What fills the void left in local gov’ts when newspapers stop covering them? The social media, which are prone to gossip, distortion and bias. But there’s another way, which is to turn average citizens into information sources. http://otiswhite.com/how-communities-can-thrive-in-a-post-newspaper-world/ #civiclead

The restoration of NYC’s Central Park is a great urban turnaround story. And it holds important lessons for local gov’ts everywhere about how to work with nonprofits. One lesson: Be patient. http://otiswhite.com/what-smart-mayors-can-learn-from-the-turnaround-of-central-park/ #civiclead #nonprofits

How do you put together the team that can lead a civic project to success? First you need to see the road ahead. Then you have to find the mix of talents and connections to navigate all the twists and turns. http://otiswhite.com/how-a-leader-assembles-a-winning-team/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Great leaders see the way forward … and sometimes that rises to the level of “genius." http://otiswhite.com/leadership-as-a-kind-of-genius/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Progress comes to cities through civic projects. Why, then, do we know so little about these things? http://otiswhite.com/units-of-civic-progress/ #civiclead #greatprojects

A new report describes S.F.’s city gov’t as failing in its efforts to deal with multiple crises and says the reason is structural. Well, the report is right that the city is in a bad place and city hall is a mess, but the problems run deeper than ineffective gov’t. S.F. no longer has a strong civic community that comes to the city’s aid when times are hard. The problem, then, isn’t that gov’t can’t do enough … but that we expect it to do everything. https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/city-hall-fix-report-18301286.php #civiclead

Criticism isn’t a flaw in local politics. It’s a feature. That’s why it’s important how we react to it. http://otiswhite.com/the-temperament-of-great-leaders/ #civiclead

Articulating the “why": It’s critical to building an army of supporters for civic projects. http://otiswhite.com/how-to-build-an-army-of-supporters/ #civiclead #greatprojects

How to elect better public officials by using job descriptions, fair ratings ... and creative citizen outreach. http://otiswhite.com/a-better-way-of-judging-candidates/ #civiclead

The lonely leader: A special kind of courage is needed to stand against those whose opinions we respect. http://otiswhite.com/the-loneliness-of-the-courageous-leader/ #civiclead

Gov’ts are good at fairness, scale and steadfastness. But for new thinking, they need #collaborations. http://otiswhite.com/what-government-is-good-at/ #civiclead

One day you may have to face a demagogue in local gov’t. Here’s how to deal with a skillful liar. http://otiswhite.com/how-to-deal-with-a-demagogue/ #civiclead

There was a time when CEOs of some companies, like banks, utilities and locally owned retailers, saw it as their duty to be involved in civic work. These business execs founded things like community foundations and economic development groups. Oh, and there were always a few high-profile lawyers in these civic circles. One of those lawyers, in Detroit, died recently. His obituary reads like a letter from a bygone era. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/07/28/obit-alan-e-schwartz-legal-giant/70488711007/ #civiclead

Great projects take shape when leaders discover complementary interests. Oh, and a little luck helps too. http://otiswhite.com/how-odd-couples-complementary-needs-and-chance-can-change-cities/ #civiclead #greatprojects

“Slow-motion civic implosion”: If you are the kind who thinks it unseemly to visit scenes of tragedy, then do not read this story about an Atlanta suburb that has descended into chaos because of a fight between the police chief and city manager. Everyone else … enjoy! https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-clarkston-the-ellis-island-of-the-south-not-welcoming-to-police/M52SNOBEW5GHDFEQAPS2FAT5B4/ #civiclead

How a citizen engagement project … run by a political party … could repair our broken state politics. http://otiswhite.com/how-citizen-engagement-could-save-state-politics/ #civiclead

When does your city need a great civic project, where do these things come from, and how are they managed? Here are seven elements of highly successful civic projects. http://otiswhite.com/seven-habits-of-highly-successful-civic-projects/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Michael Hancock served three terms as mayor of Denver. Will he be remembered for his successes, like bringing Denver back from the Great Recession and building Denver’s airport into the world’s third busiest? Or for his failures, like the drugs that plague downtown and the #affordablehousing crisis he was late in recognizing? Time will tell. But we can say that he’ll be offered as proof of the old adage that a mayor’s third term is a curse. https://denverite.com/2023/07/17/denver-mayor-michael-hancock-led-the-city-through-growth-loss-and-crisis/ #civiclead #mayors

The most enduring civic institution outside city gov’t is … the chamber of commerce. A history. http://otiswhite.com/the-magicians-of-main-street/ #civiclead

Known and credible: Champions are important second-stage leaders in a change effort. Here’s why. http://otiswhite.com/enter-the-champion/ #civiclead #greatprojects