Leading with Purpose in Uncertain Times
A TL;dr Primer on How Vision, Missions, and Strategic Capabilities Can Transform Government Responses
In these challenging times, government leaders are being asked to do more than ever before. Whether it’s guiding a nation through economic turmoil, tackling the biggest issues facing our cities, or responding to unexpected crises, the need for visionary leadership and strategic capabilities is clear. This week’s Good Government Files TL;dr brings together three insightful articles that offer helpful lessons for those in public service. From Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ability to inspire a nation with a bold vision, to the practical playbook for advancing mission-driven work in our cities, and the critical capabilities needed to tackle today’s most complex problems, these insights are more relevant than ever.
For those working in government, the message is clear: High performance in the public sector requires not just good intentions but the right tools, collaborative efforts, and a willingness to adapt. Whether you’re crafting a vision to lead through turbulent times, orchestrating city-wide missions, or building the internal capabilities to face new challenges, these articles provide a roadmap for making meaningful change. Let’s jump into how you can apply these lessons to your own work and continue driving progress in your organization.
The Need for Vision in Troubled Times
Writing in The Free Press, journalist and author Douglas Murray highlights the importance of a clear and compelling vision in times of crisis. He says Franklin D. Roosevelt’s acceptance speech at the 1932 Democratic National Convention is a timely example of how to unite a nation around a common cause, emphasizing that vision is not just about policies but about inspiring hope and confidence in the future. Three takeaways:
Vision in Crisis: FDR understood that in “unprecedented and unusual times,” a leader must offer more than policies; they must provide a vision that gives people something to believe in. As Roosevelt said, “To fail to offer them a new chance is not only to betray their hopes but to misunderstand their patience.”
Empathy and Inclusion: Despite his privileged background, Roosevelt spoke to and for all Americans, referring to them as “our people” and “our citizens.” This inclusive language was key to rallying support and fostering a sense of shared purpose. It’s a GGF Truism that you should always avoid an “us vs. them” paradigm.
A Call to Action: Roosevelt’s speech was more than a campaign pitch, Murray writes; it was a “call to arms" to restore America. FDR’s ability to inspire action and instill a sense of urgency across different segments of society is a lesson for modern leaders who must also navigate through divisive times.
A Playbook for Taking Missions to the Next Level in Cities
This article from Bloomberg Cities explores how municipalities can adopt mission-oriented innovation to address complex challenges. It draws on insights from Professor Mariana Mazzucato’s report “Mission Critical: Statecraft for the 21st Century,” which provides practical strategies for embedding ambitious, multi-departmental missions in government. The emphasis is on long-term planning, collaborative governance, and strategic investments to create impactful and sustainable change. Here are three takeaways:
Long-Term Focus with New Accountability: Mazzucato advocates for cities to move away from short-term gains and instead focus on long-term missions with new accountability frameworks. She suggests that cities “create space to iterate on and learn from longer-term projects,” which could lead to unexpected benefits or “spillover” effects.
Orchestrating Collaborative Action: The role of government in mission-based approaches should be that of an orchestrator, facilitating collaboration across sectors. This “light-touch approach” allows various stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the mission’s goals.
Building Public Support through Storytelling: Sustaining public support is critical for mission success, and this is where storytelling comes into play. Mazzucato recommends connecting “the macro and the micro” to show how small changes contribute to larger transformations. Camden’s We Make Camden Kit is highlighted as a successful example of aligning residents with mission goals through engagement activities and storytelling efforts.
Speaking of storytelling: I’ll be presenting on that very subject at the 3CMA Conference on Sept. 4.
Tackling Big, Thorny Problems: Building the Capabilities Your Organization Needs
The article from The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative discusses how public organizations can better address complex social issues by developing three core capabilities: collaborative, data-analytic, and reflective-improvement. These capabilities enable organizations to respond more effectively to new and evolving challenges by fostering cross-sector collaboration, utilizing data effectively, and continuously learning from their actions. Here’s more on the three capabilities:
Collaborative Capability: Public organizations must develop the ability to “create and benefit from relationships within and across organizational boundaries.” This capability is crucial for integrating diverse perspectives and responding to the needs of various constituencies, as demonstrated by South Korea’s effective collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data-Analytic Capability: Organizations need to “collect, process, analyze, and ultimately learn from varied forms of information.” By generating and using the right data, public entities can make informed decisions and engage communities productively, which is essential for problem-oriented governance.
Reflective-Improvement Capability: The ability to “truly reflect on a problem’s complexity” and adapt based on what is learned is key to continuous improvement. This capability ensures that organizations can adjust their approaches in real-time, enhancing their responsiveness to complex problems over time.
In Other’s Words
Writer and activist James Baldwin on the power of reading.
You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was Dostoevsky and Dickens who taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who ever had been alive. Only if we face these open wounds in ourselves can we understand them in other people. An artist is a sort of emotional or spiritual historian. His role is to make you realize the doom and glory of knowing who you are and what you are.
Political analyst Chris Stirewalt on political delusion.
The central lie that breaks our politics is that total victory is possible. The core of what ails us is the false belief that somehow there is some magic that we can use that will cause the other people either to all change their minds or give us total power, give us total control.
Scholar and Wall Street Journalist columnist Walter Russell Mead on why we should care about the Olympics.
The blended ideals of competition and cooperation at the heart of the Games don’t only symbolize the principles behind free governments and free markets. They embody them. The creative synthesis of competition and cooperation is how democratic capitalism works. The rules of sports such as basketball and tennis exist to make the competition more thrilling and to allow true excellence to shine forth. In the same way, constitutional order allows free competition between political ideas. Similarly, the laws and rules that surround markets exist to allow markets to do their work more efficiently, and to fill the world with an ever-growing abundance of ever cheaper and better goods and services. … The competition has made humanity run faster and jump farther than ever before.
Onward and Upward.