Mastodawn

Great leaders see the way forward … and sometimes that rises to the level of “genius." http://otiswhite.com/leadership-as-a-kind-of-genius/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Leadership as a “Kind of Genius”

Seeing the opportunity for change is the genius of leadership and often involves finding paths that are hidden to everyone else. Herding people through those passages is the practice of leadership. Here's how to be better at the genius parts of leadership.

Otis White Jun 3

Progress comes to cities through civic projects. Why, then, do we know so little about these things? http://otiswhite.com/units-of-civic-progress/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Units of Civic Progress

Civic projects are how we accomplish big intentional changes in cities. Why, then, do we know so little about them?

Otis White May 25

Articulating the “why": It’s critical to building an army of supporters for civic projects. http://otiswhite.com/how-to-build-an-army-of-supporters/ #civiclead #greatprojects

How to Build an Army of Supporters

Want to make a major change in your city? Better bring an army and be prepared to answer this question: Why do we need this change?

Otis White Apr 27

Great projects take shape when leaders discover complementary interests. Oh, and a little luck helps too. http://otiswhite.com/how-odd-couples-complementary-needs-and-chance-can-change-cities/ #civiclead #greatprojects

How Odd Couples, Complementary Needs, and Chance Can Change Cities

Behind many great civic projects is a mixture of unlikely relationships and creativity. You can do some things to make the magic happen. But you also need a little luck.

Otis White Apr 15

When does your city need a great civic project, where do these things come from, and how are they managed? Here are seven elements of highly successful civic projects. http://otiswhite.com/seven-habits-of-highly-successful-civic-projects/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Civic Projects

Progress comes two ways to cities: by inches or in great leaps. Both are needed, but they follow different paths.

Otis White Apr 6

How do you put together the team that can lead a civic project to success? First you need to see the road ahead. Then you have to find the mix of talents and connections to navigate all the twists and turns. http://otiswhite.com/how-a-leader-assembles-a-winning-team/ #civiclead #greatprojects

How a Leader Assembles a Winning Team

An important early step in the success of a great civic project is finding the right people to guide it. And for that, you have to know what it will take for the project to succeed.

Otis White Mar 25

Remembering the activist who changed the habits of every dog owner in NYC … and America. http://otiswhite.com/how-activists-change-minds/ #civiclead #greatprojects

How Activists Change Minds

A theory of how minds are changed: drip-drip-drip.

Otis White Mar 18

Known and credible: Champions are important second-stage leaders in a change effort. Here’s why. http://otiswhite.com/enter-the-champion/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Enter the Champion

Champions are second-stage leaders who help move ideas from the fringe to the mainstream.

Otis White Mar 16

When you’re advancing a new idea for your city, think bigger than the idea. Think about the “frame.” http://otiswhite.com/framing-your-change-efforts/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Framing Your Change Efforts

Community change efforts don't live in a vacuum. They are part of an infrastructure of thought that includes things that are bigger than ideas—they are ways of seeing the world and making sense of it.

Otis White Mar 11

Change the way people think about issues with respectful criticism, facts … and a new, positive frame. http://otiswhite.com/reframing-your-communitys-mind/ #civiclead #greatprojects

Reframing Your Community’s Mind

Frames are helpful shortcuts to thinking about your community's issues. But what if the existing frames are barriers to new ideas instead of facilitators. This is when leaders have to reframe the community's familiar ways of thinking.