Co-Leadership: Effective Resource Management Through Partnerships

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) describes its mission to be “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” The emphasis on partnership speaks to two countervailing trends in modern fisheries conservation: (1) the narrowing limits to what a federal agency can achieve alone in conservation and, conversely, (2) the widening universe of players who have a stake in conservation and who must be part of that conservation if it is to succeed. In this world of expanding non-federal players, roles, and interests, the federal niche in conservation – if it is to be one of leadership – must adapt to the emerging reality of collaborative governance at a landscape scale. Characteristics of that federal leadership must include:

 

• Humility in Mission and Vision – the recognition that conservation is neither the exclusive province nor product of any particular agency or entity: conservation, if it is to succeed at an ecologically meaningful scale must occur at a landscape or watershed level, embracing multiple jurisdictions and diverse interests;
• Transparency in Science – the recognition that science informs public policy best when it is accessible, understandable, and shared among all conservation actors; conservation, if it is to be sustainable, must build from a common science-based understanding; 
• Leadership from Behind – the recognition that the best leadership is often leadership aimed at catalyzing the leadership of others; conservation, if it is to be broad-based and durable, must have a commensurate leadership base;
• Leadership that Knows its Limits – the recognition that successful leadership in conservation is leadership that knows when to strategically step aside; conservation, if it is to have widespread ownership, cannot be owned by just one agency or entity: partnership means sharing ownership;
• Commitment to Accountability – the recognition that leadership is answerable to the American people; conservation that is supported by taxpayer dollars must continually demonstrate to the public the wisdom of its investments and the fruits of its conservation labors; and
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship – the recognition that federal leadership cannot rest on its laurels or seek refuge in process and procedure; conservation thrives most when its leadership is responsive, flexible, adaptive, and inventive in the face of a constantly evolving conservation landscape: risk-aversion is not an option.