to respond to now, but I'll have to do that tomorrow (blast this 2 post
limit ! :-).
For this response I'll pick on the styles of leadership question - well
done for asking it. A lot of candidates are talking about providing the
style of leadership where you just follow the will of the people. I
think this would work really well if most people could be relied on to
keep the longer term and the bigger picture in mind when thinking about
what is best for them. However, these are challenging times and I really
don't believe that most individuals have grasped (or been educated as
to) how far up the proverbial creek we are.
As a result, most people will vote to support their short-term
interests. So, as a potential leader, you have a choice - you can say to
the people:
"This is me, this is what I believe in, this is my vision of the region
for the long-term future, not just for the next three years. These are
the big challenges we are facing and this is what we *must* do to
overcome them. You can rest assured that, if elected, I will do
everything in my power to achieve the outcomes *I* believe are best for
this city / region."
or you can say:
"This is me, I believe whatever you want me to believe, which may change
week by week, but that's entirely up to you. If you're not happy with
the results at the end of the three years, hey, you got what you asked for".
Candidates, which end of the spectrum are you at ?
Cheers, Andrew.