5 Steps to Be a Better Leader for Your Community

1. Continue to learn and be informed

Effective community leadership requires obtaining pertinent leadership training, such as that offered by the University of Minnesota’s Master of Professional Studies in Civic Engagement program. Once you have a solid educational foundation from this or another specialized program, you can keep learning new things and staying up to date on advancements in the field of leadership. Pay particular attention to strategies that are applicable to your community and its issues. Of course, you also need to become as knowledgeable as you can about the particular problems that are important to your community.

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2. Have an open mind and be flexible.

It is impossible to lead and engage with a wide range of community members and stakeholders with a one-size-fits-all strategy. In order to better serve the needs of the community and change with the times, it is imperative that you continue to be flexible and open-minded in your project management and decision-making. Of course, the success of this project depends on efficient communication and teamwork with the local population and other stakeholders.

To behave in the best interests of the clients you work with, make an effort to be flexible, appreciate creativity, and think creatively. The most exceptional leaders are those that captivate big audiences and are one-of-a-kind.

3. Assign Tasks and Give Others Power

“Together, we can accomplish so much more than we can alone. Helen Keller’s remarks have a lot of resonance when it comes to work delegation and community empowerment. In other words, leadership is defined by the Indeed Career Guide as the accomplishment of objectives by the contributions of others. Indeed asserts that “you must be able to motivate people to pursue the vision you have set forth in order to be successful.”

A lot of individuals want to see great changes in their community, but most of them need an organizational structure led by a committed individual in order to make their goals a reality. To put it another way, they are excited to assign tasks.

Community leaders should recognize that, in most cases, the people on their team want to take action to support a shared cause, and should not interpret delegation as “telling someone what to do” or “ordering someone around.”

4. Remain tenacious and resilient

The majority of community leaders have minimal resources, which makes their duties challenging. Change is rarely easy to come by. This implies that you should be extremely persistent and resilient.

Setting specific goals is the first step toward persistence. You should never go on a difficult trip without a clear idea of where you want to end up. However, in order to achieve the desired outcomes, you also need to develop resilience, which frequently calls for adaptation and flexibility.

Perseverance and a resilient leadership style will also produce other advantageous qualities. For instance, a strong commitment to community initiatives and results will probably boost one’s self-esteem and confidence.

5. Take Part in introspection

Self-reflection is another potent source of certainty and confidence. You cannot develop a genuine grasp of who you are, your leadership qualities, or your capacity to influence people without engaging in significant self-reflection.

In other words, you cannot understand others if you do not understand yourself, and you cannot influence people if you do not understand them. Higher self-aware leaders are more likely to create happier workplaces, collaborate with team members more effectively, and make wiser choices.

There are many diverse paths that people take to self-reflection, ranging from psychotherapy to spirituality. But starting with a little self-care is a terrific idea. Expert in community planning Deb Schell says, “I urge you to begin each day by putting yourself first. Take a minute to unwind with a cup of tea or coffee, journal, pray, or meditate.