Lead with Civility: A "Landmark Commentary"
- Kalen Academy
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
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".
A landmark commentary is a term used to describe a work that marks a significant turning point in how a subject is understood, one that does not simply respond to a text but elevates it, situating it as a reference point that will shape the conversation going forward. That is the designation Stephens gave this book.
Kim Stephens is an engineer-planner who has served as Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC since 2003. He developed BC's Water Balance Methodology, now embedded in the Province's official Stormwater Planning Guidebook, and has spoken at forums across North America on sustainable community building and intergenerational civic leadership.
The Partnership has roots in local, provincial, and federal government, and Waterbucket eNews has been publishing civic commentary across BC for over two decades.
His commendation for Lead with Civility is grounded in that intergenerational mission. For Stephens, the loss of institutional memory, when experienced public servants are pushed out, when mentorship breaks down, when the culture of local governance erodes, is not an abstraction. It is what he has spent his career trying to prevent.
"For the Partnership, this isn't just a handbook; it provides the philosophical context we need to fulfill our intergenerational mission. In practice, mentorship and respect are the bridge between different age groups that ensures hard-fought knowledge is never lost."
A Tipping Point for Local Government
Stephens is direct about the conditions that make this book timely. The past decade of civic incivility (staff harassed, councillors intimidated, meetings weaponized, etc.) has taken a toll that is now visible in communities across Canada and beyond. He draws a direct line from political incivility to governance breakdown and shares his view that local government is at a tipping point.
"The cascading impact of uncivility has poisoned our well. Over the past decade, the consequences of incivility have been playing out in the world of local government. Now what?"
His answer draws on historical precedent. He points to the Lower Mainland's experience a generation ago, when a movement for civic renewal built momentum and turned the tide and argues that a similar shift is possible now. He hopes that Lead wtih Civility is the spark to catalyze action again.
Voices from the Field
The Waterbucket commentary also draws on voices from civic leaders across Canada and beyond who have engaged with the book Lead with Civility.
Dr. Ron Dart, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of the Fraser Valley and author of the book's Prelude, wrote:
"Lead with Civility is a phoenix-like rising from the ashes of toxic culture. Diane Kalen-Sukra brilliantly threads together time-tested civic wisdom with hard-won insights from years in the fray."
Chris Eddy, an executive and podcaster with the Victoria Local Governance Association in Australia, who wrote the book's Foreword:
"Civility is not optional. It is the lifeblood of human flourishing and the foundation upon which our democracy rests. I urge you to read this book as an invitation to join a movement for change."
Henry Braun, former Mayor of Abbotsford and a contributing essayist in the book:
"How we lead, what we do, and what we say matter. It sets a tone — shapes a team and an organisation, and ripples through the community."
Author Diane Kalen-Sukra reminds us that:
"Bold leaders who lead with civility will restore trust, bring people together, and renew civic culture. Those who don't will see the weeds of incivility take over."
Read the Commentary — and Download the PDF
The full 14-page Waterbucket eNews edition is available to read online and to download.
It is structured in three parts: a One-Minute Takeaway, an Editor's Perspective, and a Story Behind the Story. It includes extended extracts from the book's Introduction alongside commentary from Stephens and the voices above.
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