New Book Offers Public Managers Advice on How to Lead Effectively as Good Stewards

ATLANTA – John C. Thomas, has published a new book, Leading as a Public-Minded Manager: People, Politics, Purpose, to provide guidance on how managers in the public and nonprofit sectors can develop and apply leadership skills to help advance policy.

Thomas, an Andrew Young School of Policy Studies professor of public management and policy, has written extensively on best practices in public administration and public policy, publishing over 60 articles and, with this latest publication, five books. The new book is available through Melvin & Leigh, Publishers.

He believes there has been an absence of writing addressing the relationship between management, skills and the success in the public and nonprofit sectors.

“Amid a wealth of writing on leadership, there are almost no books focusing specifically on leadership skills, on what people can learn that will translate to their becoming more effective leaders,” said Thomas.  “Even fewer books take that focus for leading and managing in the public realm, by which I mean any organization where public or community purposes loom large, especially the public and nonprofit sectors.”

Also notable in the book is Thomas’ focus on the idea of stewardship and servant-leadership as assets.

“Skills for persuading others to join in the pursuit of public ends are sometimes termed ‘people skills,’ because they focus on leading by working with subordinates, peers and superiors and as well as with stakeholders external to organizations,” he said.

For more information on the Andrew Young School, which U.S. News & World Report ranks among the nation’s top 21 Best Graduate Schools in Public Affairs, visit the Department of Public Management and Policy.

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