Almost a decade ago, I was offered some items from a retired colleague’s files and stumbled upon The Ten Commandments of Community Leadership, a great little book by Maury Forman and Michelle Harvey published by the State of Washington Dept. of Community, Trade, and Economic Development and the Association of Washington Cities. It is a gem.
Back in 2013 (on the o.l.d. Tumblr blog) I posted a whole series (https://ruralcommunities-blog-blog.tumblr.com/tagged/10-commandments) based on this book. I also listed the commandments on one of the early posts on this AgriLife platform in August 2014, but that’s a long time ago too. Rather than read my synopsis, I’d recommend just reading the PDF book.
Here’s the list:
I. Thou shalt create a vision for the future.
II. Thou shalt develop a strategic plan.
III. Thou shalt build a sustainable economy for the next generation.
IV. Thou shalt seek public/private partnership.
V. Thou shalt invest in education and training.
VI. Thou shalt promote respect.
VII. Thou shalt demonstrate a high standard of ethical behavior.
VIII. Thou shalt value history, art, and culture.
IX. Thou shalt prepare for a global environment.
X. Thou shalt develop future leaders.