ED Now

When we commit to living a life of positive influence—as we do in the economic development profession—we can end each day knowing we’ve changed someone’s life for the better. Still, even the most veteran among us could benefit from tips on how to maximize our potential for influencing others. In his book “The Gift of Influence: Creating Life-Changing and Lasting Impact in Your Everyday Interactions,” Tommy Spaulding explains that living a life of positive influence boils down to three key everyday behaviors: showing interest, investing in others, and being intentional.

In recent years, our economic development profession, organizations, and the communities we serve have faced seemingly unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. What makes leaders effective in turbulent times? In his book Leadership Reinvented, Hamza Khan points to four strategies: practicing empathy, exercising servitude, driving diversity, and sparking innovation. According to Khan, such leadership is the art of continuous reinvention.

There is no doubt that the last few years have been marked with the unexpected—whether we’re talking about how we serve, what we do, or who we work with. How do we overcome everyday obstacles to serve as leaders who trust and inspire? In his book Trust & Inspire, Stephen M. R. Covey lays out three opportunities: modeling who we are, extending trust in how we lead, and connecting with our why. This article is the 35th in an ED Now series that focuses on the application of leadership principles to economic development practice.

Author Daniel Coyle believes the potential for a group’s success is determined by its culture. So how do we build a culture that helps our communities and organizations during tumultuous times? Coyle recommends focusing on three actions: build safety, share vulnerability, and establish purpose. This article is the 34th in an ED Now series that focuses on the application of leadership principles to economic development practice.

A sense of community is all about the level of connectedness—or care—that people feel toward one another. This connectedness is what inspires people to show up, go the extra mile for each other, and work together for a better future. After several years of increased distance and disconnection, how do we bring our communities together for the common good? This article, based on the work of workplace engagement expert Heather Younger, is the 33rd in a series that focuses on the application of leadership principles to economic development practice.

According to leadership experts Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller, great leaders do five things as a matter of everyday practice: see the future, engage and develop others, reinvent continuously, value results and relationships, and embody the values they’d like to see in others. This article is the 32nd in a series that applies leadership principles to the practice of economic development.

In these turbulent times, how do we become a more positive influence on those around us? According to leadership expert John C. Maxwell, we can do so by providing a nurturing climate, equipping people for success, and making a lifelong commitment to developing potential leaders. This article is the 31st in a series that applies leadership principles to the practice of economic development.

High-performing leaders have found ways to creatively incorporate gratitude into their leadership styles and create an everyday culture of thanksgiving. They do this by soliciting and acting on input, assuming positive intentions, walking in another’s shoes, and looking for small wins, amongst other things. This article is the 30th in a series that applies leadership principles to the practice of economic development.