Abstract
Implicit in leadership behavior is the ability to work with others, to be in
relationship, and to collaborate. Contemporary theories about leadership have shifted
from a focus on the individual “leader” toward the collective act of “leadership.” A
concrete understanding of collaborative leadership remains somewhat underdeveloped in
the literature and theoretically. This dissertation is a case study of organization’s efforts
to change from autocratic organizational leadership to a more collaborative working
environment. Taking the form of a literary portrait, the study analyzes an example of
action learning about collaborative leadership. The portrait will be of the agency’s
change, with special attention given to the issues facing the leadership team as it wrestles
to change from top-down to collaborative leadership practice. The primary research
question is: In today’s shifting landscape, what practices and conditions will optimize the
development of a collaborative working environment? Findings were that the
development of a collaborative working environment can be optimized through the
careful cultivation of the ten themes that emerged from the study: (1) on-going learning
and continuous development, (2) flexibility, (3) trust, (4) respect/esteem/ positive regard,
(5) willingness/commitment, (6) facilitative process (establishment of norms, ground
rules/agreements, inclusivity, process capability/tacit knowledge of functional group
process), (7) realistic optimism/positive personality/resilience/solution/strength/future
focus, (8) communication skills, (9) social intelligence (ability to transcend the ego and to
self-organize and motivate) and (10) an appropriate level of technical competence.