As a library-worker-turned-councillor, I have a reading list that grows faster than I can catch up to it, filled with researchers, statisticians, political journalists, community leaders, and other insightful voices that help shape good leadership.
My resolution this year isn’t to start a new thing, but to start sharing what I’m already doing. I’ll be posting my book reviews here and on my website. When I own a copy, I’ll make sure you know it’s available to borrow.
With elections only a year away, I couldn’t start with a more relevant read than Performative Outrage, by Brooks Williams. On a Venn diagram, this bite-sized 98-page book would land in the slice between treatise and manifesto. What Williams lacks in supporting data or anecdotal evidence, he makes up for in plainly spoken truths which many readers will recognize from their own experiences.
Williams begins by defining community leadership and the work of good community leaders, then explores what happens when leadership becomes focused on avoiding the anger of a vocal few rather than advancing the good of the many. He argues for leadership that prioritizes effectiveness over likeability.
Reading Performative Outrage prompted some reflection on my own practice. One area is process: I want to share my thinking on agenda items more often before meetings rather than after, creating space for discussion ahead of decisions instead of critique once they’re made.
Another takeaway is about starving or stoking the noise. When faced with emotionally charged assertions, from colleagues, from the public, or even from myself, I want to respond with curiosity rather than matching energy. That means asking what information is present or missing, where it might have come from, and how it may have been received.
If Williams is right, actions like these, when taken consistently and collectively, might be a key to building trust and healthy discourse in community governance.
I own a copy of Performative Outrage. If you’re a community member, a leader, or someone thinking of stepping into leadership, borrow my book!