“As a leader, you need not to have all the answers; you need to be open to different answers from different people” said Conan Smith, the executive director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. Located right in the heart of Ferndale, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance is an inclusive and supportive community that is rethinking and reinventing the future of Metro Detroit. After spending two and a half weeks with at this organization as a fellow, I find myself becoming more amazed by the collaborative spirit and passion of its people and its community members time after time. I work in an open and welcoming office. The open communication between all its staff members has been critical in the success of the organization. By coupling weekly staff meetings with a stable tradition of “all hands” where everyone in the organization works together on one project for four hours, we learn to work as a team and to operate as one cohesive unit.
I chose this picture because it contains elements that crucial to defining Metro Detroit and its community members as one cohesive regional identity. It was written by Conan on our board during an all hands session to set the direction and objectives of the meeting. These four key pillars really define the works of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance and the values that the organization stands for.
My observation of Detroit is that it is beautiful in its most natural state. I don’t really have to look far to see and to experience all that the city has to offer. When you walk around, you can’t notice the different levels of energy and diversity that exist in various parts of the cities. There are a lot of vacancies, but I also see a lot of untapped potential. There are passionate people who are working hard for Detroit; they are the innovators driving Detroit’s future.
