April 6, 2023
Matt Lehrman on Courageous Conversations
"Your leadership imperative is not to assume that the absence of comment means satisfaction..."
From his keynote presentation, From Conflict to Conversation, Matt Lehrman shares an insight about the nature of courageous conversations.
It’s no secret that public meetings have changed. What once came through face-to-face dialogue now too often shows up as sharp online opposition—frequently anonymous, often personal, and increasingly disconnected from the full context of the work.
What does leadership look like when simply serving your community carries real risk? How do local leaders stay focused, stay visible, and stay true to their purpose when threats—both direct and ambient—keep rising?
In the worlds of local government and community service, we’re constantly trying to do good. We serve missions, constituents, and causes that matter. But here’s the harder question: What happens when doing good comes into conflict with doing right?