ABSTRACT
Leadership is about mastering specific situations and their contexts, and bringing influence to bear on them so that resources and people can be marshalled to get things done. Planners thus benefit from a deep and nuanced understanding of leadership. This chapter discusses how planners should approach leadership, and how a better understanding of leadership can enhance planning practice. It begins by breaking down leadership into five general elements: (1) future orientation; (2) situational awareness; (3) cultural awareness; (4) communication; and (5) concerns for the greater good. After describing each of these elements, and their importance to planners, in greater detail, the chapter discusses particular aspects of planning practice in which leadership qualities might be particularly useful. There follows a discussion of the best way to teach leadership in a planning context.
