Leadership in Public Organizations: An Introduction

by Montgomery R. Van Wart

Now in a completely revised and updated Third Edition, Leadership in Public Organizations provides a compact but complete analysis of leadership for students and practitioners who work in public and nonprofit organizations. Offering a comprehensive review of leadership theories in the field, from the classic to the cutting-edge, and how they relate specifically to the public sector context, this textbook covers the major competency clusters in detail, supported by research findings as well as practical guidelines for improvement. These competencies are graphically portrayed in a leadership action cycle that aids readers in visually connecting theory and practice. Including questions for discussion and analysis and hypothetical scenarios for each chapter, as well as an easily reproducible leadership assessment instrument students may use to apply the theories they’ve learned, this Third Edition also Leadership in Public Organizations is an essential core text designed specifically with upper-level and graduate Public Administration courses on leadership in mind, but it has also proven an indispensable guidebook for professionals seeking insight into the role of successful leadership behavior in the public sector. It can further be used as supplementary reading in introductory courses examining management competencies, in leadership classes to provide practical self-help and improvement models, and in Organizational Theory classes that wish to balance organizational perspectives with individual development.

438 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Reed Wolfley]

The ability to lead does not come easy and being a leader will never be a job for the weak. If you want to be a leader, this book helps you understand what it takes.

[Breanna]

Van Wart made the topic of leadership very easy to understand. Filled with advice similar to the life if college students, it was very easy to comprehend what he was taking about.