ABSTRACT
This chapter examines leadership within the public organization. It explores leadership and power, as well as the importance of effective communication in coordinating the human elements of the organization. The chapter presents theories of leadership and real-world leadership examples, which are tied to a broader discussion of public-sector management. Traditional, simplistic models of leadership pervade our society and condition our public managers from a very early age. Only a very small percentage are educated in public management at the graduate level, having obtained a master’s degree in public administration or public policy, and many of those graduates lack formal leadership training. Trait theory embraces the idea that leaders are born; therefore, they must possess certain innate characteristics that make them well suited for leadership. The style theory of leadership is framed in terms of task-oriented behavior and relationship-oriented behavior. The idea behind situational leadership is that the leader must alter his or her leadership approaches based on the circumstances.
