Many individuals make up a community. Many of these individuals serve in leadership roles, such as the mayor, chamber of commerce executive, community foundation board or county commissioner. Yet how many of these people have convened others to develop a Vision for the community’s future?
In most cases, the aforementioned leaders must deal with immediate and legitimate concerns within their own organizations. For example, a mayor may face cutbacks due to diminished funding, mandates from the state government, parks and recreation expenses or infrastructure issues. A chamber of commerce executive might have concerns about decreasing membership, programs or sponsorships. County commissioners might worry about drainage or fixing county roads. A community foundation president may be concerned about the declining stock market that devalues the foundation’s assets.
All of these leaders are leading their own organizations, but who is looking to the future of the total community? Who is convening people to talk about the community’s vision future five years from now, and its plan for growth and prosperity?
As I mentioned in my last blog post, comprehensive plans, such as those for land use or zoning, do not help to paint a picture of the community’s vision and possibilities for the future. A vision and action plan involves a much broader picture of all areas of the community – from infrastructure to recreation, health care and technology. Every community should not only have such a vision plan, but also involve all of the community’s leaders and ordinary citizens in the process.
The community of Crawfordsville / Montgomery County, Indiana is doing just that. With the help of Winning Communities, they have organized a leadership team, which includes the typical government leadership but also includes students and representatives from the school corporation. This shall be the first “pilot program” involving both adult community leaders and student leaders. Because of the common issue of brain drain in many communities, I believe that involving students in the process of helping make their community better will not only instill in these students future leadership qualities, but will enable them to take a part in building their own future.
When I was a chamber of commerce executive back in Marietta, Ohio, I used to believe that being a good leader was having the best Christmas parade in the state. Now I know that being a true community leader is much more than that. Leaders have the double task of leading their organizations and convening people to lead their communities into the future.
And I know that, if you are the mayor, foundation president or county commissioner, you will not find this leadership role defined in your job description, but it’s your duty. As I mention in my book, it’s not leaving your comfort zone, but expanding it to include concern — not just about those issues related to your job — but concern and commitment about the growth and success of your communities. And that role has a much greater and lasting impact. Your community depends upon it!
