I wanted to give a short report on my attendance at the NLC Leadership Summit. The 3 day session was faciltated by author Peter Block, leadership scholar Allan Wallis, national civic leader Christopher Gates, and Center for Creative Leadership trainers Pam Shipp and Michael Gardner.

The highlights of the session were the presentations by Wallis and Gates.

Allan Wallis focused on the leadership lessons exhibited by Sir Ernest Shackleton during his expedition to the South Pole. This legendary explorer's 1914-1916 Endurance expedition is one of the greatest survival stories of all time.

Christopher T. Gates addressed the importance of citizen participation. "Citizen participation in political, community, and neighborhood affairs is critical to the creation and maintenance of a strong, vibrant community. Citizen participation is at once the most and least controversial issue of democratic theory today."