Contact for correspondence:

This paper examines effective community governance practices in United States communities and the early evolution of these practices in Russia, where progressive government leaders are beginning to make effective use of community assets to improve the quality of life through a more participatory and collaborative approach to governance. New roles for government leaders and professionals in a multi-sector, participatory environment are explored, where leaders increasingly serve as connectors and facilitators, not just decision makers, experts, and managers. These new leadership roles strengthen multiple roles played by citizens in improving communities (stakeholder, advocate, issue framer, evaluator, collaborator) and are important for strong collaborations. We analyze collaboration with citizens and organizations in U.S. communities with many years of experience of effective governance, examine post-Soviet origins of collaboration and engagement in Russian communities, and look for participative, collaborative leadership patterns emerging in Russian communities that are now attempting to implement effective governance practices.