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Russ Linden

Contributor

Russ Linden is a management consultant, educator and author. His major areas of expertise include change management, performance improvement and collaboration. He has written five books, his most recent being Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked World (Jossey-Bass, 2010).

His clients have included several intelligence, natural-resources and defense agencies; the departments of State, Treasury, Interior, Veterans Affairs and Education; more than 40 state and local government agencies; and nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel.

It's all too easy for team members to misunderstand something. Effective leaders know the value of the "pre-brief."
It's critical for public leaders to take the time to distinguish the signal from the noise.
Search and rescue task forces need to deploy at a moment's notice, and they have to be ready for any challenges they may encounter.
There is a range of customer-feedback tools, including very simple ones.
There are risks, and there still must be accountability. But some leaders have shown the way.
There is plenty that local officials can do to avert the kind of deadly violence that erupted in the Virginia city.
Public-sector organizations aren't designed for it, but some are finding ways to make it part of their culture.
Despite all the media coverage, assault and harassment remain too common. There's a lot that public leaders could be doing.
They have a powerful influence. But unrealistic, unreachable goals can produce unethical behavior.
When accusations are flying or scandal erupts, it's crucial to get the initial response right.