Unleashed

How can we unleash the innate potential of people, institutions and groups in communities to address our common challenges? And how can we do this by creating a civic culture in which people come together to shape their own lives and gain real hope?


In Unleashed, Richard C. Harwood draws on his 30 years of experience working with communities to answer these two critical questions. Harwood shows us that:


-Change ripples out in communities through an interaction of highly intentional actions and serendipity.

-The change then cascades and spreads through a chain of events over time.

-These interactions often occur in unexpected ways, in unimaginable combinations of people and partners, and with unforeseen results.

-This chain reaction can be proactively catalyzed and nurtured.

-Through these interactions, people can restore a belief that we can get things done together.


Americans yearn to create a society that reflects the best of us, the best in us. In Unleashed, Harwood helps us see how we can create a more equitable, fair, inclusive and hopeful path forward.

About Kettering Foundation

The Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research. Kettering’s primary research question is: What does it take to make democracy work as it should? Kettering’s research is distinctive because it is conducted from the perspective of citizens and focuses on what people can do collectively to address problems affecting their lives, their communities, and their nation. For more information about Kettering research and publications, see the Kettering Foundation’s website at www.kettering.org.