Grassroots Leadership –
A Call to Action!
Leadership in Recovery Retreat
October 7-9, 2008
What makes a leader?
• “To lead” means “to make go” or “to guide”
• “A leader” - “a person who has
commanding authority or influence”
• What do YOU think?
• Name five qualities
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Qualities of Leaders
Helen Keller
• Leaders:
– Must change and adapt
– Are “equal partners”
– Share power
– Work collaboratively
– Accomplish community vision
– Address the needs of followers
Rosa Parks
What makes a leader?
• Name some
leaders
who come to
mind…..
The Challenge of Leadership
• Feelings of uncertainty
• Tough to make time for
community issues
Nelson Mandela
• Other challenges?
The Challenge of Leadership
• Ask yourself:
– Am I paying enough attention to the values, culture and tone in
the organization/community where I’m involved?
– Am I doing all I can to bring out the best in others?
– Am I modeling the values I believe in?
– What other leadership actions should
I be adding?
Mother Theresa
The Challenge of Leadership
• Do I share in leadership
roles?
• Am I developing my ability
to work with others as a team
leader and member?
• Am I a lifelong learner?
Mohandas Gandhi
Citizen Leadership/
Community Leadership
• Citizen leaders work at the grassroots:
– Concerned about
quality of life in their
community
– Take ownership of
problems and opportunities
Bob Kafka
– Help others to identify solutions
– Realize that people must gain from AND
contribute to the problem solving process
Community/
Grassroots Leadership
• How to be empowering?
– No one has ALL the answers
– Most everyone wants to
influence decisions
– Need to access information
– Enlarge the power base
– Give and accept power and
responsibility
– Share knowledge and interests
– Share vision and goals
Dorthea Dix
Community/
Grassroots Leadership
• Seven steps to becoming a better citizen
– Be a team player
– Be courteous
– Act constructively
– Be a good sport
– Be conscientious
– Celebrate the success of others
– Believe in fairness
“… ask what you can
do for your country.”
- JFK
Community/
Grassroots Leadership
• The process of working with a
group to achieve mutual goals
• Leadership is the group’s
property
• Any individual may assume or
acquire leadership
• There is a leader within us all!
Fannie Lou
Hamer
Community/
Grassroots Leadership
• Build advocacy skills by DOING
• Build advocacy currency
– Community Support Program (CSP)
Committees
– Advisory Boards
– Boards of Directors
– Advocacy Actions
– Political Activities
– More!
Community/Grassroots Leadership
Developing a Plan – Step One
To be successful we need:
1. Community Vision - A clear vision of
what we want to accomplish!
• Simply stated:
– The issue to address
– The ability to envision
what could be better
– The vision must be
shared by members of the community
Community/Grassroots Leadership
Developing a Plan – Step Two
2. Community Communication
– Your message
– Communicating
your Community
Vision
– How do you
convince others that
your vision is
important?
Community/Grassroots Leadership
Developing a Plan – Step Three
3. Community Collaboration
– A process of working with others
– Creating community ownership by involving
the community in
identifying issues and
defining solutions and
strategies
Community/Grassroots Leadership
Developing a Plan – Step Four
4. Community Action
– A clear, concise plan
– How to make the
Community Vision
a reality
– People working
together with
energy and excitement!
Community/Grassroots Leadership
Developing a Plan – Four Steps
1. Community Vision - A clear vision of what we
want to accomplish!
2. Community Communication - Your message that
Communicates the Community Vision
3. Community Collaboration - A process of working
with others
4. Community Action - A clear, concise plan of how
to make the Community Vision a reality
Grassroots Leadership –
A Call to Action!
• Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work