Abstract

Leaders in the global commons are those who are building world community, or global civil society, through creation of transnational citizen organizations or exchange programs. The book presents a framework for leadership in the global commons and illustrates it with examples primarily from two transnational human rights organizations, Amnesty International and the International Women's Rights Action Watch. The framework highlights seven main types of leadership-- leadership in context, personal leadership, team leadership, organizational leadership, visionary leadership, political leadership, and ethical leadership--and indicates how all are linked together in change cycles. ;A change cycle begins when at least a small group of leaders develop passion and commitment to do something about a public problem, such as the violation of human rights, that spills beyond national boundaries. The crucial challenge for these leaders is bringing diverse groups of people together in forums to define the problem, search for solutions, and develop proposals that are likely to be adopted in policy-making arenas and upheld in courts. ;The book offers extensive resources and practical tools for those seeking to exercise each type of leadership in the global commons. It also links theoretical constructs and practical guidance to recent research and theory about leadership, intercultural communication, and social movements. The guidance also is grounded in personal experience in teaching leadership seminars, courses, and workshops for people from around the world. ;The contextual essay reviews recent scholarship on leadership and the common good, cross-cultural communication, and social movements. It also elucidates the methods used to develop and weave together diverse materials in producing the book