Shows
Cultivating CivilityMake Civility Win At the Ballot Box | Elect RespectIn this Civility Dispatch episode, your host Diane Kalen-Sukra reminds us that If incivility can trickle down, so can respect. And right now, one of the most powerful culture-shaping acts we have is at the ballot box.This isn’t just about politics—it’s about the kind of world we’re creating together. Diane shares timely insights and invites you to be part of a global conversation at the upcoming Democracy & Tyranny symposium, hosted by Plato’s Academy Centre. Together, we’ll explore what’s really at stake when contempt becomes the norm—and what it takes to...2025-07-1705 min
Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life PodcastWatch us chat about the philosophy and psychology of angerThank you The Plato's Academy Centre, Adam PT, Diane Kalen-Sukra, EHL, VeneerOfCivility, and many others for tuning into my live video with Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, discussing anger! Join me for my next live video in the Substack app.Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.You can register free of charge for the Philosophy and Psychology of Anger event on Saturday via the link below.Thanks for...2025-03-1934 min
Cultivating CivilityIf Tocqueville Saw Our Press TodayWhat if Alexis de Tocqueville, the 19th-century thinker who warned about the fragility of democracy, could see our media landscape today?Tocqueville believed a free press was both vital and dangerous—a powerful force that could protect liberty or manipulate public opinion. He saw that when the press fails to inform, democracy starts to unravel.Fast forward to today: Corporate media consolidates narratives. Local journalism is vanishing. Outrage and misinformation flood our feeds. Would Tocqueville recognize the press he once admired, or would he see so...2025-03-1906 min
Cultivating CivilityThe Courage to Hold Your Own AccountableIn today’s polarized climate, where division is currency and conflict is stoked for power, what does real leadership look like? How do we, as civic leaders and engaged citizens, resist the pull of tribalism, stand firm in our principles, and rebuild trust in our communities?In this compelling episode of Cultivating Civility, we explore these urgent questions with Ron Holifield, servant leadership provocateur and CEO of Strategic Government Resources (SGR). Together, we unpack the leadership crisis of our time and challenge the conventional wisdom that winning at all costs is leadership. Instead, we...2025-03-1217 min
Cultivating CivilityThe World is Chaotic—Stay Calm Anyway | Marcus AureliusEverywhere you turn there's chaos—politics thrives on outrage, social media fuels division, and fear is the currency of the day. But this isn’t new.Imagine being Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor facing war, political betrayal, and a devastating plague. His world was crumbling, yet he remained steady. How? By mastering the art of resilience, choosing wisdom over outrage, and cultivating inner peace in the midst of external chaos.In this episode of the Cultivating Civility podcast, I break down five powerful lessons from Book IX of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations—lessons that can help you st...2025-03-0505 min
Cultivating CivilityCivility is Strength (Not Weakness)In an era of rising incivility, public leaders face an uphill battle. Governing has never been more difficult, with polarization, harassment, and institutional paralysis becoming the norm. The temptation to meet hostility with hostility is stronger than ever—but what if that approach only deepens the chaos?On this special Civility Dispatch episode of the Cultivating Civility Podcast, I, Diane Kalen-Sukra, explore a vital truth: civility is not niceness—it’s leadership. True civility isn’t about being agreeable or avoiding conflict. It’s about engaging with strength, integrity, and accountability, even in the face of hostili...2025-03-0210 min
How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for AmericaWill Civility Save Us?Years of acrimony and conflict in our national politics has unfortunately trickled down to cities, where disdain for civil servants — and each other — has had a chilling effect on the work needed to get things done. So what can we do about it? Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter sat down with Diane Kalen-Sukra, a former city manager, current evangelist for political civility and author of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It — the perfect guest to explain how we can bring down the temperature of our po...2025-02-2750 min
CitizenCastWill civility save us?Years of acrimony and conflict in our national politics has unfortunately trickled down to cities, where disdain for civil servants — and each other — has had a chilling effect on the work needed to get things done. So what can we do about it? On this episode of How To Really Run A City, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter sat down with Diane Kalen-Sukra, a former city manager, current evangelist for political civility and author of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It — the perfect guest to exp...2025-02-2750 min
Cultivating CivilityCultivating Compassion in the City with Mayor NirenbergCan compassion truly shape public policy? Can civic leadership be both bold and empathetic? In this compelling episode of Cultivating Civility, your host Diane Kalen-Sukra sits down with Mayor Ron Nirenberg, a leader who has made compassion the bedrock of his governance in San Antonio, Texas. From his very first act in office—signing a resolution affirming San Antonio as a Compassionate City—to groundbreaking policies on equity-based budgeting and community-wide compassion training, Mayor Nirenberg has demonstrated how civic leaders can operationalize compassion to create tangible change.At a time when inciv...2025-02-2619 min
Cultivating CivilityA Civic Love Letter to Canada🍁💓On this Valentine’s Day, consider this a different kind of love letter—not to a person, but to a country.In this special Civility Dispatch, Diane Kalen-Sukra, your host of the Cultivating Civility Podcast, shares Beyond Beer & Booing: Loving Canada Means Living Our Values. Too often, national pride gets reduced to clichés and grievances, but love of country—real civic love—is about more than slogans. It’s about how we engage, how we govern, and whether we truly live out the values we claim to hold dear.Because if...2025-02-1505 min
Cultivating CivilityWelcome to the Cultivating Civility podcast series!Welcome to the Cultivating Civility podcast series!I’m your host and Save Your City author, speaker & Kalen Academy founder Diane Kalen-Sukra, and together we’ll be exploring ways to tackle toxic behaviour in public spaces & shape a culture of respect and civility in our communities.Each episode of this series features insightful conversations with civic leaders and sages who are leading the charge in bridging divides, enhancing civil discourse and renewing civic culture. Inspired by the Global Civility Summit 2024 hosted by Kalen Academy, where hundreds of civic leaders worldwide gathered to sh...2025-01-0201 min
Radical Respect a book by Kim ScottS3 Episode 4 - How Local Governments Can Nurture Respect between Civic Leaders and CitizensWesley and Kim speak to Diane Kalen Sukra about her experiences working with local leaders and the challenges she has experienced. She talks in detail about the rise of bullying and harrassing behavior in local government. Once a community finds itself in "Bullyville", the community's ability to communicate and collaborate is dramatically inhibited. In more extreme forms, this affects how vital public services are delivered. It is easy to feel there is no way out. But Diane talks about pathways to follow to return to an environment where vital public discourse can happen in the public arena. She discu...2024-08-0528 min
GovLove - A Podcast About Local GovernmentSave Your City with Diane Kalen-SukraDiane Kalen-Sukra, author of Save Your City, joined the podcast to discuss toxic culture and how it can erode a sense of belonging, community and well-being. She also argues that the capacity to collaborate and innovate is undermined by the rising incivility and divisiveness local governments are seeing. She shared her own experience of tackling toxic culture, the importance of cultivating civility, and information on the Global Civility Summit 2024. Host: Rafael Baptista2024-08-0249 min
The Amazing Cities and Towns PodcastCultivating Civility in the City with Diane Kalen-SukraThis episode of the Amazing Cities and Towns Podcast sponsored by Bearing Advisors, Jim Hunt interviews Diane Kalen-Sukra, best selling author of "Save Your City" · A candid conversation about how toxic culture kills community and what to do about it. · And, much more 7 Steps to an Amazing City: Attitude Motivation Attention to Detail Zing Inclusiveness Neighborhood Empowerment Green Awareness Thanks for listening and look forward to having you join us for the next episode. Links Mentions During Show: https://www.dianeka...2024-07-0155 min
Philosophy and ClassicsHow Can Philosophy Save Civility in the CityDiane Kalen-Sukra is the founder of Kalen Academy, an interactive online school for civic leaders and engaged citizens, which she launched after retiring as a city manager. She is also an acclaimed author, speaker and coach. Diane’s most popular book “Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It” takes readers on a successful journey from Bullyville to Sustainaville, which includes a visit to classical antiquity, calling for a renaissance of civic values and civic education as vital to fostering the type of culture that can sustain us, our democracy and our planet...2023-06-1327 min