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.

Marianne Meed Ward, founder of the Elect Respect pledge, wins a third term as mayor of Burlington, Ontario. But this was more than another election victory. Meed Ward is the founder of Elect Respect, a growing national movement challenging the harassment, intimidation and personal attacks that have become increasingly commonplace in political life. In an era when political combat is often mistaken for strength, her re-election proves otherwise.

Lead with Civility Ambassador Daniel Fletcher brings the #1 bestselling civic leadership handbook to local government leaders in Australia.

Something encouraging happened in British Columbia's 2026 municipal elections. Across the province, numerous civic leaders who made civility, cooperation and public trust a central part of their leadership commitments were elected and reelected. These are more than election stories. They speak to a fundamental question facing every community: Can the people we elect work together for the common good?

Kalen Academy is proud to announce that Lead with Civility: A Handbook for Uncivil Times has received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, following its 5-star review. The Literary Titan Gold Book Award recognizes books that demonstrate exceptional writing, originality, and impact.

Literary Titan awards Lead with Civility five stars, calling Diane Kalen-Sukra's leadership handbook a "rich, distinctive and urgently needed contribution to civic leadership, public administration and political philosophy." The review praises the book for connecting ancient wisdom with the real pressures facing today’s civic leaders—and for providing practical tools that leaders can use to confront toxicity, rebuild trust and renew civic culture.

A guest post by Dean Huard, U.S. Army veteran and former city manager, delivered a presentation on Lead with Civility by Diane Kalen-Sukra, #1 bestseller in Government & Politics, to his Texan Rotary Club on July 23rd, tying it to the 4-Way Test and Service Above Self. Huard's guest essay, Battlefield to City Hall, reflects on the moral test every leader eventually faces when idealism runs headfirst into an entrenched, uncivil system.

Tomorrow, Christopher Nolan's film of The Odyssey arrives in theatres, and millions of people who have never opened the poem will meet its story for the first time. For anyone who does, there is something far richer waiting than an adventure at sea. Beneath the storms and monsters lies one of the oldest and most useful handbooks on leadership ever written, offering timeless wisdom across the nearly 2,700 years since it was composed.

What happens when a community decides to intentionally shape its culture? In Nakusp, residents, leaders, business owners, and volunteers gathered for the "Lead with Love" initiative, featuring bestselling author Diane Kalen-Sukra. Equipped with copies of *Save Your City* and a practical roadmap for civic renewal, participants explored how kindness, civility, and shared responsibility can strengthen community life.

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".