January 3, 2023

How Will You Work Differently in 2023?

Wishing you a strategic new year.

2023 strategic tips and planning help from Social Prosperity Partners on the Community Catalyst podcast.

Sure, you have the desire to get the new year off to a productive start. But what’s your plan? What decisions can you make today that will enable you to hold focus and sustain collaborative traction for the entire year:


  1. What shall I chose to STOP doing? Decide to relieve yourself of tasks, responsibilities, and expectations that aren’t critical to your success. Reclaim your precious time and attention so you can put it to even better use.
  2. Whose support powers my potential for success? It’s every leader’s job to provide the resources, skills, and/or recognition that your team needs and deserves. What can you invest in today that will enhance their effectiveness?
  3. To where shall I sprint? It may be common to set annual goals, but a year can be a very long time. But if you run at full speed right now for a short distance, what might you achieve of significance by, say, January 31, 2023? Nothing succeeds like success - Go!
  4. What should I learn? When you’re so busy being productive it’s easy to forget the continual need to learn new techniques and technologies. Whether you’ll do that by reading a book, attending a conference, or taking a class, make a specific decision now to substantially improve your most important tool (yourself!).
  5. Are we really together? There’s never a bad time to re-confirm the bearing and velocity of your organization with your trustees, council members, committee, board of directors, management team, and other stakeholders.


6 Practical Tips for Building Stronger Communities by Matt Lehrman of Social Prosperity Partners
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Mayor Ginny Dickey, Fountain Hills, AZ on Community Catalysts
By Matt Lehrman February 19, 2025
Former Mayor Ginny Dickey of Fountain Hills, Arizona, gives an unflinching account of how local politics took a dark turn. Having lost her 2024 reelection bid, Mayor Dickey reflects on the rise of vicious, unprincipled attacks—tactics that had nothing to do with policy or leadership and everything to do with fueling anger and spreading division.
Mayor Brian Vincent of Farmville, VA is on the Community Catalysts Podcast.
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It’s common to hear a mayor speak about high ideals or how their town bridges its history with its future. But Mayor Vincent is anything but common. When he talks about “decency, fortitude, and community” in Farmville, you quickly discover the profound influence of his father, a fallen U.S. Army officer. His father’s service and sacrifice embody the power of leading not with force, but with quiet strength and unwavering dedication to others—a painful yet timeless lesson in leadership from which we can all learn.
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