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, and the author of...

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.

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 for 40 years.