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Successful Organizations Are Based on Strong Relationships

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When it comes to the topic of successful leadership, the easiest thing to do is to make things complicated. Myriad books, courses, articles and consultants focus on the topic. And the conversation has been going on for a very, very long time. In ancient China, a sage offered this leadership advice: “Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” But it might be a simple Depression-era salesman who has had the most impact on creating successful leaders in business, government and in life. He knew that success with teams is founded on a very simple concept: building rewarding relationships with individuals. In 1936 Dale Carnegie published his now-famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People . His core argument was that success of any organization is based on human interaction. And the key to unlocking the secrets of social interaction are to understand the wants, needs, motivations and expectations of people. To build healthy relationships and ins
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Effective Leadership within the Workplace

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If you’ve ever worked with an ineffective leader, you know that poor leadership always comes at a cost, especially working in public offices. An ineffective leader can be demotivating and demoralizing, which can put a damper on productivity and the ability to reach goals. Not to mention it creates an uncomfortable workplace environment, and nobody wants that. This, in turn, can adversely impact your team.  While few people would argue the importance of effective leadership, it can seem like an elusive idea. What really is effective leadership? What are the most important leadership qualities? And can anyone learn how to become an effective leader, and if so, how? This article will dive into the questions of how to be an effective leader in the public sector. Are effective leaders born or created? Let’s start off by answering some of the commonly asked questions about whether or not it makes sense to invest one’s energy to become a more efficient leader. After all, if leaders are born w
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Getting Real: Truth and Transparency at the NPCA

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In 2018, David Barrick, who was the interim CAO of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), spoke out against the media after they misrepresented the NPCA due to conflicts they had with civilians in 2010 regarding undisclosed flood mapping. While the organization hadn’t been following its legislated mandate, the NPCA was vastly improved since the issue arose. Barrick shared his perspective and the facts, calling out the media for not representing the full story in their coverage. As such, he wrote an Op-Ed offering complete transparency for the NPCA and corrected the record.  Read the full article below.
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Why the Digital Transformation is the Future

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As far as economic drivers go, digitalisation takes the lead. It matters, that’s why countries and companies are investing heavily in the digital world. Public and private administrations are taking notice and doubling down on efforts that they believe will be major investments toward the ease of commerce, flow of goods and services, and greater opportunities for governments, industries and consumers.  “ It will create new jobs, improve productivity and boost growth. But it also brings challenges: digital skills shortages, data protection issues, cybersecurity risks, and the need to ensure that public services are accessible and affordable,” according to Digital Adoption .  Walking the walk  The European Commission launched the Digital Single Market Strategy (DSMS) with an investment of “ €1 trillion between now and 2023 to build a digitalized society,” per Digital Adoption.  The premise? That digital technologies are transforming the way business is conducted around the world and in t
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