Collaborative LeadershipLeadership can take many different forms, depending on the person and the situation in which it is needed. Collaborative leadership is a leadership style in which a leader brings together a large group of people, from diverse backgrounds, to make a productive decision and act on it. According to Chrislip and Larson (1994): ...they are the ones who have the credibility to bring the right people together to create visions, solve problems, and reach agreements on actionable actions. They are not the ones telling us what to do. On the contrary, they are the ones who help us work together constructively. (p. xx) This article aims to explain where collaborative leadership is used, what characteristics it has, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use. It will also summarize what types of people are collaborative leaders and the qualities they possess that make them one. Collaborative leadership shares commonalities with servant and transformational leadership. This is similar to servant leadership in that the leader is there to help and is on the same level as the group in which he or she leads. It also encourages collaboration in its methods to achieve certain goals set by the leader. The use of collaboration often builds a sense of morale and trust within the group, bringing it closer to transformational leadership. This leadership style can be used in most settings such as businesses or learning environments, but is most successful in community groups and organizations. Some of the characteristics seen in collaborative leadership are shared problem solving and decision making. In order to reach a mutual decision between group members, the...... middle of paper ...... should be implemented at appropriate times and can be used as an alternative to other methods of leadership. Leaders must be trustworthy, respectable, approachable and tolerant. A good example of a collaborative leader would be Dwight D. Eisenhower because he possessed many of these qualities. Works Cited Chrislip, DD and Larson, CE (1994). Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference. San Francisco, CA, USA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Retrieved December 2, 2013 Linden, RM (November/December 2006). Dwight Eisenhower: Portrait of a Collaborative Leader. Virginia Review, 6. Retrieved December 3, 2013, University of Kansas. (March 12, 2013). Section 11. Collaborative Leadership. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from Community Tool Box: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/leadership-ideas/collaborative-leadership/main