ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the complexities of leadership in order to understand some of its primary characteristics and its relationship to public administration. It provides an overview of leadership in a new era, followed by a discussion of the differences between leadership and management that examines the attributes and importance of each role. The chapter examines the levels of leadership, including executives, managers, and street-level bureaucrats, and the importance of their collaboration. With that groundwork in place, it provides a workable definition of leadership. The chapter discusses several important theories about leadership traits and behaviors. The role of gender in leadership is explored, along with the influence of bias. The chapter focuses on leadership in public service settings, the difficulties that administrative leaders face, and the current debates surrounding the proper approach to leadership in public administration.
