Apr 02, 2024

Sign up now for this Friday's Local Leadership Chat

By Matt Lehrman

Social Prosperity Partners


What happened when an armed militia showed up for a Parks Department meeting in a Tennessee town? Nothing too out of the ordinary, it turns out — just a regularly scheduled public comment period, conducted under the watchful eye of the local sheriff.


The topic for last month’s Local Leadership Chat was “The Trouble With Public Comments,” so I was expecting to hear about angry protesters clashing with local officials. I just didn’t expect the issue sparking the most controversy would be … disc golf in Texas. For those who participated, the discussion was insightful and instructive.


Local Leadership Chats are virtual gatherings, held monthly, that offer the chance to hear stories and share advice with people serving in various leadership positions all across the country. They are always free to join, but space is limited.  There’s no presentation; just a gently facilitated, welcoming, and supportive conversation.


By popular request, I’m pleased to announce topics & open registration for April, May & June’s conversations.  Be sure to reserve your spot for each of these revealing and helpful conversations: 


  • April 5 — The Mechanics of Trust: Let’s talk about how civic leaders earn trust, both individually and for our governing boards and councils. From our experiences, we'll share what works and what doesn't. Join us for a conversation about practical ways to build confidence and credibility in our communities.
  • REGISTER HERE


  • May 3 — Reservoirs of Resilience: Community leadership is a marathon, not a sprint, so let’s talk about self-care and mental wellness as a form of endurance training. This is an opportunity to share stories and compare strategies about balancing personal needs against the demands of civic service for the long term.
  • REGISTER HERE


  • June 7 — Shaping Tomorrow: What challenges and opportunities do you see right now that could make a lasting impact in your community or organization? Join civic leaders from across the country to discuss priorities and strategies for building resilience and prosperity in the future.
  • REGISTER HERE

WHISKEY, JAZZ & LEADERSHIP


I’m thrilled to be the featured guest on the latest episode of “Whiskey, Jazz & Leadership,” the podcast hosted by Galen Bingham, The Leadership Strategist®. Our paths first crossed a decade ago at a conference, where we quickly discovered we shared a passion for exploring the qualities of effective leadership. With my background in nonprofit management and public administration, it was fascinating to compare notes with Galen, who’s worked for corporate titans like Kraft and Coca-Cola. I hope you enjoy listening to our latest conversation on your favorite podcast platform. (Part 2 will be posted this Friday, April 5.)


 NEW EPISODE — “ALAINA’S VOICE” (April 2, 2024)

Martin Podsiad, a New Haven police detective, took over the department’s social media and discovered that his interview and interrogation skills seamlessly translate into captivating social media engagement, offering a fresh perspective on audience connection.


Listen on Apple, Spotify and all podcast platforms

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

“LAW & ORDER AND SOCIAL MEDIA” (March 26, 2024)

“THE WELLNESS POLICE” (March 5, 2024)

“CHURCH & STATE” (February 27, 2024)

Connect with Matt:

Unite & conquer? Why disagreement is natural

By Matt Lehrman • 14 May, 2024
By Matt Lehrman Social Prosperity Partners From campus protests to epic rapper beefs, we all know conflict drives headlines. But it’s pointless to criticize “the mainstream media” for a reality that’s equally true in alternative media and our own social media feeds, not to mention every bestselling novel and blockbuster movie ever. Conflict is the heart of all stories, and that’s why one of the founding principles of Social Prosperity Partners is this simple statement: Conflict isn’t only natural, it’s necessary. When I say conflict is natural, I don’t just mean it casually, as in, “Naturally, not everyone in the family loves musical theater (or football, or Star Trek )”. I’m talking about something more fundamental. Not just science fiction, but science.

What to Do in the Face of Incivility

By Matt Lehrman • 07 May, 2024
By Matt Lehrman Social Prosperity Partners In the months before Election Day, the problem of incivility in public life isn’t going away . So, when you find yourself dealing with inappropriate, disruptive behavior, whether by members of the public or by your colleagues, there are three distinct approaches you can take to manage the situation. 1. MAKE THEM STOP — Same in preschool as on a governing board, there’s nothing like a good timeout when emotions get overheated. Take a breath. Walk out of the room. If necessary, temporarily suspend or adjourn a meeting completely. Clear, fair rules with consistent enforcement are key. Whatever the issue, remember your responsibility to your community or organization and its governance. This isn’t a time to “fight fire with fire,” but to deprive the fire of oxygen. 2. MEDIATE — When there is a necessary decision to be made and a mutual desire for dialogue, it can be useful for disagreeing parties to engage a trained facilitator. They can provide the structure, objectivity, and cool-headedness necessary to find a workable solution, although mediation works best when it’s voluntary, that is, not imposed in some way. Remember our mantra at Social Prosperity Partners: “Where people work together courageously, their potential is unlimited.”  3. MOVE FORWARD — At some point, you may simply need to “agree to disagree,” which means either calling the question or moving on to other important business. However, while it’s never good to let perfection be the enemy of progress, remember that issues left unresolved today likely will fester and erupt again later. So make a plan to address them as soon as possible.

Otis White on tapping into citizens’ expertise

By Matt Lehrman • 30 Apr, 2024
By Matt Lehrman Social Prosperity Partners In the first nine episodes of the “Community Catalysts” podcast , I’ve interviewed 3 mayors, a city council member, 3 nonprofit executives, a police chief, and a police detective turned social media strategist. This week, I want to introduce a voice you’ll hear more from in future episodes. In his 22-year career as principal of Civic Strategies , an Atlanta-based consulting firm, Otis White became one of the country’s top strategic planning experts. When I asked him to describe the job for an 8-year-old, he said, “I tried to make cities better by trying to make some of the institutions in cities work a little better.” For four years, Otis hosted his own podcast, also called “Civic Strategies,” produced in cooperation with the Georgia Municipal Association . Those 39 interviews are no longer available anywhere, but Otis has generously gifted his audio archive to “Community Catalysts,” so I will be sharing some highlights from that series on a monthly basis, along with more of my interview with Otis. This week’s takeaway from an elder statesperson in civic planning facilitation? “We’re all experts, but we don’t recognize each other’s expertise,” he said. “ The citizens are experts in what kind of community they want. And they’re also experts, by the way, in fairness. But the experts we think of as experts — planners, city department leaders — are experts in something else. They’re experts not in the what but the how .” Listen now on Apple , Spotify and other podcast platforms .
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