Street-level leadership in the public sector: a case study of the challenges

Abstract

This article suggests that leadership does not just occur in the higher echelons of a bureaucratic hierarchy, but is endemic throughout the organization and is present even at the basic rank and file level. Street-level leaders emerge when the need arises for quick decisions and responses to complex stimuli. These relatively "informal" leaders can exert a significant influence on how and what things get done. Many of these decisions involve transactional decisions between leaders and followers. However, to deal with more complex challenges, street-level leaders may need to incorporate transformational leadership strategies, similar to leaders higher in the hierarchy. To test this thesis this article reports the survey findings of a study of state agency of disabilities and their contractor provider organizations.