MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Leading in Government Demands the Stewardship of Public Trust

As Americans, we have only one institution with the public mandate and resources to collectively address our nation’s most important and difficult challenges: the federal government. Given the multiple crises facing our nation today, the need for an effective government and capable federal leadership is clearly of paramount importance.

The Biden administration has ambitious goals concerning the coronavirus pandemic, racial inequity, the economy, the environment, and national security. Having a firm understanding of what it means to lead in government will be core to its ability to make progress against these daunting challenges. Although some aspects of leadership transcend the public and private sectors, others are unique to government. In particular, the role of public trust is both crucial and at grave risk, as has been so painfully exposed during the past few years.

About the Author

Amy C. Edmondson, Ph.D., (@amycedmondson) is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School.

Andrew Marshall is a certified executive coach and the director for leadership development at the Partnership for Public Service.

Sally Jewell (@sallyjewell) served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior 2013-2017, followed by fellowships at Harvard and the University of Washington, and interim leadership of The Nature Conservancy. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders through work across business, government, and society.

Learn more about MIT SMR.