Stuart Lindeman’s Post

When I arrived to speak at the Corporate Coalition of Chicago’s meeting on Business Opportunities in Community and Economic Development, I realized I was at a meeting of "unicorns." These remarkable business leaders, convened by the equally remarkable Brian Fabes and Bob Weissbourd, are breaking new ground with business leadership in communities to create good jobs and advance equitable prosperity in Chicago. These unicorn leaders are rare but fortunately they are growing in number. After listening to them and the inspiring work they are doing, I set aside my prepared slides and instead spoke from the heart about what I've learned in 20 years of studying and advising leaders on complex systems change. I shared 7 key principles for business-led community economic development (CED). What do you think of these principles? I'd love to hear from you! 1. Determine at the outset when to collaborate and when to go it alone. Given the investment required to collaborate and “play well with others,” companies should go it alone when it makes sense — and collaborate around problems or opportunities that can’t be tackled by their organization alone. 2. Bring the right people to the table to lead the effort. Don’t accept just anyone who volunteers; figure out who’s best suited and keep asking until they say “yes.” 3. Boil down big aspirations into a single, concrete goal that puts a picture in people’s minds. Then divide that goal into a handful of simple “steppingstone” chapters. Communicate progress relentlessly and consistently. 4. Don’t simply copy-and-paste what’s worked in other regions. Learn from others and adapt what they’ve done so it’s appropriate to your context. 5. Do your sensemaking to understand the community ecosystem. Figure out what capacities exist and where capacity building is needed as you try to understand where to contribute. Develop and rely on trusted and trusting partners in the community. 6. Embed your efforts in a collective to leverage your investment. This could be a corporate coalition or a chamber of commerce that’s open to community-minded projects around issues like housing, transportation, or childcare. 7. Above all, listen. Find out how you can honor and recognize the community-building work that has been underway, and how your goals fit, before you try to create something new. I hope these principles contribute to moving the state of the field beyond the “unicorn party” that convened in Chicago to making company-led, place-based work more of an expected way to do business. Visit my website to read more about my research: https://lnkd.in/gmCStVV5 Read the meeting report here: https://lnkd.in/gtTjdzUX #inclusivelocalthriving #localthriving #distributedleadership #nimbleleadership #leadership #CED #communityeconomicdevelopment

For Jim Dwyer, ICEO Peer Advisor, time seemed almost infinite – until it didn't. As executives consider moving to the next phase of their career, Jim recommends exploring how to contribute while getting greater control over your time. "The reminder that time isn't infinite helped me focus on balancing what I really wanted to do across the whole canvas of my life. I ended up building a portfolio of for-profit and non-profit Board work in areas I love." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gGQfJBkr

For Jim Dwyer, ICEO Peer Advisor, time seemed almost infinite – until it didn't. As executives consider moving to the next phase of their career, Jim recommends exploring how to contribute while getting greater control over your time. "The reminder that time isn't infinite helped me focus on balancing what I really wanted to do across the whole canvas of my life. I ended up building a portfolio of for-profit and non-profit Board work in areas I love." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gVptiaMk

For Jim Dwyer, ICEO Peer Advisor, time seemed almost infinite – until it didn't. As executives consider moving to the next phase of their career, Jim recommends exploring how to contribute while getting greater control over your time. "The reminder that time isn't infinite helped me focus on balancing what I really wanted to do across the whole canvas of my life. I ended up building a portfolio of for-profit and non-profit Board work in areas I love." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gQVgJjjf

For Jim Dwyer, ICEO Peer Advisor, time seemed almost infinite – until it didn't. As executives consider moving to the next phase of their career, Jim recommends exploring how to contribute while getting greater control over your time. "The reminder that time isn't infinite helped me focus on balancing what I really wanted to do across the whole canvas of my life. I ended up building a portfolio of for-profit and non-profit Board work in areas I love." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gGQfJBkr

Partnerships with experts are necessary to bring about change

This is short article about why considering Access, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (AEDI) for board development is beneficial, specifically in the area of creative arts. Financial gains should not carry the most weight during the selection process because, as pointed out in this article, it’s not always the wealthiest person who has the most power. TAKE YOUR SEAT is an “Equity Accelerator” organization created to make the process easier for companies to find the candidates needed to level up their boards. #AEDI #BoardEquity #TakeYourSeat #EquityAccelerator

For Jim Dwyer, ICEO Peer Advisor, time seemed almost infinite – until it didn't. As executives consider moving to the next phase of their career, Jim recommends exploring how to contribute while getting greater control over your time. "The reminder that time isn't infinite helped me focus on balancing what I really wanted to do across the whole canvas of my life. I ended up building a portfolio of for-profit and non-profit Board work in areas I love." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gYFeNrSK

Did you know that: We've been serving clients throughout the U.S for 7+ years (since 2016)? We're providing additional value to clients by collaborating with a new strategic partner? Claudia now volunteers as a university trustee? Claudia now volunteers to serve all U.S. small businesses in 2 national organizations? Check out our below post to learn details about the above and our other 2023 highlights. #yearinreview #companyprofile #dei #communityimpact

Rockstar Board Chair? According to this blog: "An effective board chair brings out the best in others and moves your organization forward throughout their term. This individual embodies the spirit of the organization and continually keeps the integrity and goals of the organization at the forefront of every decision they make." That's Kim Boyer McLaughlin! https://lnkd.in/ge8UVbJ7