Most organizational leaders, including those in local government, focus on the “how” or the “what” of their actions. In 1999, as a newly elected 22-year-old Palmetto city councilman, my “why” was “improving the citizens’ quality of life.” Over those next four years, my “why” drifted into a lot of “whats,” like a wastewater treatment plant and economic growth, and “hows,” like privatization and incentives to save tax dollars or increase tax base and reduce the city’s risk exposure. The “hows” and “whats” are essential and ultimately support the “why,” but they do not engender the long-term commitment, consistency, and focus of the “why” and will likely evolve into leadership “mission drift,” which the organization will follow away from its “why.” Today, as a professional Florida community redeveloper, I ask myself, “Why do we redevelop communities?”
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