ABSTRACT
In American society, the growth and success (vs. stagnation and failure) of an organization often have been attributed to the presence of effective leadership. This has been particularly evident through the economic, technologic, and health services delivery changes of the past few decades. Although leadership has been highly valued in organizations, leadership emerges because of certain skills, talents, expertise, and the consent of specific groups under given circumstances (Levinson, 1968). The leadership function within mental health organizations continues to demand that professionals must understand and deal with current multidimensional problems in the managed behavioral health care industry. Furthermore, the responsibility for preparing these professionals rests within universities to better educate these leaders in public health issues and in basic health and mental health administrative, policy, and services delivery issues. In addition, the responsibility also rests with professional societies to better equip leaders within mental health organizations for the diverse challenges that lie ahead in a changing managed behavioral health care environment.
