Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems

Summary

Our government is in crisis, mired in bureaucracy and often unable to fix tough problems. This book provides an essential new model for transforming the system and getting things done.

COVID. Climate change. Refugee resettlement. Global supply chains. We're facing a new generation of complex problems, stretching across the public and private sectors. Historically we've looked to government for big solutions, but the reality is, the government we have now is a poor match for the problems we face.

We need a fresh, new approach. As William D. Eggers and Donald F. Kettl show in this indispensable book, we need a government of bridgebuilders—public managers and leaders who collaborate with partners, both inside and outside government, to get the job done. They manage horizontally instead of vertically, they see their role as connectors, and they identify which players have the assets needed to solve the problems at hand.

Each chapter examines one of the ten core principles of bridgebuilding and features practical tips and dynamic cases of how effective leaders have put each principle to work. Also included is a special section on creating a hundred-day bridgebuilding plan.