This empirical qualitative study based on four inter-organizational collaborations in the Singapore Public Sector contributes to the network management and public sector leadership literatures by examining leadership of the coordinating bodies through the studying of structures and processes within the four cases. Particularly paying attention to how network managers build trust and relationships with network members, partners and external institutions through the balancing of tensions arising from control and autonomy. Emerged from the findings, the network managers had exhibited leadership activities from two opposing spectrums i.e. “from the spirit of collaboration” and “towards collaborative thuggery” (Vangen & Huxham, 2003) to maneuver the balancing act thereby catalyzing members and partners towards fulfilling the network agenda and subsequently achieving outcomes. Henceforth it furthers Vangen and Huxham’s (2003) action-research study towards building the understanding of network leadership in the public sector.