Reconsidering leadership theory and practice for collaborative governance: examining the U.S. Coast Guard

Abstract

Traditional leadership theory and practice in the public sector has focused on leading within bounded hierarchies. However, the demand for collaborative governance requires new approaches to leadership. The question for scholars is: what is collaborative leadership and how does it compare to traditional leadership thought? To investigate this question, personal interviews were conducted with experienced collaborators in the federal government, with special emphasis on executives in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Interview data were analyzed alongside three public leadership models. Analysis revealed that four strengths are fundamental to collaborative leadership: (1) oral communication, (2) external awareness, (3) continual learning, and (4) interpersonal skills. In the context of collaboration, leadership contrasts significantly from traditional public sector leadership models, which emphasize directive action rather than supporting, or human relations–focused action. While there was considerable congruence among interviewees with regard to the core skills necessary for collaborative leadership, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) respondents value creativity/innovation as a collaborative leadership attribute, which seems to be in contrast with the organization's formal command-and-control structure.

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