A Shorewood resident shares his observations of Shorewood leadership and submitted this article. Clarity, Alignment, and Commitment By Dr. James J. Lynn, 44 year resident Are people on the same page? Can staff communicate the purpose and values of the city in an elevator ride? Is there a clear message about who and what we are as a city? Do they know where the city is headed? Why are they showing up and doing their jobs? Is our vision compelling and does it inspire us all to make our city the best it can be? Clarity The chain linked fence is stronger than the picket fence. Picket fences are like silos, each department working alone, not together with other departments. Strategy that is well executed comes from alignment, teams working together to get results. This is a difficult challenge for many organizations and requires strong and smart leadership. Alignment Staff engagement comes from knowing why they are doing what they are doing. They trust each other and are committed to getting the job done. This is a culture thing that should have top down and bottoms up forces fueling the city. This helps drive accountability and team performance. Commitment Share your comments below.