Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked World

Five Qualities of Collaborative Leaders

Here’s a thought experiment. Using David Chrislip’s definition of a collaborative leader—someone who leads “as a peer, rather than as a superior” (Chrislip, 2000, p. 23), think of someone you’ve worked with whom you regard as an effective collaborative leader. We’re talking about people who can excite a group to achieve a shared goal, who are adept at the art of influence, who can help other people find common ground. These are also people who are moved to fulfill larger societal needs, not for their career interests but because of their values and passion.

When I reflect on the collaborative leaders I’ve studied—people such as Roosevelt Johnson, Thad Allen, Charles Werner, Chuck Short, and Lillian ...