This book is designed to describe the special tasks, talents, and tools for leading in the pursuit of the public good, especially but not exclusively in the public sector. Despite a glut of books on leadership, no other book to date has attempted to speak to the specific challenges and strategies for leadership that focuses on improving the lot of society as a whole.
Leading for the Common Good is designed for current and prospective managers whose work focuses at least in part on creating public value, that is, on improving society as a whole. Many of those managers work in the public sector, but many also work in the nonprofit sector or in parts of the private sector with a particular interest in public goods (e.g., environmental planning, private education). Many of these managers will work in all of these sectors over the course of their careers, always with a concern for how their efforts contribute to the larger community. This book will explore the distinctive nature of public service leadership with an eye toward serving at least two purposes: (1) to develop a better understanding of the nature of public service leadership, including when and where it is desirable, and (2) to assist practicing and potential public service leaders in carrying out their leadership roles. The book will include occasional boxed profiles of specific managers who have excelled in the pursuit of public value. These profiles will be used both to illustrate points from specific chapters and to demonstrate the difference that committed managers can make. The principal markets for the book are likely to be (1) master s students in public administration or public policy, (2) advanced undergraduates in public policy, public administration, etc., and (3) practicing public administrators.