Insight

We went to Toronto to get at the forces behind its evolution from important Canadian city to top-ranking international capital. We knew it wasn't the weather. So we invited more than 40 of Toronto's leaders to tell the story, and asked them to focus on immigration and workforce, waterfront development, creating community through the arts, innovation and entrepreneurship, growth and mobility, Toronto's image, and governance and the Canadian citizen. Read about the big themes and takeaways from this learning visit in Insight Vol. 6. ...more

Chronicling the issues and ideas explored at the 2011 Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange held last October in Philadelphia, Volume 5 examines the art of navigating change through stories of agile leadership from the innovative transformation of the Navy Yard to the successful merger of the Greater Camden Partnership and the Cooper's Ferry Development Association. ...more

A world class community depends on more than just great schools, smart government, or powerful businesses - it depends on great collaboration and innovative thinking across all sectors. This volume of Insight magazine takes a look at the great stories we heard behind the Bay Area phenomenon during the September 2010 Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange learning visit.  ...more

What's the future look like for our region? How will we live, work, and play five, ten, fifteen years from now? How do we plan for these changes in a world of uncertainty? And how do we stay connected globally to ensure our prosperity as a region?

Check out the latest issue of Insight magazine for some insights into these questions raised at the 2009 Leadership Exchange, "Global Connections & the Region’s Future." ...more

“World class” is the descriptor of choice this year, applied to everything from car interiors (extremely sumptuous) to cancer care (extremely competent). Those of us engaged in civic pursuits use it to talk about the kind of place we want this region to be. But what does it mean, really? In this edition of Insight magazine, we attempt to crack the code of “world class” and explore why it matters. We look at how Greater Philadelphia stacks up in the eyes of the world and consider lessons learned from past attempts to land world class events. And, we introduce an important new Economy League initiative.

And while it might seem the wrong time to make plans, we sell ourselves short by thinking that we can’t chew gum and walk at the same time. There is no reason "why not’"and every reason for taking stock of current assumptions and practices and looking as far ahead as possible. Where? To a World Class Greater Philadelphia. ...more

Insight: Issues and Ideas for Greater Philadelphia's Leaders - the Economy League's new magazine - debuts with the scoop on metro Atlanta from its leaders

This first issue steps outside our region and looks at how metro Atlanta operates. "Growth and Consequences in Metro Atlanta" focuses on the region visited by the 100+ participants in the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange last fall. Metro Atlanta’s elected, corporate, and civic leaders dished on the issues they face being one of the fastest growing places in the country. (Spoiler alert: not everything about growth is good.) ...more

Everyone's Business: Building Minority Businesses to Scale for Our Region's Future defines the obstacles to reaching that next level and suggests public and private sector support strategy. ...more

What describes the unique blend of visionary energy and tactical smarts so often found in people who get things done? The phrase we think fits is "strategic impatience." Good leaders are impatient to spark action but understand that good strategy can make sure the action yields the result they want. Last September, when the Economy League sponsored the Leadership Exchange visit to Chicago, we wanted to see what happens when enough people get both strategic and impatient. ...more

More and more business people, focused on the labor pipeline fueling their companies, are coming to see early education as a smart investment that pays off many times down the road -- a return increased by the "social costs" avoided if a kid gets a good start to his or her education. That's the theme of this issue: exploring the connections between early education, economic development, and ultimately, the economic future of our city, region, and state. ...more

Is there any topic that’s been the subject of more civic “beer talk” than “regionalism”? Probably not. ...more