A leadership framework for cross-sector collaboration

This article presents an approach to collaborative leadership - the Leadership for the Common Good Framework. The framework includes the following elements: attention to the dynamics of a shared-power world; the design and use of forums, arenas, and courts, the main settings in which leaders and constituents foster policy change in a shared-power world; effective navigation of the policy change cycle; and the exercise of a range of leadership capabilities. The framework can provide useful guidance for public officials and managers who seek to meet complex social needs in an era of stringency in public service budgets and of skepticism about government's problem-solving ability. Beyond that, however, more research is needed on how best to pursue leadership in shared-power, cross-sector settings.