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COVER STORY INFORMATION <br /> ONLY <br /> Hab .t <br />:. <br /> 10 <br />„ of H . hl Eff tl c I l <br /> Carl H. IUeu � Jr- <br /> .. ocal government operations directly affect our daily e.Yis- <br /> 3 tence and experiences and the quality of life that we per- <br /> 0 ceive we have within our communities. No localgovern- <br /> ment deserves, nor should its citizens tolerate,a <br /> i council or governing body that isn't extraordi- <br /> narily effective and competent in leading the <br /> community. <br /> Thomas Cronin, a recognized authority on public policy, <br /> defines leadership as "making things happen that might not <br /> otherwise happen and preventing things from happening <br /> that ordinarily might happen. It is a process of getting peo- <br /> ple together to achieve common goals and aspirations. Lead- <br /> ership is a process that helps people transform intentions <br /> into positive action, visions into reality" <br /> The quality of leadership effectiveness demonstrated by a <br /> governing body and its ability to be a highly effective council <br /> are not attributes bestowed upon it.by a swearing-in cere- <br /> mony. They are the results of disciplined adherence to a set <br /> of fundamental principles and skills that characterize highly <br /> effective governing bodies. Here, then, are 10 "habits" of <br /> • highly effective councils, based upon the author's observa- <br /> tions of hundreds of governing bodies over the past 20 years. <br /> 4 NOVEMBER 1997 <br />