Leadership for the common good : tackling public problems in a shared-power world / John M. Bryson and Barbara C. Crosby

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. When no one is in charge: The meaning of shared power -- 2. Leadership tasks in a shared-power world -- 3. How innovation happens: The policy change cycle -- 4. Settings for exercising leadership: Forums, arena, and courts -- 5. Forging an initial agreement to act -- 6. Developing an effective problem definition to guide action -- 7. Searching for solutions in forums -- 8. Developing a proposal that can win in arenas -- 9. Adopting public policy solutions -- 10. Implementing new policies and plans -- 11. Reassessing policies and programs.

In the past, society has looked to single institutions to solve community problems. Today, such complex public problems as homelessness, urban crime, and global warming spill beyond the capacity and jurisdiction of any single organization - and must be tackled by many agencies that share the power and resources to get things done." "In this book, John Bryson and Barbara Crosby explain the dynamics of change in a shared-power, "no-one-in-charge" world. They present a comprehensive, integrated approach to public leadership - and show how it can be used by community leaders in business, nonprofit organizations, and government to tackle the massive public problems that are threatening us all." "Bryson and Crosby describe how leaders can plan and manage each phase of policy change, from identifying public problems and exploring solutions to developing specific proposals and implementing new plans. They offer detailed guidance for facilitating change in the public forums, courts, and decision-making arenas where public problems are addressed. And they include practical information, negotiation techniques, and networking strategies to help leaders inspire and mobilize collective action." "To show how the change process works in actual practice, the authors offer detailed examples of two major policy change efforts - civic reform in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and the dispute over United States abortion laws - and use them throughout the book to highlight real-life leadership challenges and opportunities. The book also includes such valuable resources as diagrams for assessing public problems and tools for analyzing stakeholders' needs.