Here are some highlights of a 2010 article that was published by the Council of Competitiveness. The article, which appeared in the Council’s Collaborate publication, highlights the seven habits that promote highly effective regional leadership.
These seven habits are:
1. Be Proactive: Anticipate needs, create strategies and the means to address them.
2. Begin with the End in Mind: While action depends on leadership, accomplishments depend on vision. Regions need a vision of where they are heading and that vision has be supported by a significant consensus. Beginning with the end in mind is as much about process as it is about outcomes.
3. Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood: Gather facts in order to make sound decisions. Understand the region by securing data, determining assets and liabilities, as well as opportunities.
4. Put First Things First: Leaders need to be guardians of the big picture – vision, goals and strategy.
5. Think Win-Win, Be Inclusive: Seek win-win opportunities to make the case for regionalism; promote inclusion.
6. Synergize: There are crossroads where institutions (education, financial), firms, political jurisdictions and public agencies intersect. Find ways to get them to work together which builds synergies.
7. Sharpen the Saw: Develop metrics that are tied to measurable goals. Develop future leadership that will be able to step up and be part of the regional team at some future point.
Council on Competitiveness (2010).
Please be sure to complete the surveys I emailed to you after our last session. Your 4-digit number can be any number you choose. You should try use a number that you can remember since it will be used for all of the evaluations you will complete.
