Sustainability of an Island
Many senior sage leaders are engaged in some form of governance, such as the Chambers of Commerce or nonprofit boards. In most instances, their involvements seem to be driven by a commitment to environmental, fiscal, or cultural sustainability. Senior sage leaders are not so much interested in controlling their community as they are in expanding effective discourse. For example, how to get more disadvantaged people involved in community governance, how to nourish cultural life, how to create conditions for new businesses to flourish and strengthen the economy of Twin Towns. While the term “island” doesn’t get used or discussed very often, the senior sage leaders of Grass Valley and Nevada City recognize that they live in “an island” community. And as with all such communities, the islanders have to do most everything themselves without much help coming from the outside.
Social Welfare
Nevada County has a large number of nonprofit social welfare agencies—ranging from Habitat for Humanity to KARE Crisis Nursery, from agencies that address the needs of babies to food co-ops, from service to people with drug habits to those who are homeless and those who have been abused. These agencies depend on the volunteer work done by senior sage leaders and others in the community who “give from their heart,” expecting and receiving no financial compensation.
Some of this “heart” results from the unique relationship that exists between the county volunteer organizations and the government agencies that serve these communities—particularly the Nevada County Health and Human Service Agency. The director has a unique philosophy about the role his agency should play in the community: he believes that nonprofit organizations should provide as many community services as they possibly can, and that county government’s job is to make this happen as often as is practicable. This has not always been the way of Nevada County government; as is the case with so many county, state, and federal agencies, there was a long-held and pervasive view that government agencies should assume sole or at least primary responsibility for human services.
Download Article 1K Club
Jefferson Davis
March 15, 2013 at 1:26 am
I am impressed with your article William. Civic leadership is crucial for the societies to survive. You discussed about senior sage leaders and their way of undertaking tasks in a beautiful way. However, I will suggest some type of leadership coaching for these leaders.
libraryofprofessionalcoaching
March 15, 2013 at 9:14 am
I agree with Jefferson. We do need to trace out the implications of the Sage Leadership research study for those who are coaching the emerging and senior sage leaders. We would be pleased to insert articles in our new issue of Sage that trace out these implications.