The Gumbo Coalition: Ten Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve
- 3h 36m
- Marc Morial
- HarperCollins Leadership
- 2020
To be a great leader, you must be able to unite people from all backgrounds with seemingly competing agendas to come together under a common cause. Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and current president and CEO of the National Urban League, has been such a leader and shares the lessons he learned along a legendary journey of achievement.
Morial knew his calling from a young age--he was meant to be a leader in the fight for meaningful change. Growing up in the segregated South and helping his father realize an incredible victory as the first African American mayor of New Orleans, Morial was shown that, with the right tools, significant change is possible.
Less than two decades later, in his own mayoral race in New Orleans, Morial built what he christened the “Gumbo Coalition,” an incredible mixture of all of New Orleans’s ingredients--African Americans, Whites, Latinos, Asians, business leaders, grassroots community activists, business leaders, clergy, and many more. Each ingredient brought its own flavor, creating a dish that was able to reduce crime and rebuild New Orleans’s reputation with such power that the city was able to successfully attract an NBA franchise, multiple Super Bowls, and the Essence Festival, the largest African American event in the nation.
Now, Morial fights on behalf of the National Urban League to create a community with a voice so strong that nothing can stand in the way of change. He is ready to teach others what he has learned along the way, by showing readers what it means to be a leader who can unite voices and create meaningful change.
About the Author
Marc Morial is a former second-generation New Orleans mayor who oversaw many improvements during his terms, including crime reduction, police reform, and the passing of a significant bond issue.
In May 2003, Morial was appointed president and CEO of the National Urban League. Since that appointment, Morial’s Empowerment Agenda has worked to reenergize the League’s diverse constituencies; to build on the strength of its nearly one-hundred-year-old legacy; and to increase its profile both locally and nationally.
In this Book
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Foreword
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Introduction
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Speed Means Nothing without Direction—A Leader Must Get off to a Fast Start with a Solid Plan
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A Wise Man Changes, a Fool Never—A Leader Recognizes When to Modify the Plan
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With One Canoe, We Can Avoid the Waterfall—A Leader Understands the Value of Building Consensus
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They’re Not Refugees, Dammit—A Leader Shows Strength Through Compassion
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Know When to Hold ’Em, Know When to Fold ’Em—A Leader is Skilled at Decision-Making under Pressure
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Get Ready for the Big Payback—A Leader is Not Paralyzed by the Unexpected
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Ants versus Crabs—A Leader Knows When to Lead and When to Follow
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Working the Room—A Leader Builds Networks with Intention
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Persistence is Always a Winning Formula—A Leader Fights Through Disappointments to Achieve Victory
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Innovation Requires Seeing New Paths—A Leader Must Seek New Ways to Solve Old Problems
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Now we Got Gumbo
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Afterword
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Notes
