Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy explains the unique leadership qualities that set civic entrepreneurs apart, and illustrates how these leaders can emerge from all levels of private, public, social, and civic organizations. The book shows how civic entrepreneurs forge powerfully productive linkages at the intersection of business, government, education, and community, and it demonstrates how they operate at the grassroots level to create "collaborative advantages" that make it possible for their economic communities to compete on the global stage. Citing numerous real-life examples, authors Douglas Henton, John Melville, and Kimberly Walesh illustrate the necessary steps to build an economic community. They show how civic entrepreneurs motivate and network to organize for action, set priorities, and mobilize resources to get things done. Finally, they demonstrate how to sustain cross-sector collaboration over the long haul for the good of the community. Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy offers step-by-step guidance and practical advice equally useful to business executives, elected officials and public managers, community development practitioners, or concerned citizens who want to take an active role in shaping their community's economic future.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
The Authors

Part One. Community Leadership for the Information Age
1 Communities Meet the New Economy
2 Civic Entrepreneurs: Leaders at the Grass Roots

Part Two. How Civic Entrepreneurs Build Community
3 The Four Stages in Building Community
4 Initiation: Networking and Motivating Change
5 Incubation: Setting Shared Priorities
6 Implementation: Mobilizing Resources to Get Things Done
7 Improvement and Renewal: Helping the Community Change Continuously
8 Conclusion: Renewing America One Community at a Time: Speeding the Change Process

References
Index