Lead with Civility launches today as the handbook civic leaders have been waiting for—already an Amazon #1 bestseller in Government & Politics—written to be in your hands at the council table, in the CAO’s office, and wherever decisions shape civic culture. This is not another technical manual; it is the missing piece in civic leadership training that finally addresses the culture, courage, and inner life of leaders in an age of outrage.

Kim Stephens, Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, has published a full 14-page edition of Waterbucket eNews dedicated entirely to Diane Kalen-Sukra's new book Lead with Civility: A Handbook for Uncivil Times, calling it a "landmark commentary".

On Saturday, May 2, civic leaders gathered for the launch of Diane Kalen-Sukra’s new book, Lead with Civility: A Handbook for Uncivil Times. It was not simply a book launch. It was a civic occasion, marking a message that has become increasingly urgent in local government, public service and community life: civility is not optional. It is not a soft skill. It is a condition for trust, good governance and democratic life.

Lead with Civility: A Handbook for Uncivil Times launched this week to an extraordinary response , debuting as the #1 Amazon bestseller in Government & Politics. This reception confirms what so many leaders are telling us: the hunger for sane, principled, and courageous leadership has never been greater. In this post, we’re opening the book itself to share something rare—a compelling Prelude by Dr. Ron Dart, one of Canada’s most respected scholars and public intellectuals, a

An uncomfortable truth is that incivility rises because too many leaders and citizens have come to believe it works. In the January edition of Municipal World, I explore this in my article on leading with civility in uncivil times and ways to turn the cultural tide. In the short term, it may look effective to intimidate staff, win a meeting, force an outcome, even win an election with toxic behaviour. Incivility may win a battle, but in the end you lose the war for good gover

Kalen Academy is delighted to share that our founder, Diane Kalen‑Sukra has been named a global Top Thinker in Local Government in 2026 by the United Kingdom's Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) in recognition of her “groundbreaking research and expertise on civic culture transformation which has catalysed a movement to renew civility and trust in public life.” LGiU is an independent, non‑partisan organisation that has championed local democracy and supported councils f

Each January, instead of resolutions, I choose a single word. Resolutions focus on what we do. A word, however, sets the tone. Like a tuning fork, once struck, it shapes how we hear everything else — how we see, judge, and respond. In recent years, those words have named what felt most absent in our civic life. This year, the word is Metanoia. A moral turning.

This past weekend, the world’s largest gathering of Stoics explored a question that feels more urgent than ever: What kind of citizen does this moment require? Between apathy and outrage, the Stoics offer a third way—one grounded in moral courage, civic duty, and thoughtful engagement in public life. Diane Kalen-Sukra was honored to contribute to the program with my talk, “What Would a Stoic Say? Civil Discourse in an Age of Outrage”.

Join us at Stoicon 2025, the world’s largest gathering of modern Stoics, happening Saturday, October 18 (10 am–5 pm EDT). This year’s theme—Engaged Citizenship—could not be more timely. I’ll be speaking on “Civil Discourse in an Age of Outrage,” exploring how Stoic wisdom can cultivate courageous citizenship— the kind that is outspoken yet principled, well-reasoned yet able to listen and understand.

This fall, voters in Alberta, Nunavut, and Quebec will choose more than mayors and councillors. They will decide whether to keep paying the hidden incivility tax that is crippling local democracy and wasting tax dollars.