Toledo Leaders Huddle About Future

Struggles for power and self-interest seem to be the meat of life when it comes to economic development. Yet, these struggles rip us apart. Toledo is making an effort to heal itself, discover a common ground, and increase its ability to work together to improve its economy. It sounds like a recent visioning session might have helped.

Like most urban centers, Toledo faces significant economic and social challenges. As my hometown Cleveland knows, there are no silver bullets when it comes to solutions to these problems. I bought a wonderfully concise and well-written book that kind of says it all, Stuff Happens (and then you fix it), by John Alston and Lloyd Thaxton.

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of facilitating a wonderful strategic thinking session for the leadership of the Toledo Regional Growth Partnership. My job was to help these officials put their economy and their economic development efforts into a larger national and global context. It worked.

So many economic development leaders across the country have been doing their share of "suffering about their suffering." Perhaps now that the economy is improving, they will be able to put their minds to ease and get back to work in making their local economies stronger.

There is one further bit of advice that I would offer Toledo area officials at this point, and that is to appreciate what already is working in the community. At times, it is tempting to feel that your community is a total failure. That is simply a feeling. I can assure you that I know of no community that is a complete failure. In fact, I continuously find that there is more good than bad and more success than failure in every community I work in.

There is no perfect world when it comes to economic development. While it definitely helps to have a plan to help guide your way to a better future, making the most of the "now" is even more important. I subscribe to an inter-generational philosophy of life, but my pragmatic side says that each of us needs to capitalize on the here and now. That is the only place in life that has any traction and momentum. It simply doesn't pay to live in the past or the future. Today is when you can make a difference in your area's economic base. Do the best job you can now.