New Water Policy and Practice Volume 1, Number 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 19
New Water Policy and Practice
Table 5: Key leader competencies and leadership strategies typically associated with the
thought leader role
Leader Competencies
•
Very high levels of expertise in
a particular area, as well as a
broad general knowledge to
identify connections with other
aspects of water management.
•
A propensity to question
conventional wisdom and take
some personal risks.
•
Cultivated networks with people
in positions of power (e.g.,
policy specialists and political
advisers).
•
Credibility, including a track
record of demonstrating
expertise over many years.
•
Independence (e.g., the freedom
to speak freely).
•
Often connected to academia
(e.g., an adjunct staff member of
a university) to provide access to
new ideas and information.
•
Passion for their subject,
including the ability to strongly
advocate for the adoption of new
approaches (i.e., strong
communication skills).
Leadership Strategies
•
Building and maintaining very high levels of expertise (expert power)
and ensuring that stakeholders are aware that this expertise is held.
Methods may include the strategic use of technical publications,
presentations, awards and demonstration projects.
•
Engaging in strategic networking to build strong relationships with
key people who have the potential to adopt new ideas (e.g., senior
policy bureaucrats and political advisers).
•
Becoming politically savvy in order to influence policy processes.
•
Being prepared to work with stakeholders to drive change from the
top-down (e.g., via policy processes) as well as from the bottom-up
(e.g., through working with local stakeholders on demonstration
projects).
•
Building credibility over time by demonstrating integrity, avoiding
conflicts of interest, delivering high quality projects, keeping
promises, and acting in accordance with espoused personal values.
•
Finding work environments which provide the freedom to maintain
independence and question conventional wisdom when necessary.
•
Shopping for venues that provide opportunities to build power and
exercise influence (e.g., executive roles within professional
associations).
•
Using ‘scanning behaviours’ to monitor their environment and
anticipate windows of opportunity to promote new approaches (e.g.,
the local media showing interest in a water management issue).
•
Maintaining civil relations with other respected thought leaders who
hold different views.
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