABSTRACT
The idea that nations and peoples share certain interests across national boundaries and should cooperate in achieving common objectives is an old one in the history of international relations (Iriye, 2002; Kennedy, 2006) and historians since Herodotus have studied leaders. More recently, the fi eld of leadership studies has examined the role of leadership in confronting specifi c global problems, including those concerning the interdependent relationship between human health and the environment. In Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World, Barbara C. Crosby and John M. Bryson note: “Today’s citizens live in a world where no one is in charge, where the needed resources for coping with the most important public problems extend well beyond the capacity of any group or organization, and often beyond the scope of national governments” (2005, p. xiv). As a consequence, “shared and widespread leadership is required for dealing with the effects of global complexity and interdependence, from economic shifts to climate change to terrorism” (Crosby & Bryson, 2005, p. xiv).
