Paula Hope: Wicked Wisdom
I recently had the pleasure of talking to Paula Hope about some of the gnarly challenges that she faces in her local municipality of Town of the Blue Mountains, the second fastest growing municipality in Canada.
Paula has written two traditionally published books on referral marketing and strategic networking along with hundreds of blogs over the last decade, using her skills to connect with her community and learn what are the most important challenges to solve. She is a very tenacious leader who is passionate about solving challenging problems such as housing, climate action, and maintaining the character of her beloved community while experiencing unprecedented growth.
As chair of the Official Plan Review Steering Committee, Paula is living with major wicked problems every day.
Paula's Wicked Wisdom
1. Put your values in action
Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia, said: "There is a joy in leadership, in getting to put your values into action and the more women who come forward, the easier it will ultimately become." My joy of being a politician is values in action. I live with climate change every day and love doing what I do.
2. We should be following the Seventh Generation Principle from our Indigenous leaders
The Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)* philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world for seven generations to come.
3. Listening is our biggest gift
Listening is the biggest gift you can give (especially as a politician.) A quote I often use in my books is, "Use your two biggest assets - your ears, of course".
4. Everyone should be a leader
