"We are living in the century of the city. Local government is becoming the most important order of government. The leadership of our towns and cities--from mayors and councillors to chief administrative officers, city managers, and clerks--is crucial in building prosperous, creative, sustainable, and successful communities. Gord Hume's challenging new book cracks open the rarely studied field of local government leadership, sharing new research about attitudes and opinions from municipal elected and administrative officials across Canada, and revealing startling insight and deep divisions inside our city halls. This book confronts some of the biggest issues facing municipal leaders today: the "7 Cs" of leadership; three enormous emerging issues that will influence government leadership in the future; the community debacle when some mayors and elected officials become corrupt and face public humiliation for them and their city; and strategies for developing and encouraging smarter leadership for tomorrow. The Leadership Crisis is a provocative look at the leadership skills needed by the women and men running for public office today. Do our councils need a commissioner of integrity ... or do we just need councils with integrity? This remarkable book includes a stunning chapter on huge crises that confronted three Canadian municipalities and the story of the extraordinary local leadership that emerged. It offers international examples of great local leadership and city building. And, it bluntly confronts corrupt and inept elected officials in Canadian municipalities."-- Provided by publisher.