Community Leadership Development
Task Force Report
January 4, 2000
Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................ i
Community Leadership Development Task Force Members: .................................................................... ii
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1
Charge of the Task Force ................................................................................................................................. 2
Current Internal Leadership Programming .................................................................................................... 2
Review of Literature .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Community Leadership Development in Other States ................................................................................ 4
Opportunities for Cooperation ........................................................................................................................ 5
Task Force Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 6
Appendix A – 1995 Leadership Needs Assessment Survey ......................................................................10
Appendix B – 1998 Focus Groups: U of I Extension Leadership Programming .................................13
Appendix C – Review of Literature ..............................................................................................................20
Appendix D – Exploration of Community Leadership Programming ....................................................23
Appendix E – Community Leadership Development Core Staff Competencies ..................................29
Appendix F – Leadership Development Conference – 1999 ...................................................................34
Executive Summary
Leadership development as a subject area and its applications are central to many of Extension’s
educational programs and community development projects. Despite the documented benefits and
need for organized leadership programming, such comprehensive programming is lacking in Illinois.
To address this critical need, the Community Leadership Development (CLD) task force was
formed in November of 1997 to examine the following issues:







existing internal (U of I Extension) leadership programming,
the current leadership development research base,
opportunities for cooperation with outside organizations,
other states’ Extension offerings,
priorities for limited budget opportunities,
opportunities for external funding of development efforts, and
educational programming that might be developed by the task force.
This document addresses the issues listed above, culminating with the Task Force’s
recommendation that Extension adopt two strategies:


An internal strategy through which Extension staff can strengthen their understanding of
leadership and enhance their leadership skills.
An external strategy which will strengthen Extension’s role in partnerships across and outside
the state by creating resources to teach community members about leadership and by creating
the intellectual foundation for leadership education. “Community” is used to describe
communities of place and communities of interest.
The committee recommends working on several prerequisites to achieve success in these strategies:
1. A leadership specialist would play a major role in planning and designing directives outlined in
this report. The leadership specialist in the Department of Human and Community
Development would support efforts initiated by Extension Educators, Extension Specialists, and
the Office of Professional Development.
2. Create a Leadership Development Network of Extension staff. This group will form a learning
environment to be sustained by the organization. These members will identify themselves. From
this group, create a Community Leadership Development Steering Committee. The Steering
Committee will help Extension sustain both the internal and external strategies for the
community leadership initiative.
3. Identify or develop sources for recurring funding to provide organizational support for these
initiatives and support professional development opportunities for all staff.
i
Community Leadership Development Task Force Members:
Robert Aherin, Extension Specialist, Farm Safety
Vicky Broos, Unit Leader, Ogle County
Del Dahl, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Communications
Debra Kinsella, Unit Leader, Grundy County
Marjorie LaFont, Extension Educator, EFEP
Thelma Malone, Unit Leader, Williamson County
Kay Mayberry, Extension Educator, Family Life
Dale Montanelli, Associate Professor, Human and Community Development
Charles Olson, Assistant Dean, Academic Programs
Anne Heinze Silvis, Extension Specialist, Program Development
Al Zwilling, Unit Leader, Knox County
Co-Chairs:
Kathie Brown, Extension Educator, Community and Economic Development
Ben Mueller, Extension Specialist, Community Development
ii
Introduction
Extension—Developing Leaders for the 21st Century
Communities and organizations are entering a new era, with new requirements for success. Changes
in the economy, family structure, demographics, technology, and other areas have implications for
the way people make decisions and plan for the future. Peter Drucker states, “we are in one of those
great historical periods that occur every 200 to 300 years when people don't understand the world
anymore, and the past is not sufficient to explain the future.”
The community that effectively functions in this changing world will be quite different from the
model that we all know. An effective community will provide an environment where each person
will grow to become a trustee of the community, understanding his or her responsibility to make the
community work. An effective community provides opportunities for people to help each other and
helps each person develop the skills needed to work with others.
For communities, the challenge is to work together. For community leaders, the challenges are to
gain participation from all residents, to involve people in making decisions and planning for the
future, and to encourage the entire community to take responsibility for the decisions that must be
made and the work that must be completed. To meet these challenges, community leaders need a
cadre of skills and competencies relating to decision making, problem solving, and group
mobilization. These competencies have been taught by Extension over the years.
Leadership development has been a part of Extension education since the early 1900s when
agricultural cooperatives and boys’ and girls’ clubs were formed (Michael, Paxson and Howell,
1990:1). At first the term “leadership development” was used in Extension to describe the general
leadership skills among its volunteer outreach workers, such as 4-H Club adult leaders, Home
Demonstration Club volunteer leaders, and farm practice demonstrators. This type of leadership
development was seen as having an “immediate end” as well as being a “general means.” While the
immediate training benefited Extension programming purposes, the leadership development topics
introduced also had larger applications that could be applied by volunteers in other civic and social
activities.
For Extension programming purposes, leadership development is often classified as a community
and organizational development activity (Carpenter, 1977). Yet almost all Extension staff conduct
efforts that can be considered as improving the leadership skills of the clients they work with. For
example, the National Impact Study of Leadership Development in Extension defined leadership
development as “the fostering of competencies that enable one to influence people’s thoughts,
feelings, and behavior” (Michal, Paxson and Howell, 1990:2). The study identified 19 leadership
competencies that Extension educators develop among their clientele, including problem solving,
directing projects, working with groups, communicating effectively, changing behaviors and others.
The study suggests that all educators should understand that a part of their work is leadership
development, since a key objective of every Extension program should be to empower individuals.
Extension’s involvement in leadership development is based on four assumptions:
1. Every person has something of value to contribute.
2. People have a role in shaping their communities, organizations, and governments, and a
responsibility for participating.
1
3. Participation is necessary to develop educational programming that best meets the needs of the
local community.
4. Extension has an important role in developing leadership capacity.
These assumptions have been relevant throughout Extension’s history of involvement in this arena,
and they will continue to guide Extension programming into the next millennium.
Charge of the Task Force
Through a variety of Extension programs, individuals and teams have addressed community
leadership development. However, University of Illinois Extension has not had a coordinated
approach. Thus, a task force on community leadership development (CLD) was formed in
November of 1997 that involved a cross section of Extension professionals. The charge to the
Community Leadership Development Task Force was to develop a set of recommendations that will
place University of Illinois Extension in a position to serve the needs of council members,
volunteers, and Illinois citizens. The task force was asked to include the following issues in its
deliberations:







The nature and scope of current U of I Extension programming relative to community
leadership development.
Access to the necessary research base, either at the University of Illinois or elsewhere.
Opportunities for cooperation with public and private sector agencies who play a role or have an
interest in community leadership education.
Opportunities for obtaining educational resources from extension programs in other states.
Programming priorities for limited budget opportunities.
Opportunities to attract outside funding for community leadership development.
Educational programming the task force may develop with its own and other accessible
resources.
Current Internal Leadership Programming
As stated, leadership development is central to many of Extension’s educational programs. Current
programs include Extension council training, local government training, livestock waste issues, land
use management, retirement housing, service learning, leadership development academies, and other
CLD programs. These programs target youth and 4H participants, local officials, community leaders,
and a wide spectrum of audiences interested in community leadership practices.
1995 Survey Results
In 1995, University of Illinois Extension conducted an internal audit of formal leadership
development programs. Approximately one-third of the units took part in this survey. Topics
described as part of the leadership development process included problem solving, community
growth, issue identification, group decision making, working with committees, building
communities, the workings of local government, and the role of the media. The entire survey is
reproduced in Appendix A.
Forty-eight percent of the respondents indicated they were currently involved in more than one
leadership development program in their unit, while 51.6% reported that no leadership development
programs were then offered in their communities, either by Extension or other organizations.
2
While the number of respondents may limit the survey findings, the findings do highlight a lack of
statewide programmatic response to community leadership development issues. The success of
existing programs also highlights the need for a collaborative approach to programming in this
arena.
Focus Group Findings
Focus group research was designed to supplement information from the 1995 survey. This research
was designed to gather “why” and “how” information from Extension staff who use formal and
informal leadership training. Focus group discussions were held with unit leaders from the Southern,
East Central, and Northwest Regions, and with educators from the Youth Development Team and
the Farm Business Management and Marketing Team. The entire focus group report is reproduced
in Appendix B.
Themes of the Focus Group Discussions
1. Unit leaders and educators used various definitions of “leadership.”
2. Many educators and unit leaders reported that they were unable to work additional topic areas
into their already busy schedules and they did not expect to provide leadership development
opportunities or leadership training in addition to topics already on the agenda.
3. Unit leaders, in particular, saw leadership among community members as an evolving set of
skills, to be developed among every person who participates in Extension programs.
4. Participants said that program materials and professional development opportunities should be
available in convenient formats.
Lessons Learned from Examination of Internal Programs
Although many of the Extension community leadership development programs are successful and
widely recognized, there are concerns that these programs are inconsistent and not well coordinated.
In some Extension programs, the educational objectives and leadership elements have not been fully
defined and articulated. Few Extension leadership development programs are consistently presented
across the state.
The task force identified and acknowledged some of these constraints and limitations to the
development of an optimum approach to community leadership education. The following “lessons
learned” are summarized from examination of possibilities and constraints, and form the basis for
our recommendations:






Learning about leadership occurs around issues. Issues make leadership development relevant.
Leadership is an important component of each of Extension’s four core areas. Elements of
leadership can strengthen programming in each core area.
All Extension staff can benefit from learning more about leadership and by having the
opportunity to practice leadership skills.
The University of Illinois has the ability, but limited capacity, to conduct research about
leadership, develop programs about leadership, and implement leadership development
education.
Learning about leadership occurs in a variety of settings. Extension leadership programming
should include a variety of approaches, techniques, and tools.
Extension should support ongoing and independent efforts to teach leadership, including
community-based programs, leadership academies, and private-sector efforts.
3
Review of Literature
While there is a great deal of current literature on leadership, relatively little of it is research-based.
The leadership research supports the concept of learning leadership skills in the context of real
issues, and the sharing of leadership among learners. In the development of University of Illinois
Extension’s leadership programming, one goal should be to contribute to the leadership research
base (see Appendix C – Review of Literature).
Community Leadership Development in Other States
The task force looked at several different leadership programming models in Illinois and
around the nation (see Appendix D – Exploration of Community Leadership
Programming). The following list of principles for best practices and content areas seems to
be consistently present in successful CLD:
1. Participatory Process. Representatives of the desired participant group design the program.
Providing the planning group with a variety of CLD models used in the region or the state
allows them to choose the most appropriate model.
2. Program Design. Keep the "leadership for what?" question at the forefront of the planning efforts.
This helps fix the desired outcome clearly in mind as possibilities are considered. Leadership
occurs around specific issues relevant to Extension programming. For example, as they work to
manage water quality issues, watershed management team members would develop many
leadership capacities.
3. Diversity Among Participants. Participants from a broad array of perspectives bring diversity into
the learning environment, providing the opportunity for a richer and more meaningful learning
experience. All types of diversity are considered when determining an audience for the program:
racial, ethnic, age, gender, sexual orientation, geographic, and economic.
4. Experiential Learning. Hands-on, learning-by-doing participatory approaches, which allow
participants to draw on their knowledge and experience, are the most effective learning methods.
Resource persons are facilitators rather than teachers; they involve participants rather than
lecture. Participants are required to take on a new leadership role. People learn more from
reflecting on real-life experiences than from book or classroom learning.
5. Sense of Community. Building a sense of community means developing trust and camaraderie. This
is done in a number of ways: (a) Participants to spend time together—several days in a row as
opposed to a few hours several different times; (b) There is time for socializing and unplanned
time for interaction; and (c) The program is fun and exciting.
6. Flexibility in Program. Flexibility allows plans to change to meet the needs of the group as the
program evolves. The program might include components such as self-development, group
processes, and community understanding.
7. Reflection. There is time for reflecting, alone and with the group. This is a time for participants to
think about and share what they are learning from their experiences. Dialogue is a good method
for engaging a group in reflection. There is also time for reading.
4
8. Continuing Leadership Growth. A process is built in for the continued involvement of alumni, and
for their continued growth in leadership. Education must be followed by action, which is
continued over time. The process of learning involves ongoing education and action.
Opportunities for Cooperation
Partners in Programs
The University of Illinois is uniquely positioned to provide the research, development, and
implementation of CLD programming in Illinois. Currently, staff are part of leadership development
from several perspectives: 1) serving their communities in leadership positions, from which they
teach leadership through modeling and mentoring, 2) conducting research to develop leadership
programs, 3) evaluating materials and methods, and 4) teaching leadership specifically or indirectly.
In these endeavors, Extension staff members collaborate with other agencies, institutions, and
community leaders. A formal strategy to work closely with these partners in a well-founded
leadership initiative would extend and amplify the current work. Potential partners include:






community-based leadership programs,
public institutions such as community colleges and universities,
youth organizations, church groups, and after-school programs,
Extension in other states,
professional organizations (such as the National Association of Community Leadership
Educators, Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation, Chambers of Commerce, Farm Bureau) and
human service agencies, neighborhood organizations, civic groups, foundations or other
organizations.
More partners could be cultivated. Many organizations may not realize leadership development role
they fulfill, and/or don’t recognize the opportunity and benefit of providing leadership development
experiences for their members.
Partners Providing External Funding
University of Illinois Extension should commit to a base level of funding to support the core
components of this report, but should also explore other funding to expand community leadership
development in Illinois. With sufficient funding, U of I Extension can become a leader in designing
leadership programming.
The list of potential partners in the previous section provides a natural starting point for
collaboration of programs and potential funding or in-kind contributions; however, the
opportunities for funding go beyond this traditional approach. The funding potential exists from
three different sources: program fees, business and community partnerships, and grant funding.
Program Fees. Community leadership and leadership development programs command premium
prices in the competitive market. Most community leadership development programs charge a
registration or program participation fee. This fee covers course materials and expenses for program
presenters. Registration fees for these programs range from $500 to $1,200 per person for a year5
long program. Such fees may put programs out of the reach of some of the audiences served by
Extension.
Development of Business and Community Partnerships. Through our investigations, the task
force identified a number of businesses, organizations, and institutions that support leadership
programming. Local chambers of commerce, community colleges, and individual corporations are
just a few. The competitive advantage for U of I Extension is to use its statewide network and
organization to develop these resources at both the local and state level.
The corporate sector is willing to support leadership development programs and conferences if they
have an opportunity to participate in trade shows or have an opportunity to display their products.
In some communities, the corporate sector has donated resources in their name to promote
leadership development.
Grant Funding. Many believe that grants help solve the financial challenges of most programs.
Some of these are simply idealistic wishes. However, there are foundations that fund leadership
programs. The guiding factor for selection of these grants needs to be the identification and
cultivation of the relationship with foundations that have a commitment to leadership development.
In summary, the Task Force recommends that U of I Extension support and encourage creative
partnerships with external partners, to develop resources, and to provide educational programming.
Task Force Recommendations
To build sustainability into the proposed CLD strategies, the task force recommendations are twopronged. The internal strategy is designed to increase the capacity of Extension, through its staff, to
respond to leadership development needs for communities in Illinois. The external strategy is
designed to strengthen Extension’s ongoing involvement with its external partners as CLD
programming grows in Illinois. Both strategies build upon a supporting structure which includes the
Department of Human and Community Development working in partnership with Extension staff
on campus and in the field.
Supporting Structure
These strategies would benefit from an organizational structure to provide support and ongoing
maintenance. The task force recommends that this structure include:
 An Extension Specialist in leadership to plan and design the components outlined in this report.
The leadership specialist, in the Department of Human and Community Development, would
support efforts initiated by the Leadership Development Network and Steering Committee (see
below), Extension staff, and the Office of Professional Development.

A Leadership Development Network comprised of Extension and ACES staff and others who
have an interest in personal leadership development, and in learning, practicing, and teaching
leadership. Participation in the Network will cultivate programming partnerships among
Extension and other agencies and interest groups in the state.
 A Community Leadership Development Steering Committee should be derived from the
Leadership Development Network. This steering committee will facilitate the implementation of
both the internal and external strategies for the community leadership initiative.
6
Internal Strategies
In an effort to make U of I Extension more effective in its work with external audiences, its staff
members need a better understanding of leadership skills and concepts. The Internal Strategy
outlines methods through which Extension staff can strengthen their understanding of leadership
and enhance their skills. Critical to this strategy is an organizational structure which:




Identifies a set of core competencies. (See Appendix E – Community Leadership Development
Core Staff Competencies.)
Sets standards and creates assessment tools to guide staff members in planning their professional
development experience.
Develops an ongoing, systematic approach to developing core competencies. For example, a
number of hours would be dedicated to leadership professional development activities each year,
providing an opportunity to create a system better suited to continuous staff development
around this skill area.
Dedicates funds to develop internal leadership capacity building activities. A portion of the
funds would be dedicated to learning resources, such as a library of current literature for loan to
staff, a web site, and ensuring that U of I Extension participates in groups such as the National
Association for Community Leadership and the Association for Leadership Educators.
To meet the needs of Extension staff at various levels of interest and ability, the task force has
designed a comprehensive plan as follows:

New Extension academic staff need an effective CLD course, added to the existing orientation
program, to better prepare them to work in communities and counties as Extension
professionals. A community leadership “short course” (possibly eight to 10 hours) will be
designed by the proposed new leadership specialist. Content will be modeled after that of
successful Extension leadership programs from various land grant universities and based upon
content areas identified in the recommended staff leadership competencies (see Appendix E –
Community Leadership Development Core Staff Competencies). All new Extension
professionals will participate in the CLD orientation program.

A form of mentoring should be established to coordinate internal efforts. However, the word
mentoring should be avoided to prevent confusion with existing Extension mentoring programs
and to more clearly define the role of staff who serve as leadership mentors to others within the
organization. Alternate labels are peer pairings or learning partners. The Michigan LEADNET model
demonstrates a working version of community leadership as a part of Michigan State University
Extension’s organizational development. A University of Illinois Extension Learning Partners
program will be created to supplement leadership training for new employees. The organization
must also devise a means of promoting and supporting these learning partnerships, because
individuals should not be solely responsible for maintaining the program.

A “cafeteria plan” will target all Extension staff interested in increasing their knowledge of
leadership and building their skills. A series of in-service workshops will be integrated into the
PDO process and based upon content areas identified in the recommended staff leadership
competencies (see appendix). Resources will be committed for the development and delivery of
these programs. Sessions will be sequential and multiyear, covering various topic areas related to
7
leadership. Topics should include facilitation, conflict resolution, building community
collaborations, and other relevant subjects. These workshops will be more detailed than the
CLD offered in the orientation training and less involved than the yearlong experiential
program, but will enable incremental progress over several years with a systematic,
comprehensive approach to CLD. Because professional development opportunities for nonacademic staff are limited, some programs might be offered at the regional level or offered via
distance learning or new technologies.

A year-long experiential program, modeled after the National Extension Leadership
Development (NELD) program, will be created for Extension staff. The program will expand
the learning opportunity created in the NELD program to an even greater number of staff. Such
a program will include self-study, workshops, study tours, and group activities. The curriculum’s
goal will be making participants better leaders as they learn about and use leadership skills. With
enhanced leadership skills, these participants will become role models and learning partners.
Program participants will be able to contribute to future leadership programs. The existing pool
of North Central NELD participants in Illinois could form a strong cadre of organizers for
developing and sustaining the program.
The Task Force acknowledges the importance of allowing staff at all levels to have opportunities to
learn leadership. However, it is sometimes difficult for nonacademic staff to leave their offices to
participate. It is important to enable their participation whenever it is appropriate and feasible.
Evaluating the Internal Strategy
The Office of Professional Development, working with the Leadership Specialist, will determine the
evaluation plan and its implementation.
External Strategies
The purpose of Extension’s leadership development efforts is to help communities meet the
challenge of change through an expanding core of leaders. The purpose of the external strategy is to
help University of Illinois and its partners make better use of resources, provide clearer direction for
research, and help target educational programming for internal and external audiences. U of I
Extension can strengthen its role in partnerships across the state by using its statewide network for
creating educational materials that teach leadership, creating the intellectual foundation for
leadership education and bringing together communities from across the state to learn from each
other. Leadership program efforts should evolve from issues that emerge from all four core
program areas. Extension programming can reach audiences that are underserved in the commercial
marketplace. Specifically, the Leadership Development Network could:
 Support a structure for identifying current issues and creating leadership learning opportunities
around these issues. Development teams, counties/units and others have a critical role in
identifying issues. This process will enable multidisciplinary approaches to Extension
programming.
 Develop a procedure for learning from experiences. Criteria for successful programs should be
determined. Leadership development indicators should be identified, and community leadership
efforts should be benchmarked and measured as one of the most important intangible
community-building capacities. Facilitate learning opportunities for Extension staff, based on
lessons learned from success stories and situation descriptions. Give ample time for learners to
reflect and apply new knowledge and skills. Developing leadership performance standards and
an evaluation strategy will be the work of the Leadership Specialist.
8




Develop a set of tools to use in teaching and learning leadership and distribute it widely. These
tools will support Extension staff as they learn more about leadership and seek new
opportunities to apply their leadership skills. Many of these tools will be products of the ongoing
research and application of findings in communities. CLD content and skill-building applications
will be developed in partnership with Extension and the Laboratory for Community and
Economic Development. In addition, Extension will collaborate with other regional and national
land grant universities in the development, application, and evaluation of these CLD tools.
Create a set of recommendations to develop, support, and sustain leadership development
efforts that includes best practices and easy-to-use tools.
Integrate what we learn into new versions of materials. For example, materials and programs will
reflect what we have documented and learned in the benchmarking and “best practices” efforts;
the research agenda will reflect what is current and relevant in the field; and more programs,
across content areas, will recognize and incorporate leadership.
Conduct an annual community leadership development conference.
While LCED (Laboratory for Community and Economic Development) and the Community and
Economic Development and Youth Development teams are logical centers for the development of
leadership initiatives, implementation of the external strategies ideally would involve staff at every
level of the organization.

The Community and Economic Development Team (CED) will partner with LCED to develop
a community leadership research framework while developing applications and materials for the
program. The Leadership Specialist will be in the Department of Human and Community
Development and LCED.

Leadership program efforts should evolve from issues that emerge from all program areas. Thus,
county/unit offices, educators and state specialists from throughout the state and in all subject
areas are logical candidates to be involved in implementing the external strategy.

County/unit offices and the CED team should continue to support and partner with existing
leadership programs and leadership academies. The Leadership Development Network will
examine these programs and create mechanisms to share and replicate existing community
leadership programs and academies.

CED and LCED should model community leadership development. LCED staff and the CED
team will establish higher levels of competency for their professional ability, and will develop a
plan to achieve these levels that will be supported by professional development opportunities
and the experiential leadership program.

All staff should share responsibility for increasing leadership at the local, regional, and state level.
The proposed Leadership Development Network will strive to develop key statewide
programming partnerships.
Evaluating the External Strategy
The Leadership Specialist will have responsibility for evaluating the external strategy.
9
Appendix A – 1995 Leadership Needs Assessment Survey
Late in 1995 a survey was sent to every CES unit office to determine the availability of
leadership and community development programs in their communities. We hoped to
discover what locally sponsored leadership training programs were available, who sponsored
them, funding sources for providing the programs, who wrote or prepared them, beginning
dates and duration, and characteristics of the intended audience.
Forty-eight percent of the respondents indicated they were currently involved in more than one
leadership development program in their unit, while 51.6% reported that no leadership development
programs were offered in their communities, either by Extension or other organizations.
While the number of respondents may limit the survey findings, the findings do highlight a lack of
statewide programmatic response to community leadership development issues. The success of
existing programs also highlights the need for a collaborative approach to programming in this
arena.
CES Response to Program Requests
Perhaps the most rewarding detail to emerge from the survey was the scope of coverage provided at
the time by CES training, a factor that was probed in the first survey question. That question is
repeated below, with the number of affirmations and the percentages they represent. A total of 31
units responded to this question.
“Has CES responded to program requests in your unit that related to the following topics during the
past year?”
Topic
Local issues identification
Community growth
Managing conflict
Working w. committees, boards
Building community networks
How local government works
Problem solving
Group decision making
Role of media in the community
“Other”
Units indicating “yes”
18
17
17
15
15
13
12
12
5
3
Percentage of respondents
58%
54%
54%
48%
48%
41%
38%
38%
16%
10%
Current Level of Leadership Programming
Approximately fifty percent of the units responding (16 units) indicated that to their knowledge,
there were no ongoing leadership programs in their communities.
Five units (16%) reported having one program in progress, six units (19%) reported two programs,
and four units (nearly 13%) reported three or more programs underway. The following summaries
describe these programs further in terms of partnerships and program goals.
10
Types of Current Programs, “Youth” or “Community”
Roughly one-third of the leadership programming reported by units were targeted toward a youth
audience and two-thirds of the program efforts sited were targeted toward community leaders or
adult audiences. (This determination was made based on program titles provided in the survey
responses.)
Targeted Audience
The analyzed responses regarding targeted audience are summarized below.
Audience
Emerging leaders
Existing leaders
Business community
Other
Service clubs
Percentage
26.1%
26.1%
23.9%
15.2%
8.7%
Program Goals
The analyzed responses regarding program goals are summarized below.
Goal
Community development
Personal leadership
Other
Percentage
43.8%
43.8%
12.5%
Provider of Educational Component
The analyzed responses regarding the provider of the educational component of the programs are
summarized below. This information represents a compilation for all programs provided. If the
program categories are examined singly, slightly different results emerge. For example, communities
reporting just one program reported support by local leaders at 20%, rather than the 15%
cumulative shown in the table below.
Provider
CES
Local leaders
College
Sponsoring service organization
Other
Percentage
52.5%
15.0%
12.5%
7.5%
12.5%
Program Sponsors
The table below summarizes the information from the analyst’s report regarding program
sponsorship. The columns for “Program 1, ” etc. represent the programs each unit reported having.
Examples of program sponsors in the Other categories included Competitive Communities
Initiative, CIES Local Government Programs, Illinois Agriculture Leadership Program, MAIN
STREET, and numerous CES program such as Community Swap, Family Community Leadership,
and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.
11
Sponsors
Program 1
Chamber of Commerce
Jaycees
Rotary
Church
Other
Program 2
5
1
1
1
9
1
1
1
1
9
Program 3
1
1
Program Funding
Funding sources for the programs are summarized below. This was a write-in category on the
survey, so there is some natural variability in the funding sources reported.
Funder
Program 1
Agribusiness participation
CES/GEDC
CES and school
Chamber funds, tuition
C of C fee
Farm Bureau
Fees and charges
Grant
Local donor or trustee
Still looking
Program 2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
12
Program 3
1
Appendix B – 1998 Focus Groups: U of I Extension Leadership
Programming
Report to the
Task Force on Community Leadership Development
University of Illinois Extension
Focus Groups:
University of Illinois Extension Leadership Programming
Conducted in October, November and December, 1998
Report prepared by Anne Heinze Silvis
Objectives
The objectives of the focus group research were to supplement information provided by a 1995
survey of Extension staff providing leadership education through formal programs. The focus group
research was designed to gather “why” and “how” information from Extension staff using formal
and informal leadership development strategies. Another objective was to provide a forum through
which educators and unit leaders could discuss leadership development programming, and for the
community leadership task force to establish a discussion around providing opportunities to teach
leadership in the organization, both for the public and for staff professional development.
Participants
Focus group discussions were organized with unit leaders from the southern, east central, northwest
and west central regions and with educators from the youth development team and the farm
business management and marketing team. To match position purposes within the organization, unit
leaders were grouped with unit leaders and educators were grouped with educators from the same
development team.
Invitation
Task force members extended personal invitations to unit leader groups. Initial requests were
followed with specific proposals to conduct focus group discussions at meetings, which were already
on the schedule. Several focus group discussions were conducted with unit leaders. To set up focus
group discussions with educators, an email message was sent to all team chairs and co-chairs,
inviting participation. The invitation to educator development teams was followed up by personal
emails, telephone calls and in-person discussions. This resulted in focus groups scheduled with three
teams: youth development, farm business management and marketing, and crop systems. The crop
systems focus group was cancelled when the team cancelled its scheduled meeting. The CL&V
development team did not participate in a focus group discussion since it has responsibility for
leadership programming. Several individual team members provided answers to the focus group
questions, and their comments are included in this report.
13
Themes of the focus group discussions.
Unit leaders and Educators used various definitions of “leadership.”
During the first focus group with unit leaders, it became clear that a discussion to help define
“leadership” would be helpful in addressing subsequent questions. The first group did discuss their
definitions of leadership. After the first focus group discussion, the questions were modified to
include a formal discussion of the definition of leadership. Unit leaders were able to describe ongoing activities such as council training and 4-H officer training as leadership training, but did not
list community activities or other programs as “leadership development.” Educators fell into two
groups regarding the definition of leadership: those who felt that leadership could be modeled and
experienced through any educational experience, and those who felt that leadership was a separate
and distinct topic/content area.
Quotes and Comments:
Leadership is decision-making, collaboration, and motivation. Human and humane.
A leader knows how to be a follower, but can stand up and take responsibility even when things go
bad.
Someone with a vision or goal, who is taking other people along, is a leader.
I’m training others to take my (leadership) place.
Leadership is about ideas – I may have a great idea, but it’s nothing if I can’t bring others along to
see it and use it.
Helping others and myself achieve goals – often from the back of the room instead of the front of
the room.
Leadership is using communication skills, teamwork, responsibility, and looking at two sides of an
issue.
Leadership is helping each person contribute – servant leadership.
I call it facilitating rather than leadership training. You facilitate the situation to make that person
more effective. I don’t look at it as leadership training.
Some people are leaders and some are do-ers.
Are you helping them to be a leader or are you dumping responsibility?
There is no time to provide leadership development, even though it is important.
Many educators and unit leaders report that they are unable to work additional topic areas into their
already busy schedules and they do not expect to provide leadership development opportunities or
leadership training in addition to topics already on the agenda. Even while some educators and unit
leaders believe that the best use of their time is to “lead” rather than “do,” they find it difficult to
allow enough time for leadership to develop, and are sometimes frustrated with processes which
focus on narrow definitions of success. Educators report that programs to develop leadership or
interpersonal skills require many hours of working together and observation, with results that are
not immediately evident or easy to describe. Some youth educators feel that their programs in
leadership development are the best in the organization, but don’t have time or resources to share
these programs with others who might adapt them for adult audiences. Others feel that they model
good leadership practice, and foster the most growth in leadership indirectly. One program
development chair responded to the email invitation to participate in focus groups by saying, “As I
am sure you recognize, our Educators deal with technical subject matter, not
leadership concepts when they are teaching.” Another team chair said, “That sounds interesting, but
we are already busy and we don’t do leadership.”
14
Quotes and Comments:
We are our own worst enemy. We do the things that our clients could because we can get it done
faster and better.
When we reorganized, educators and unit leaders stopped doing leadership development because
CL&V is supposed to take care of it.
What jobs will we stop doing if we start teaching leadership, or creating programs in leadership? We
don’t have enough time to take on anything more.
Leadership is not a part of our current job description.
If we add, is there something we can delete? We can’t just add and add and add.
We need to have the opportunity to fail. Some groups can’t fail, but others can fail and it’s a
learning process.
For people to learn, they have to make their own mistakes. We should provide a “comfort zone”
for failure.
Success should not be solely tied to numbers. Look at the big picture.
We should not step in and take over.
Leadership development occurs informally.
Unit leaders in particular see leadership among community members as an evolving set of skills, to
be developed among every person who participates in Extension programs. They see themselves as
teaching leadership informally, sometimes by helping one person build confidence and take on
increasing responsibility for decisions and action.
Quotes and Comments:
Part of our objective is to develop relationships, which are deep enough that we as Unit Leaders
understand what is going on and what would be useful as a next learning step.
People evolve into greater levels of leadership and responsibility. We move them through a series of
opportunities that enables them to learn and grow.
If we are going to reach people across cultures and break down the barriers which prevent people
who are “different” from becoming leaders, we need more staff and staff who can work broadly
across these types of communities.
People need empathy. (The only way) may be to model (empathy), not teach it.
Leadership development is often a by-product. It happens by accident.
You have to sneak up on them to provide leadership training.
A leader should develop leaders.
Leadership learning occurs in context.
All focus groups understood and articulated a central value of leadership training — the application
of leadership skills while interacting with the client group. Educators offer very structured
experiences through which youth and adults can learn and practice leadership skills. These programs
provide a real context within which the leadership applications are made meaningful. Educators
showed the most enthusiasm for these types of programs, which enabled learners to focus on
content, but take another step to learn leadership skills at the same time. Unit leaders and educators
also allow for increasing sophistication of leadership awareness and skill application, and tailor
programming to allow for these different needs in development.
15
Quotes and Comments:
Key leaders were brought together to develop their skills – give them the tools.
Anyone – not necessarily key leaders – has opportunity at some level. A very shy person five years
ago is now teaching the local leader group.
We have some diamonds in the rough. Some were rough all the way around. Now they are mentors.
Eventually, we share leadership of programs.
Part of it is programming leadership but part of it is just getting together and learning through
involvement.
True leadership is the most fun and enjoyable part of the job.
Anything where a group needs to accomplish something together, leadership develops. People rally
to do things.
People are interested in a variety of topics for professional development.
Despite the reluctance of staff to embrace leadership development programming, many topics were
suggested for professional development. Topics include how to run a meeting, group facilitation,
how to work with councils, providing mentors, dealing with diversity (beyond race), working with
different ages, evaluating teaching skills and learning styles, conflict resolution, servant leadership,
personal goal setting, and setting priorities. An important byproduct of learning more and increased
involvement are the extensive networks within and outside of the organization that serve both as
models for effective behaviors and as a support system for job changes.
Quotes and Comments:
I want a roto-router to clear out my old ideas about what cannot be done. Our best successes have
occurred when we went ahead with stupid ideas – not knowing that they would “probably” fail.
The stumbling block is that we are required to maintain programs year after year, even after interest
wanes. We need to learn and know when to do things differently.
We need to learn how to delegate. When to let them fail and when to step in.
We need to know how to motivate others. How to get them to buy in and think creatively and make
decisions.
There is no consensus regarding format.
Program materials and professional development should be available in convenient formats. Some
participants suggested tapes to listen to while driving; some suggested workshops that force the
learner to concentrate, uninterrupted, on the topic; some suggested online resources; some said to
stay away from email. Clearly, there is reason to learn more about which formats work well.
Quotes and Comments:
No more binders!
Web-based is better.
Audiotapes are no good in new cars, which have CD players only.
Give us audiotapes.
The one thing that comes to my mind is managing my time most efficiently, and when I
think of it in those terms, I lean toward the audiotape. However, the drawback to the
audiotape is that I usually listen in the car, which means I have no way to take notes of ideas
I want to keep and sometimes my mind tends to wander off to other thoughts when I am
listening to a tape.
Self-modules that you can do on your own time.
16
I am sick of binders. With all of the different mediums for storing files on computer now,
we should make use of the existing technology instead of killing trees and creating binders
that are dated in less than two year’s time. Then instead of losing sight of things that have
worked, they could be updated more easily and consistently.
The advantage of a meeting is that we are forced to set aside time to learn.
We need interaction with people.
Don’t lose the high touch.
Where offices have minimal staff, there is not enough time to use the web.
Once we learn how to use the web, it will be a good resource.
We want one-day training on topics that are commonly requested.
Most leadership programs have been devoid of hands-on use of the skills and ideas being
taught. Collecting a nice binder of information is not good enough. People need to come
away with experiences to build their confidence and experience/knowledge base.
We need hands-on experience to learn more. There is no use in providing textbook answers.
Conclusions
The focus group discussions did not provide easy answers to our persistent questions. In fact, it is
evident that there are polar positions on many of the important issues which the task force is
grappling with, and this range of sometimes conflicting tactics would suggest that a “one size fits all”
approach would miss the mark for many of our colleagues. In the case of format as many educators
and unit leaders wanted electronic or web-based materials as those who said it must be in paper copy
or presented via low-tech means. In summary, there is cautious interest in new technology, as long
as there is appropriate and meaningful interaction for learning. The use of technology to address
complex topics in depth is preferable to simple awareness building using less sophisticated
communication tools.
Some groups showed a highly developed sense of leadership programming and new concepts in
leadership development, while others were using outdated concepts. Some groups want to use
leadership development tactics in all their programming, while others see leadership as a separate
and distinct program area. Some educators and unit leaders are eager to learn new skills and practice
good leadership, while others are busy or even overwhelmed with their current programming and
not ready to take on new topics.
The dilemma was also expressed in the comments of focus group participants regarding the
importance of leadership programming and the usefulness of professional development. While many
educators and unit leaders did not want to add leadership to their programs, most wanted
professional development in leadership topics such as facilitation, conflict management, group
process and meeting management. The range of topics suggested as leadership programming give a
clue as to the broad range of definitions of “leadership’ used in the organization.
17
The email invitation which was sent to all development team chairs and cochairs:
Hi ___________________:
The leadership development task force is working to learn if and how educators teach leadership
concepts in their programming, or structure activities to allow learners to practice leadership skills.
Our purpose is to take an inventory of current Extension practice, and to explore with educators
various formats for leadership development that might be integrated into the content area taught by
Educators on your team. The Commission's report describes leadership as "cross-cutting" in our
programming, so it is important that we begin to create tools and teaching aids that are useful to
Educators in a variety of subject matter areas.
To find out how Educators and Specialists on your team are teaching or allowing practice on
leadership topics, our task force would like to organize a focus group discussion at one of your
development team meetings. The discussion would require about one and one-half hours on your
agenda. We'd like to conduct the focus group interviews before the first of the year. Would it be
possible to get on your agenda sometime soon?
If so, let me know and we'll work out a schedule. Call me or send me a reply if you would like more
information. Other members of this committee of the task force are Al Zwilling, Dale Montanelli,
and Kay Mayberry.
Anne
18
The Questions:
The questions were modified for each group to reflect the job titles of participants and to
clear up any confusion we discovered as we asked the questions.
Leadership Programming: An Internal Audit of Formal and
Informal Extension Programs
1. As an Extension Educator, you work with many groups, in many different situations. Some are
formal Extension programs, and some are committee meetings, community meetings, project
groups, and other groups which are less formal, where the group is smaller, perhaps, or organized
around a task rather than an educational program. In any of these settings, many Extension
professionals are using techniques to help the group work together better, or get organized, or
make decisions. Those techniques are all part of leadership development, whether we apply that
label or not. Let’s discuss examples of what you consider to be “leadership development.” NOTE:
Focus on skill development, not characteristics of leaders.
2. Our purpose in this discussion is to identify some of the opportunities you use to teach or
demonstrate leadership, and discover where you find these opportunities and how you use
them. First, let’s talk about any formal leadership training that you might offer, such as how to
run a meeting, conflict management, or other topics. Do you offer any formal programs? If so,
can you discuss the description or details of the objectives and components of the program?
3. Now, let’s talk about informal leadership training or demonstration that you provide.
4. How do you work leadership skills into other types of programming? Prompt: An example would
be information on how to run a meeting.
5. What are the most important components of leadership that you would like to be able to teach
or work into existing programming? This would include programming in any content area such
as youth programs, nutrition, agricultural production, or whatever. Components of leadership
development might be information on how to manage conflict, or how to facilitate group
discussions. Prompt: You talked about opportunities for leadership via programs and projects.
What happens during those events that enables people to learn new leadership skills or practice
existing skills?
6. In your own professional development, what skills or techniques or content areas would you
like to study or practice? In other words, where are the gaps in your own skills, or the areas that
you want to explore?
7. There are many options to consider in the format of educational programs. For example, we’ve
used workbooks and handouts very successfully, and now we also use video, audiotape, and
web-based materials. What format would work best for you?
8. Are there any other related topics that you would like to discuss before we finish?
19
Appendix C – Review of Literature
Forms of Literature
Literature on leadership development occurs in four forms:
1. Traditional quantitative research with matched control, or at least comparison groups; groups
are treated differently and the differences are measured. There is not much of this research in
the area of leadership.
2. Pre- and posttest designs, where the same evaluative measure is given at the beginning and the
end of the experience and change is measured from before the experience to after it. The
leadership literature has some of this, but not a lot.
3. Qualitative measurement, which consists mainly of interviews, observations, and focus groups.
This is the most common form for research in the area of leadership. There is now enough
qualitative research that one can begin to draw some conclusions across studies, not relying
solely on the results of one study.
4. Philosophy, opinion, and theory based largely on personal experience. These perspectives are
valuable if they can be used to tie together sets of research findings, or as guides in creating
researchable questions.
Leadership literature falls into two categories, depending on its focus: person-centered, or
group/context-centered. Person-centered leadership literature focuses on the characteristics of the
leader. This is the traditional military model of leadership education, which places the leader in
opposition to the followers for the purpose of accomplishing leader-defined goals.
Group/context-centered leadership literature focuses on serving the needs of the group and creating
empowering environments. It is often called “transformational leadership,” but may be called
situational leadership, servant leadership, shared leadership, or stewardship. Communities and
organizations practicing this kind of leadership are called “leaderful.” The basic concept is one of
distributed leadership, with many individuals assuming roles of leadership for specific aspects of a
group’s mission.
Key readings in the area of context-centered leadership include:
Peter Block (1993) Stewardship. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
James M. Burns (1987) Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
J.W. Fanning (1986) The Pillars of Leadership. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia.
J.W. Gardner (1990) On Leadership. New York: Free Press.
R.K. Greenleaf (1997) Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New
York: Paulist Press.
Re-Focusing on the Characteristics of Leaders
Leadership literature has returned to a discussion of the characteristics of leaders, but from the
perspective of what is needed to lead in the types of environments created by transformational
leadership.
20
Three authors who have described the characteristics of the new leaders are:
Stephen Covey (1989) Principle Centered Leadership. New York: Simon & Schuster.
David Noer (1996) Breaking Free: A Prescription for Personal and Organizational Change. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Peter Vaill (1996) Learning as a Way of Being: Strategies for Survival in a World of Permanent White Water.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Frank Fear (1997) summarizes the concept of the “centered leader,” who:





stands for important things,
has a strong and abiding set of core values,
is self-confident,
creates an empowering environment in which others make important contributions, and
knows what he or she hopes to achieve through leadership.
Most of these authors developed their leadership analyses based largely on their own experience and
observations. However, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (1987) studied corporate leaders at
times when the leaders believed they performed at their personal best. Kouzes and Posner identify
five practices common to most extraordinary leadership achievements. When leaders are doing their
best, they:





challenge the process: take risks, innovate and experiment, learn;
inspire a shared vision: enable the group to see the possibilities;
enable others to act: encourage collaboration, team building;
model the way: lead by example; and
encourage the heart: engage the emotional and spiritual needs of people.
As a result of their original research, Posner and Kouzes developed an assessment tool, the
“Leadership Practices Inventory” (1993), which is beginning to be used in research on leadership.
Tom Peters and Robert Waterman also examined the leaders of highly successful corporations
(1982). In their best-selling book, In Search of Excellence, Peters and Waterman reported that leaders:






serve as models of integrity and behavior,
are inspired dramatists,
instill trust by avoiding top-down decision making, by simplifying organizational procedures, and
by showing respect for others,
manage by wandering around — they “go where the action is,”
show enthusiasm, and
show pride: “If you show pride in your organization, you can get people to do anything”
(Joe Paterno).
21
Studies of Successful Community Leadership Programs
The CLD Task Force also examined leadership roles in non-corporate settings, through the
following sources:
Final Report of the Rural America Cluster Evaluation. (1994) Michigan State University.
Susan Taylor (1996) Selected Georgia Community Leadership Programs and their Effect on Selected Leadership
Practices of Program Alumni. Leadership in a Changing World: Proceedings of the ALE Annual
Conference.
The task force found the following characteristics of successful CLD programs:






Leadership is learned in the pursuit of a goal, not as an end in itself.
Leadership skill development is a vehicle, not a destination.
Successful programs tend to focus on leadership in the context of working on a real challenge in
the community.
The best programs provide experiential learning opportunities.
Skills may be lost or not used without an ongoing support structure.
Programs must take a long-term view, and provide sustained support.
22
Appendix D – Exploration of Community Leadership
Programming
May 11, 1998 Telnet Discussion with Mary Jo Clark & Pat Heiny
First as community leadership program directors and now as program consultants, Pat & Mary Jo
have had a major influence on the direction of community leadership programs in Indiana and
around the country.
In a research effort, funded by the Lilly Foundation, they completed an extensive review of current
literature and discussion on community leadership programs in Indiana and elsewhere.
Their findings highlight how community leadership programs have changed over time. They have
evolved, or gone through “waves.” Community leadership programs started as community
orientation and networking. The next wave added basic board membership skills. The third wave
added community trusteeship as an answer to an often-asked question: Why should I get involved in
the community?
Based on the findings of their research, they believe that we all must view community leadership
development in a new way, we do not believe this is just another wave — it is a fundamental change
in what we believe and what we must do and how we must do it. Focusing on the outcomes, most
community leadership programs hope to:
STRENGTHEN & TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES.
Community leadership programs need to move away from providing community
information and focus more on building Community Leadership Capacities.
providing those skills that will enable participants to do things in their community.
Their work identifies the following as a description of the product you want – the
leader you need to develop. Servant Leaders— Serve out of Personal Mission,
Are Trustees, Are Inclusive, Are Process Facilitators, Empower Others,
Understand the Power of Vision, and Are Change Agents.
May 15, 1998 Telnet with Milan Wall & Norma Reed
Milan Wall, Co-Director Heartland Center for Leadership Development
How leadership is defined--The definition of leadership has changed dramatically in the
last quarter century.



Before, leadership meant knowing all the right answers. Today, it means asking the right
questions.
Once, leaders were people who announced decisions they had already made. Now
leaders are expected to involve many others in the process of making decisions.
In the past, leaders were pictured as older, as white, as male. Today leaders increasingly
are young as well old, people of color was well as Caucasians, women as well as men.
In the community setting, these changes are no less important than they are in the world of
business, or government, or education.
23
It’s common to hear leaders described as people of vision. But today, what we mean is that
leaders will help a community of people create a collective vision for the kind of community
they all want in the future.
It’s common to hear leaders described as people of wisdom. But today, what we mean is that
leaders will help a community understand the implications of the increasing rapidity of
change in the world that surrounds them, and then guide the community through a process
of making wise choices that reflect community values and exploit local strengths.
It’s common to hear leaders described as people of action. But today, what we mean is that
leaders will help others feel comfortable in assuming responsibilities for getting things done,
in concert with a deliberate plan for action that specifies goals, establishes schedules, and
evaluates progress.
The Heartland Center’s work brings the richness of community success stories as a tool for
examining leadership at work. Programs are designed to meet the needs of groups, and often
include looking at personal leadership skills, dealing with change, and facilitation skills.
The University of Georgia Fanning Leadership Center
described by Norma Reed
The Center’s mission is to develop the full potential of people as effective leaders for the
betterment of Georgia Communities. In fulfilling its mission, the Center serves as a central
university-based source of knowledge and information about leadership, concentrating on 1)
program development; 2) instructional delivery in support of local programs; 3) development
and dissemination of individualized leadership curricula and publications; 4) identification of
leadership needs and trends; and 5) data collection, program evaluation, and applied research
on leadership.
A skills-based, action-oriented training program, the Fanning Community Leadership
Program curriculum typically spans an eight-to twelve-week period encompassing some 25
hours of instruction offered to participants at nominal fees. Depending on community
preference, programs may be co-sponsored through local Chambers of Commerce;
neighborhood planning groups; nonprofit community, civic or professional organizations; or
local Cooperative Extension Service staff. Because of its flexible, modular design, the
Fanning curriculum can be adapted and customized for your locale. A comprehensive CLP
Planning Guide provides detailed suggestions on time-lines, committees, and resource
materials to assist in implementing a program in your community.
The following modules are designed to be taught in two-hour segments in the sequence
suggested below. Training materials are packaged as a participant notebook, available to
participants at a nominal fee. To assure continuity among classes, the instructor notebook
contains teaching materials for all modules.
Understanding Leadership, Community Socio-Demographic Profile, Effective
Communication, Understanding Values, Valuing Community Diversity, Group Dynamics,
Conducting Successful Meetings, Conducting Successful Meetings, Group Problem Solving
and Decision Making, Managing Conflict, Local Government, Community Leader’s Role in
24
Local Economic Development, Building Communities Through Partnerships and
Collaboration.
In addition to this adult leadership curriculum, the Fanning Leadership Institute has a
number of other leadership programming models for youth and adult audiences. They also
publish a newsletter three times a year designed to focus on state leadership efforts.
Market Street Services, INC Otis White
While we were searching for workshop trainers, several respondents recommended Otis
White. Recognized by past National Community Leadership Association Annual Meeting
attendees as a dynamic speaker who relates well to community and economic development
interests, he offers training all around the nation, often to Chambers of Commerce. Topics
of a leadership nature that often appear in his training programs include Leadership/Team
Building, Facts Forcing Regionalism, Defining the Region, Reasons to Work as a Region,
Best Practices – What Works and Where to Begin. In addition, his group publishes the
Community Leadership Quarterly, a newsletter with practical How-To information for
community leaders. (i.e., How To Deal Effectively with the Media).
June 3, 1998 Community Leadership Task Force Meeting on Campus
We invited community leadership academy programs from McLean County, Decatur, and
Galesburg. While McLean County was unable to attend, they represent a model similar to
that presented by the Decatur Leadership Institute. Decatur’s program is sponsored by the
Chamber of Commerce and represents one of the longest running leadership programs in
the state. Designed to build knowledge of the community, the leadership program is a series
of 13 meetings held primarily in the early morning hours at various locations around the
community.
Topics include: Orientation: day-long retreat (Saturday), Team Building (outdoor challenge
course), Community Insights, Agri-Business/International Business, Media, State
Legislature, Recreation/Arts, Healthcare, Cultural Diversity, Criminal/Justice System,
Education, Labor Relations, and Class Projects. Presenters are community leaders in each of
these areas.
Participants are recruited primarily from the business community, and selected based on an
application review process. Largely, employers pay fees of $500. Early morning sessions
allow participants to miss only a small portion of their workday. The program begins in early
September and concludes in November. The program continues to meet a need in their
community to provide background and orientation to the community and its issues.
This model is believed to help cultivate a learning culture among community
leaders. Graduates of these programs serve in key leadership roles throughout the
community. Some were in those roles before they participated — others afterward. Most
importantly, taking the time to participate in leadership training has given them a broader
network of individuals to tap for assistance and advice, as well as provided them with
information that will make their decision making more informed.
25
Many of these programs are looking to expand their focus to be countywide. They
have begun to focus on the more effective recruitment of what might be described as
“chamber minorities.” It is quite easy for us to attract Caucasian, degreed, middle managers
to Chamber of Commerce-sponsored programs. We are now developing relationships that
will assist us in more effectively attracting individuals representing homemakers, our
minority communities, production farmers, teachers, and others. We hope to do this through
the growing network of alumni, as well as through personal meetings and presentations to
groups outside of our normal spheres of influence.
LEADERSHIP GREATER GALESBURG
Sandra Fisk and Diane Eager, modeled the way of the 21st Century Leadership Capacities.
Their enthusiasm for this approach and the proven project results from the LEADERSHIP
GREATER GALESBURG program, clearly articulated the principles highlighted by Pat and
Mary Jo. By focusing on leadership capacities, the Galesburg program is building a strong
leadership base and transforming their community.
This program begins in September and meets on a monthly basis, through April. The classes
typically consist of 25 to 30 members from many sectors of the community. The advisory
board and executive director actively recruit members and provide scholarships to ensure a
cross section of the community/county is represented.
Sandra presented many examples of their success: an alumni directory highlighting skills and
interests of class members, updated OEDP, Children’s Museum are just a few of the
projects undertaken by past leadership classes. Agenda topics illustrated ways to incorporate
leadership capacities into a leadership academy program: learning styles, visioning, cycle to
change, group stages (steps to a learning community), consensus, collaboration, and
facilitation skills.
Leadership capacities are built through creating awareness, modeling, reflection, and
practice. Sandra presented a practical guide to leadership, a reflection of last year’s program
prepared by participants.
July 7, 1998 Telnet Discussion with LEADNET of Michigan State University
Organized around areas of expertise, Michigan has formed a task force of staff working with
the leadership specialist. A great deal of time was spent on developing a concept paper
initially. Task force members received a copy of this during the June face to face meeting.
Lela Vandenburg was hired as a result of this initial effort as a state leadership specialist.
Today LEADNET has an annual work plan that largely focuses on addressing staff
development needs in the area of leadership development. To date they have provided seed
money to staff for purchase of resource materials and leadership programming initiatives. As
staff development goals have been received, LEADNET has designed programming responses to be
offered on the statewide and regional basis. So far, the key area of training has been in facilitation
and use of open space technology.
26
September 17 & 18 Community Leadership Development Inservice
In addition to the concepts presented above from the Heartland Leadership Center, we also
heard from the Illinois Farm Bureau. Steve Gannaway highlighted a number of leadership
development approaches that are currently used by Illinois Farm Bureau.
Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow is a statewide leadership development program offering
80 hours of classroom instruction on four major areas: Communication and Organizational
Development, Political Processes, Economics and Finance, and Social and Community
Problems. Cost to participants is $550 per person, which largely covers expenses of
materials, overnight accommodations, and meals.
In addition, Steve discussed the board member training programs, which they have just
rolled out to help managers and boards understand their roles and responsibilities.
Boone County Leadership Academy offered staff an example of county leadership
programming. This approach resembles Chamber of Commerce-sponsored leadership
academies, for smaller rural communities. A countywide focus provides a great forum for
collective problem solving, networking, and skill development. Jan Christopherson shared a
number of successes from this group, which is becoming fairly self-sufficient in running
their own leadership program for emerging and existing community leaders in Boone
County. The program faculty includes a blend of University of Illinois Extension staff, along
with community leaders to cover the topics which follow: The Importance of Quality
Leadership, Understanding Self, Your Personal Leadership Style, Enhancing Your Personal
Skills (Decision Making, Communication, Getting Along With Others, Team Building.
Ethical Leadership, Understanding the Community, Looking at Our Past, Present, and
Future; Understanding the Community, Looking to the Future; Understanding Local
Government; Learning about Community Resources; More About Services; The
Components of a Thriving Community; Modeling . . . Looking at How Other Communities
Have Addressed Issues; Building Winning Partnerships, Planning for a Boone County Town
Meeting.
December 15,1998 Task Force Meeting
Family Community Leadership (FCL)
The Illinois Family Community leadership program trained teams to meet the growing need
for leadership in family public decision-making. The program targeted audiences who are
traditionally not represented in the public decision-making process. Successful Train the Trainer
programs were held in Effingham, Peoria, Chicago, and East St. Louis during the mid 1980s. Team
members received training in leadership skills, communications, group process, issue analysis and
resolution, public policy, volunteer management, and teaching techniques. Trainers benefited
personally from the training and, in turn, taught these skills to others in their communities. 165
women and men were trained using this curriculum developed and funded through W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Homemakers Extension Federation, and
County Homemakers Extension Association. Teams from the following counties had participated in
training: Adams, Bureau, Carroll-JoDaviess, Champaign, Christian, Cook, Crawford-Cumberland27
Jasper, DeKalb, DeWitt, Hancock, Henry, Gallatin/White-Jefferson-Marion-Washington, Kane,
Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marshall-Putnam-Stark, McLean,
Mercer, Monroe, Peoria-Woodford, Pike, Rock Island, Sangamon, Whiteside, Winnebago.
According to a report issued in June of 1992, the Illinois FCL Team have trained more than 14,000
people since 1988. This program is no longer functioning in Illinois, because Illinois Homemakers
no longer belong to NAFCE. Many other states have created new materials for developing
leadership at the neighborhood level using a similar format and approach.
Community Natural Leaders Program
The purpose of the Community Natural Leaders Program is to identify people in a given
neighborhood to whom their peers turn for guidance and help, i.e., to identify people who are
“natural leaders,” and to build on the leadership skills they already have. In the end, they take on
some kind of community project to practice the skills they have learned or improved. Extension
plays a training role and facilitates greater involvement in the community where appropriate. Even if
they only become better leaders in their families or housing complex, it’s a great benefit to them. A
number of Illinois staff have participated in training using this curriculum. However, the process is
quite time-intensive. Some observers question University of Illinois staff’s ability to sustain a
programming approach of this type, given the great number of program responsibilities and the
wide geographic areas served by educators. An alternative approach needs to be pursued that might
substitute trained volunteers for staff time.
28
Appendix E – Community Leadership Development Core Staff
Competencies
Leadership Development Area of Expertise – A Curricular Guide
Leadership and leadership development are central to what Extension staff do, no matter what their
program area. All Extension staff are leaders in that their aim is to help, or lead, people to develop
and apply knowledge to improve the quality of their lives. In this process, all Extension staff develop
leadership capacities among their clientele, informally or formally. These include the capacities to
envision positive change, make wise decision, work effectively in a group, collaborate with other
groups, and resolve conflicts, to name just a few.
The following competencies are suggested to be added to the Individual Competency SelfAssessment Tool for University of Illinois Extension staff. Michigan first adopted the following
guide for use by staff who designated leadership development as their area of expertise (AoE).
Initially, the outline was intended to prepare leadership development experts to work with citizen
groups in the area of leadership development broadly conceived. Then, given the centrality of
leadership to the work of all Extension staff, the tool is being adapted for use with all staff, as well as
for groups or organizations wanting to improve their capacities to share leadership and work
together.
Definitions
The term “community” is used broadly and does not limit it to the geographic sense. Community is
a group or organization committed to the well being of its members, united by common goals or
interests and a spirit of identity and loyalty. This definition does not preclude the geographic
meaning of community. Community leadership development is defined as the development of
energized communities of co-leaders and a collective vision of co-leaders and co-learners committed
to the concerted action toward a collective vision.
Values
Certain values are reflected in the competency guide, values that flow from an approach to
leadership. In this view, the aim is to develop:
Leadership that is:
dynamic, fluid, creative, group-centered, empowering.
Leadership that builds:
a sense of community,
a learning community,
collaborations and partnerships, and
group and individual capacity to work together.
Leadership that values:
learning,
communication,
collective visioning, planning, and action,
action linked to knowledge and research,
the integration of diverse people, resources, strategies, and action,
the worth of each individual, idea, and viewpoint.
29
The Process of Leadership Development
The main role of staff in leadership development is facilitative, a role that models the approach to
leadership presented here. The staff member facilitates the development of a group’s capacities to
vision and plan, share leadership, become a learning community, manage differing viewpoints,
communicate effectively, and engage in effective action. As a group coalesces around an issue, the
leadership development facilitator helps them define what sorts of learning they need and helps
create the necessary learning experiences. Leadership development is therefore, learner-focused,
issue-centered, and non-prescriptive.
Change
This work reflects our particular approach to leadership and leadership development at this point in
time. It is an approach that is dynamic and fluid, founded on the principle that change is a natural
state, both necessary and desirable for growth. Recognizing this, it is important to note that our
approach too, may change. We plan to learn from our continuing experience in this field of
community leadership development.
30
Understand, know about
Apply, facilitate, model, teach
Teach how, train
trainers
B
B
B
B
B
--B
-B
------
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXTENSION
Individual Leadership Development Competency
Self Assessment Tool
Key: B=basic, I=intermediate, A=advanced, -- = does not apply
Understanding Oneself as a facilitator of Leadership Development
One’s personal values and biases, as distinguished from group values and biases
Ethical challenges and perspectives in community leadership development
Development and practice of personal philosophy of leadership
One’s own personality and leadership orientations and impact on others
Qualities and roles of self as a facilitator of leadership development (e.g., empathy, risk
taking, flexibility, persistence)
Leadership Knowledge Base
B
I
A
I
A
--
B
B
I
B
A
I
Major leadership theories, approaches, and philosophies, and the different functions
of leadership and management
Academic and popular leadership development literature, and relevant professional
journals, authors, and trends (stay current with)
Current organizational development literature and information sources
Cultural/gender/racial/economic variations in leadership beliefs and practices
Visioning and Planning
B
B
B
I
I
A
B
I
A
B
I
A
Collective vision development
Dynamic futuring processes (e.g., strategic planning, values clarification, creative
thinking)
Analysis of relevant external factors (e.g., environmental scanning, diversity, politics,
demographics, socio-economic conditions, environment, global events and issues)
Linkages between external factors and group action strategies
Sharing Leadership and Empowering Others
B
B
B
I
B
B
I
I
I
Fluid leadership role-sharing and leadership as a web of relationships
The dynamics of power and empowerment within a group
Group decision making strategies (e.g., consensus building)
31
Understand, know about
Apply, facilitate, model, teach
Teach how, train
trainers
B
I
B
A
I
A
B
B
B
B
I
I
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXTENSION
Individual Leadership Development Competency
Self Assessment Tool
Key: B=basic, I=intermediate, A=advanced, -- = does not apply
Building Sense of Community
Group dynamics, team building, and sense of community as a continuum
Analysis and evaluation of group/organizational culture (e.g., values,
expectations, purposes)
Diversity (e.g., valuing and building on individual capacity)
Tools to help group members assess their personalities, leadership orientations,
and the implications of these for their group
Developing Learning Communities
B
B
I
B
A
I
I
I
A
The concept of a learning community and the plan/do/reflect learning cycle
Diagnosis of group learning needs and identification of learning strategies (e.g.,
study circles, group research, skill training)
Learner-controlled evaluation methods
Managing Differing Viewpoints
B
B
B
I
A
A
B
B
I
B
B
--
The sources, stages, uses, contributions of differing ideas and viewpoints
Conflict management strategies (e.g., negotiation, mediation, alternative dispute
resolution)
Effective Communication within a Group
Interpersonal communication skills (e.g., dialogue, effective listening, giving
feedback, free-flowing communication, information sharing)
Internal networking (e.g., e-mail, newsletters, phone trees)
Effective Public Communication
B
B
--
B
I
I
A
---
Public speaking skills and the use of presentation aids (e.g., overheads, graphic
presentation software)
Marketing a group’s message (e.g., using mass media and advertising techniques)
Community dialogue and deliberation (e.g., panel discussions, public hearings,
issue forums)
32
Understand, know about
Apply, facilitate, model, teach
Teach how,
train trainers
I
B
I
I
A
A
B
I
A
B
B
A
B
I
--
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXTENSION
Individual Leadership Development Competency
Self Assessment Tool
Key: B=basic, I=intermediate, A=advanced, -- = does not apply
Organizational Management
Diagnosis of organizational strengths, weaknesses, and viability
The tasks, functions, and design of community organizations and their elements
(e.g., running meetings, non-profit status, committees, boards, task-forces,
budgeting and finance)
Asset analysis and resource development (e.g., exploring funding options, writing
grant proposals, securing human resources)
Linkage of visions and plans to organizational operations and potential
collaborations
Partnerships and collaborative relationships—their identification, assessment,
development, evaluation, and maintenance
Government, Institutions, and Power Structures
B
B
I
B
B
I
I
I
I
I
A
A
Strategies for identifying, communicating with, and working effectively with
opinion leaders and decision makers
Formal and informal power structures and political processes in government,
organizations, and institutions
Public Issues
Frameworks for examining issues and policy alternatives
Issue-related action strategies appropriate for the political, socio-economic, and
historical setting.
Action Process
I
I
A
B
I
--
The integration of all the competency areas so groups can move to action (e.g.,
issue analysis, shared leadership and decision making, strategic planning,
mobilizing resources, public relations, reflecting/evaluating, etc.)
The changing role of staff through building a group and helping it take
ownership for action (e.g., acceptance, articulation, disengagement)
Technology
I
I
--
Hardware and software specific to the leadership development process (e.g., email, option finder, concept mapping, information data bases and other technical
resources for decision making, planning, communication, management)
33
Appendix F – Leadership Development Conference – 1999
The conference objectives were to facilitate the development of a statewide community leadership
network that links local, regional, and state organizations involved in leadership development. An
annual leadership conference will provide opportunities for networking and learning more about
leadership. Workshop sessions can also provide momentum to continue these community leadership
learning opportunities throughout the year in a variety of settings with a multitude of leadership
partners working together to build a collaborative approach to community leadership across the
state. Partners for this year’s conference included University of Illinois Extension, the Illinois
Institute for Rural Affairs, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Leadership Greater Galesburg, Rural Partners,
and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Building a Brighter Future:
Enhancing Community Leadership
June 15 – 16, 1999
Holiday Inn in Urbana, Illinois
A conference for community leaders, leadership educators, and
others interested in fostering stronger leadership in Illinois
communities.
Convened by . . .
University of Illinois Extension
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Illinois Farm Bureau
Leadership Greater Galesburg
Rural Partners
Our Schedule. . .
Tuesday, June 15, 1999
9:30 a.m.
Registration and Coffee
10 a.m.
Welcome, Overview and Introductory Remarks
by Paul Galligos, Partnership Manager, Rural Partners
10:30 a.m.
The Future of Community Leadership
Presented by Otis White, President, Civic Strategies, Inc.
Anne Heinze Silvis, Introduction
11:30 a.m.
Laboratory for Community and Economic Development,
University of Illinois
Lunch and Roundtable Discussions
34
1 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions (attend your color-coded session):
Creating Change: The
New Tools for
Youth and Adult
Basics of Leadership
Leadership Learning:
Leaders…
and Change
Conflict Management
Partnering for a Better
Presented by:
Community
Presented by:
Laboratory for
Presented by:
Otis White
Community and
University of Illinois
Economic Development Extension Youth
Intro by Derek Shugart
Development Staff
Illinois Institute for
Intro by Peggy Romba
Intro by Kathie Brown
Rural Affairs, WIU
Illinois Farm Bureau
University of Illinois
Extension
2:30 p.m.
2:45 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
Break
Concurrent Sessions (attend your color-coded session):
Creating Change: The
New Tools for
Youth and Adult Leaders…
Basics of Leadership
Leadership Learning:
Partnering for a Better
and Change
Conflict Management
Community
Intro by Sandra Fisk,
Leadership Greater
Galesburg
What works in community leadership programs today –
and what doesn’t?
A discussion led by Otis White.
Introduction by Steve Kline,
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University
Adjourn
Jazz Up Your Networks: Barbeque Dinner with a little Jazz added.
Wednesday, June 16, 1999
7:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks, Directions and Comments
9 a.m.
Developing New Leadership Capacities:
Creating Lasting Community Change
 The need to lead differently in a changing world.
 What is needed to be successful in the new millennium.
 Preparing leaders for effective leadership.
Led by Pat Heiny and Mary Jo Clark of Contemporary Consulting
Introduction by Sandra Fisk, Leadership Greater Galesburg
Noon
Lunch
1:15 p.m.
Creating a Statewide Network
Led by Pat Heiny and Mary Jo Clark of Contemporary Consulting
2:30 p.m.
Wrap-Up and Next Steps
3:00 p.m.
Adjourn
35
Our presenters. . .
Mary Jo Clark and Pat Heiny
Contemporary Consulting, Inc.
P.O. Box 52
Richmond, IN 47375
Phone: 765.935.5444
Fax: 765.966.5641
Email: clarkheiny@aol.com
Otis White, President
Civic Strategies, Inc.
1447 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 814
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404.873.5343
Fax: 404.873.0906
www.civic-strategies.com
Email: otwhite@civic-strategies.com
Planning Committee. . .
Anne Heinze Silvis
University of Illinois
Laboratory for Community and
Economic Development
Phone 217.333.5126
email: a-silvis@uiuc.edu
Kathie Brown
University of Illinois Extension
Phone 309.836.2084
email: brownk@mail.aces.uiuc.edu
Sandra Fisk
Leadership Greater Galesburg
Phone 309.344.5323
email: fisk@mail.misslink.net
Paul Galligos
Rural Partners
Phone 217.585.9242
email: galligos@ruralpartners.org
Steve Kline
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
Western Illinois University
Phone 309.298.2237
email: Steve_Kline@ccmail.wiu.edu
Thelma Malone
University of Illinois Extension
Williamson County
Phone 618.993.3304
email: malonet@mail.aces.uiuc.edu
Peggy Romba
Illinois Farm Bureau
Phone 309.557- 2207
email: promba@ilfb.org
36