Learning Laboratories for Renewed Community Leadership: Rationale, Programs, and Challenges

Abstract

In the first issue of this journal in 1993 Joseph Rost declared that leadership development programs offered in the past require new concepts of leadership and new educational methods to develop leaders and collaborators for the 21 st century. This article presents: 1) a rationale for collaborative, shared leadership that fosters community renewal 2) an introduction to situated and action-leaming concepts to guide leadership develop program design 3) an analysis of three leadership development programs that sought to build renewed community or organizational leadership and 4) a discussion of implications for future leadership education.

Putting “development” back into community leadership (development) programs

“…The effect of increased community involvement has been shown to be quite positive. Communities that have strong civic engagement and strong local leadership tend to have lower crime rates, better schools, and more effective government institutions (Putnam, 1995;Rossing, 1998). Good civic leadership has been found to promote critical thinking in the public arena (Reed, 1996).…”

“…Influential community members are often invited to participate in CLPs on committees charged with planning future classes, goals, topics, and methods (Rossing, 1998). Academic institutions may take a lead role in a CLP in order to enhance the participant leadership skills, an example of higher education's commitment to community service (Williams, 2001).…”

Latina/o Community Funds of Knowledge for Health and Curriculum

“…Power is reflected in the strength of the bond among participants struggling to know and accomplish goals together (Speer & Hughey, 1995). Community organizing is also a way for participants to apply the knowledge gained by action in new ways through confianza (trust) and supportive leadership (Rossing, 1998).…”

Promoting Shared Leadership

“…Shared leadership, a “group process in which leadership is shared among and stems from team members” (Pearce & Sims, 2002, p. 172), is discussed as a modern form of team management (Pearce, Manz, & Sims, 2008; Rossing, 1999). Shared leadership has recently gained increased attention from scholars and practitioners (e.g., Carson, Tesluk, & Marrone, 2007; Contractor, DeChurch, Carson, Carter, & Keegan, 2012; Gupta, Huang, & Niranjan, 2010; Hmieleski, Cole, & Baron, 2011; Mehra, Smith, Dixon, & Robertson, 2006; Pearce, Hoch, Jeppesen, & Wegge, 2010; Pearce & Sims, 2002; Ramthun & Matkin, 2012, 2014).…”