Courageous community of action

To lead for real public value, we need leaders willing to do more than manage systems. We need leaders prepared to lead courageously, compassionately, and relationally in the face of complexity, ambiguity, and pressure.

This community exists for leaders who are willing to:

· Face hard realities with hope, rather than avoidance

· Act as though we are truly in this together, not as isolated actors

· Lead through relationships, not merely transactions or formal authority

· Look beyond short-term wins toward long-term, sustainable outcomes

· Break down silos and think holistically across systems and sectors

· Measure what truly matters, not just what is easy to count

· Let compassion drive action, not remain as intention alone

Why This Matters

If public value genuinely drove decision-making, outcomes would be more just, more trusted, and more sustainable.

I believe leadership must come from a place of courage, compassion, and conviction. Decisions should be made with people, not merely about them. Public value must mean something again — not just in rhetoric, but in lived outcomes that communities can see and feel.

The future we need will not be managed into existence. It must be led — with courage, compassion, and connection.

The Heart of This Community

This is a space for people who want to do more than build capability in leaders and decision-makers. It is for those who also want to build courage — the courage to act with compassion, to speak truth, and to make better decisions for better outcomes, even when doing so is uncomfortable and uncertainty is high.

This is a relational community of action, grounded in trust rather than performance.

Together, we seek to:

· Share experiences and hard-won insights openly

· Listen deeply and learn collectively

· Strengthen courage for real-world decisions

· Think carefully and rigorously about complex systems

· Speak up — and act — out of compassion

· Influence decisions that measurably improve living standards and community wellbeing

Core Design

This community is intentionally small, relational, and practice-based, designed to foster trust, depth, and courage over time.

Size

· 12–25 participants maximum

· Invitation-only, to protect trust and shared responsibility

· A diverse mix of:

o Public servants

o Community leaders

o Faith-anchored professionals

o System stewards (those working within complex systems, not activists)

Rhythm

· Quarterly gatherings (2–3 hours), online or hybrid

· Annual in-person retreat (optional, but often powerful)

The rhythm is deliberately light, creating space for reflection and action without pressure or performance.

Practices

Our time together is shaped by shared practices rather than formal instruction:

· Story sharing from real decisions participants are facing or have recently made

· Deep listening, without interruption, fixing, or advice-giving

· BDBO-adjacent reflection, offering a shared language for thinking without turning gatherings into teaching sessions

· Prayer, silence, and discernment, offered gently and always opt-in, respecting diverse faith journeys and contexts

A Shared Way of Thinking

This community resonates with a few simple but demanding truths:

“Rarely do we find people who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is almost a universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions.”— Martin Luther King Jr.

“We think we’re much more rational than we are… We believe in the reasons because we’ve already made the decision.” — Daniel Kahneman

Whatever decisions are made by government and industry, it is communities who must live with them. The more resilient our suburbs, districts, and regions are, the more clearly they can speak with their own voices — providing local intelligence that informs better decisions. — Confidential source

An Invitation

If you are interested in helping form a Courageous Community of Action, grounded in trust, humility, and public value — with an initial launch planned for mid-2026 — I would welcome hearing from you. Make contact here.

This community is relational by design, and committed to action grounded in courage, compassion, and connection.