Leadership in communities and counties should never stop in surveying their citizenship regarding their wants, needs and opinions as if they are an important part of a business. The best leaders regularly check with their constituents and ask open-ended questions to obtain information that would best help and motivate them to build an even better community. The better leaders push their own biases to a backseat and really listen. The even better leaders act on these issues after listening and evaluating.

One of the best questions could be, “In what direction do we want to take our community?” This can help us create development plans and opportunities that coincide with our intentions for our future.  If the people feel vested in their surroundings, then cooperation exudes from every avenue.

Another good question - “What resources are lacking, currently, that stand in the way we wish to grow?”

Successful government is always looking for ways to improve and is never satisfied with the status quo.  Search out what passions your society exhibits and encourage more. To improve, this may mean the elimination of endeavors that are counterproductive to our goals and direction.  Get rid of the dead wood.

By determining the needs of the people and not assuming that you already know, the community begins to take ownership and feel responsible for the overall good of everyone.  They evolve into advocates for their “Government of the People” and soon become ambassadors to outsiders of our area that do not enjoy the benefits of living here.

Our culture is continually changing.  To be truly successful, it is up to us to keep up. Within this culture, we should build a feeling of trust, whereby, we can express our opinions without being overly chastised for doing so.

Now is the time to express our opinions and be heard.

Standard contributor Don Alexander can be contacted at dalexander@southernstandard.com