Strong cultures help people support one another, share their passions, and achieve big goals. And such cultures of belonging aren’t just happy accidents - they can be purposefully cultivated, whether they’re in a company, a faith institution or among friends and enthusiasts. Drawing on 3,000 years of history and his personal experience, Charles Vogl lays out seven time-tested principles for growing enduring, effective and connected communities. He provides hands-on tools for creatively adapting these principles to any group—formal or informal, mission driven or social, physical or virtual. This book is a guide for leaders seeking to build a vibrant, living culture that will enrich lives.
Winner of the Nautilus Silver Book Award in the Business and Leadership Category.
About the Author
Charles H. Vogl has been working to build communities since his days as a Peace Corps volunteer. He now works with leaders in technology, finance, media, government, and social change organizations to help them create a meaningful difference. He is also a founding producer at Broken English Productions, creating works that have won several international awards.
Praise For…
“The Art of Community is a powerful, practical, and modern articulation of, and advancement on, timeless wisdom. Emerging or veteran leaders who integrate these principles will build communities that are more resilient, passionate, and harmonious in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Flip to any page to find insight and inspiration.” —Alan Price, Founding Director, Global Leadership Initiative, Harvard Business School, and author of Ready To Lead?
“A useful field guide to create durable and profound connections . . . An important undertaking, as isolation and loneliness are a root cause of the breakdowns all around us, including extreme violence.” —Peter Block, author of Community and Flawless Consulting
"At last, here is an insightful guide to create the community you have envisioned for yourself and others." —Richard Leider, best selling author of the Power of Purpose and Life Reimagined
“A brilliantly intentional, well-composed plan for engaging and developing communities. This book is both an inspiration and a field guide for those who wish to connect deeply and build the communities our world so desperately needs.” —Thomas A. Kolditz, PhD, Brigadier General, US Army (ret.), and Director, Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders
“This book is full of rich wisdom and simple tools to help make community real. Our mission statement includes the word ‘community,’ but I never truly understood what it meant until reading this book. Too often we declare a community around affiliation without digging into the shared values and care for one another that make a real community.” —Jason Jay, PhD, Director, Sustainability Initiative, MIT Sloan School of Management, and author of Beyond the Choir
“A deeply thoughtful and compelling book that shares many insights with clarity, accessible examples, and ideas for implementation. I learned a lot.” —Lawrence Levy, former CFO. Pixar Animation Studios; cofounder, Juniper Foundation; and author of To Pixar and Beyond
“Charles Vogl’s book is a lucid, ferociously intelligent, and readily accessible road map to building a more connected culture. Education about community and character has been subordinated in American education to myopic cognitive and commercial learning. The result everywhere around us is devastating, from unprecedented wealth disparities to rampant tribalism. This work points to a much-needed antidote.” —Marty Krasney, Executive Director, Dalai Lama Fellows
“I’ve personally experienced the magic that Charles Vogl creates in powerful communities. People feel genuine belonging and connection. Now he has written down the essential principles so that others may experience this magic themselves. I cannot imagine a more important subject for a book in a society where so many of us hunger for connection and community.” —Scott Sherman, Executive Director, Transformative Action Institute
“The Art of Community is an outstanding guide to creating and fostering the meaningful communities all of us need. As technology that allows us to physically detach from one another accelerates, it has become more important than ever to understand what community and belonging mean. Strong, mature communities benefit both individuals and humanity as a whole.” —Jonathan Knowles, Explorer in Residence, Autodesk, and host of the Autodesk IDEAS series
“If you are tasked with bringing families, neighborhoods, or organizations together, read this book first. In The Art of Community, author Charles Vogl re-invigorates a vision of community and the importance of social bonds to our well-being. In place of our convenient and transient associations, Vogl tells us how to establish relationships that are more meaningful and enduring.” —Michael O'Malley, author or coauthor of Every Leader Is an Artist, The Wisdom of Bees, and Leading with Kindness
