Local Legends is a guide to strategic governance and leadership in local government for Councillors and Council managers. This book will support local government leaders who are: – caught in a reactive cycle of responding to daily problems and enquiries – overwhelmed by never-ending reports, tasks, meetings, and priorities – feeling defensive and frustrated in staff and Councillor interactions – discouraged by strategies, diagrams and vision statements on the walls and shelves that seem to drive no action or progress – struggling to build a sense of shared purpose, engagement and ownership with stakeholders and colleagues. In Local Legends, Alicia McKay explores the reasons for those challenges and presents three key strategic shifts Councils can make to move forward despite—and even because of—the uniquely tricky environment that is local government. Local Legends equips elected members and Council managers with tools and strategies to make better community decisions that will stand the test of time. Packed with valuable insights and practical advice, Local Legends is an indispensable resource for local government policymakers, practitioners, and politicians in Australia and New Zealand.