Seed tomorrow with wise civil service today!
A few days ago I worked with mayors, council and commission members, and a city manager, within the Michigan Municipal League’s Academy, delivering Civil and Collaborative Leadership: Creating a Culture Where Achieving Results is the Logical Outcome.
Local leadership teams across the nation are reporting a growing need for figuring out how to work together in respectful, productive ways, capable of achieving results for the communities they serve. Conflict is part of life. Diverse opinions offer the opportunity to gather a variety of facts and opinions before making decisions. And, civility and respectful communications are required to achieve meaningful results. Sadly, disrespect, vulgarity, and a lack of civility appear to be commonplace in our current political leadership.
I left the Academy with a sense of hope as I experienced the genuine spirit of service, soulful contemplation about how to improve, and honorable behaviors of the participants who return to their communities, often, to dissonance, with renewed resolve to serve with dignity. They stirred memory of Ted Koppel’s plea:
Aspire to decency. Practice civility toward one another. Admire and emulate ethical behavior wherever you find it. Apply a rigid standard of morality to your lives; and if, periodically, you fail as you surely will, adjust your lives, not the standards.
Thank you to every leader who continues to hold high standards, faces conflict with elegance, and serves with courage, dignity, and grace.
Life is calling . . . Today’s the day!
Visit http://www.The Success Studio.com . . . Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
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Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com
The Success Studio
Wednesday Wisdom 
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