Mayor practices ‘radical transparency’

By Matt Lehrman

Social Prosperity Partners

Turning around a dysfunctional city government requires tough-minded leadership. For Mayor Elaine McLain of Birmingham, Michigan, that toughness came from her background as a psychiatric nurse. My guest this week on the “Community Catalysts” podcast took on an infrastructure crisis in her city, which required her to rally support for something that was “necessary, unpopular and expensive.”

Among the leadership practices the Mayor champions is “radical transparency.”

“On the street, I am the person who answers the question with the facts or finds out who knows and refers people,” she says. “That gives people confidence in their government even when they disagree.”

As so many communities face challenges of engaging public dialogue and building trust, I’m particularly drawn to the Mayor’s assertion that it is a leader’s role to manage “boundaries on facts & behaviors.”

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