Government‐level public leadership development in the United States

Abstract This paper examines 201 leadership development programmes run by government agencies in the United States. It focuses on in‐service training provided to civil servants at the federal and state levels. The aim of this paper involves identifying and discussing the main curriculum themes that underpin those training programmes. Based on the analysis and interpretation of these programmes, it proposes directions for future public administration research. Points for practitioners Five curriculum themes—mentoring, leading change, emotional intelligence, diversity and equity, and crisis leadership—underpin the leadership training programmes of government agencies. These public organisations should be viewed and conceptualised not only as bureaucracies but also as communities of learning. It is crucial to measure these training programmes’ organisational outcomes and effectiveness.