Tapping into that dynamic helped Nan Whaley become mayor in 2013. Even after she won, she still keeps in touch with the Ohio city’s 140,000 residents through "porch tours."
Whaley says she listens fearlessly because she has learned that in public service, you cannot be afraid of failure. Before becoming mayor, she served as one of the city's youngest commissioners.
On this episode of "In the Arena," a podcast about public leadership, Whaley talks about her porch tours and what she has learned from them.
Listen to the full interview below. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Stitcher, or bookmark the "In the Arena" page.
- L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1918
- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, 1997
- Steve Benjamin, mayor of Columbia, S.C.
- Kristen Cox, executive director of Utah Office of Management and Budget
- Acquanetta Warren, mayor of Fontana, Calif.
- Greg Kischer, mayor of Louisville
- Themis Klarides, Connecticut House minority leader
- Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles, Calif.
- Clay Jenkinson, humanities scholar
- Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota