New Water Policy and Practice Volume 1, Number 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 9

New Water Policy and Practice

(i.e. key behaviours) that water leaders typically need to perform well in each role.
The practical implications of understanding these roles are then explored such as how
they could be used to help water leaders to be more effective, and how they could be
used to analyse and understand how leaders playing different roles work together to
collectively drive processes of change. Finally, the paper concludes with a summary of
its key messages.

2 - Methodology

T

his section describes five bodies of work conducted by the authors over eight
years (2007–14) which have helped to identify and characterise the leadership
roles outlined in this paper. This work involved traditional forms of research
as well as gaining knowledge by working closely with many developing water leaders
from around the world during leadership development activities (e.g., programmes,
short courses and coaching).
2.1. 2007–10: Ph.D. research on water leadership

An international literature review focusing on water leaders was conducted
as part of a Ph.D. research project by Taylor (2010a). Although this research focused
on champion-type leaders (i.e., emergent leaders who excel at initiating change) who
promoted sustainable urban water management, the literature review was broader.
It sought to identify what is known about leaders and leadership in the water sector.
It identified significant contributions to the water leadership literature such as those
made by Brown (2003), Brown and Clarke (2007), Huitema and Meijerink (2010) and
White (2006).

This research also involved a multiple case study analysis of six champion-type
leaders who were instrumental in initiating change in different cities within Australia
(Taylor 2008, 2010a). This analysis identified the significance of individuals playing
different roles in major processes of influence. For example, in one of these case studies
(see Taylor 2011), the project-level champion for sustainable water management was
strongly supported by a local politician (a mayor), his organisation’s chief executive
officer (who actively managed the organisation’s culture), an executive (who acted
as his mentor), and a small group of colleagues in different functional units within
the organisation (who acted as a cross-boundary team to advance significant water
projects). This research helped to identify and characterise important water leadership
roles and to understand how people in these roles worked together to affect change
(e.g., Taylor 2011).
2.2. 2010–11: Background research to build a new water leadership program

In 2010, following a successful trial (see Taylor 2010b) work commenced within
the IWC to design a new, nine-month water leadership programme. This programme
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