Community Development through Community Leadership Programs: Insights from a Statewide Community Leadership Initiative

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2005 Community Development through Community Leadership Programs: Insights from a Statewide Community Leadership Initiative Scott Wituk, Sarah Ealey, Mary Jo Clark, Pat Heiny, and Greg Meissen Community leadership programs (CLPs) represent a mechanism for the development of leadership skills and concepts. Yet, CLPs have focused primarily on networking and providing community information to participants. The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) was a statewide leadership initiative designed to improve the leadership capacity of 17 communities. The KCLI provided leadership skills and concepts to CLP directors and board members who were in a position to change their local CLPs to be more focused on leadership skills and concepts. Community residents who graduated from CLPs reported positive beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts, reported confidence when using them, and reported using them in work and community settings. However, they were faced with several challenges, including difficulty getting others to recognize the benefits of the leadership skills and concepts. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of the need for community leadership and development. Keywords: community leadership, leadership programs, community development, community initiatives Community leadership programs (CLPs) are the most prevalent form of leadership development. Each year thousands of business people, local government officials, nonprofit directors, and other community residents graduate from one of over 750 CLPs in the United States (Langone & Rohs, 1995). At the same time, CLPs have been criticized for not promoting leadership skills and concepts (NACL, 1995). The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) was based on a train the trainer approach for disseminating leadership skills and concepts throughout Kansas communities. More specifically, KCLI was designed to train directors and board members of local CLPs in leadership skills and concepts. Both directors and board members were included in KCLI as both play significant roles in the development and provision of CLPs curriculum and activities. Previous research (Wituk et al., 2003) has shown that directors and board members who participated in the KCLI changed their CLPs curriculum and activities to focus on leadership skills and concepts. By participating and graduating from the newly focused CLPs, community residents would gain the leadership skills and concepts, and they would be in a position to use them in work and volunteer settings. This train the trainer approach would help create a leadership ripple within and across communities. Contact Information: Scott Wituk, PhD, Research Coordinator, Phone: (316) 978-3327, E-mail: scott. wituk@wichita.edu. Self-Help Network: Center for Community Support and Research. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Box 34, Wichita, KS 67260-0034. 2005, The Community Development Society 89

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society The purpose of the current article is to examine local CLP graduates reported beliefs about leadership skills and concepts, graduates reported confidence in applying the skills and concepts, graduates reported use of them in community and work settings, and benefits and challenges they encountered. Community Leadership Over the past 40 years, community leadership has received increasing amounts of attention (Brungradt & Seibel, 1995; Kirk & Shutte, 2004; Langone & Rohs, 1995; Mills, 2005; Williams & Wade, 2002). Influenced largely by servant leadership (Greenleaf, 1977), community leadership is based on the notion that there are leaders everywhere, including civic groups, boards of volunteer agencies, neighborhood associations, interest groups, and self-help organizations (Tropman, 1997). The Need for Community Leadership The need for community leadership is well recognized. Putnam (2000) documents declines in civic and social connectedness over the past 40 years. His analysis reveals dramatic shifts in the way people interact with one another and a decline in the social capital within communities. This decline of social capital puts communities at risk for a host of challenges. Community leaders can help address local challenges by agreeing to educate themselves and to adopt useful leadership skills and concepts while increasing social capital by bringing people together. Others (Bolton, 1991; Kirk & Shutte, 2004; Mills, 2005) contend that fostering local leadership to help make communities better places to live is one of the primary purposes of community development. Implied in this purpose is the assumption that the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of a leader can be learned. Similarly, Lappe and Dubois (1997) argue that the issue is a lack of knowledge. The biggest problems facing Americans are not those issues that bombard us daily, from homelessness and failing schools to environmental devastation and the federal deficit.... The crisis is that we as a people don t know how to come together to solve these problems. We lack the capacities to address the issues or remove the obstacles that stand in the way of public deliberation. Too many Americans feel powerless. (p. 7) Finally, Pigg (1999) summarizes the forces that require new forms of community leadership development, including a lack of resources with greater demands, accountability, and expectations; economic globalization; increased decision-making at the local community level; and growing recognition of the need for collaboration and communication. Despite the need to understand and foster community leadership, little is known about how to diffuse leadership throughout a community. Most leadership development initiatives are directed toward addressing a specific community sector or problem, without recognizing the benefit of building leadership capacity throughout the community. The Features of Community Leadership A number of community leadership experts and researchers have described the features of community leadership (Robinson, 1994; Langone & Rohs, 1995; Northouse, 1997; Kouzes & Posner, 1995; Rost, 1991; Price & Behrens, 2003). Collectively, they suggest that community leadership emphasizes a collaborative, on-going, influential process based on the relationships between people. When defined as a relationship, all participants are practicing leadership to some extent, depending on the situation and required skills. Contemporary views of community leadership emphasize the need for citizens to voice their opinions and thoughts in shaping the decisions and policies that 90

Wituk, Ealey, Clark, Heiny, and Meissen affect their lives (Robinson, 1994; Langone & Rohs, 1995; Northouse, 1997; Kouzes & Posner, 1995; Rost, 1991; Price & Behrens, 2003). In addition, Sandmann and Vandenberg (1995) illustrate how leadership is viewed and approached in a community context. Based on the traditional view, community leadership rests with a single or small group of individuals who control and direct others. Contemporary views, however, emphasize the need for many leaders working as facilitators to empower partners. Traditional views suggest that organizations and groups are marked by a hierarchy with specific rules and clear boundaries of right and wrong. But views that are more recent suggest organizations and groups are comprised of an overlapping set of networks in which members work collaboratively toward a shared vision. Finally, traditional problem-solving is perceived as a top-down, reactive process, although recent views emphasize a democratic, creative process in which groups engage in capacity-building that creates new learning experiences. Given the proper experiences, confidence, and skills, many individuals unaccustomed to leadership can learn to assume some of the roles of a leader. Background of Community Leadership Programs CLPs started 40 years ago in Philadelphia in response to the growing recognition for more civic and community involvement (Moore, 1988). In the 1980s, CLPs started to increase in number because of changes in demographics, society, and technology with the most recent estimates of over 750 programs (Langone & Rohs, 1995). Reports and studies find that approximately two-thirds of CLPs were sponsored by Chambers of Commerce (NACL, 1995; Williams & Wade, 2002). CLPs primarily have been meet and greet programs in which participants are introduced to other community leaders and informed of local community challenges (e.g., education, affordable housing, economic development, transportation, etc.) with the hope that once participants graduate from the CLP, they will gain the confidence, beliefs, and skills to address such problems and strengthen their communities. Directors of CLPs were Chamber of Commerce staff who received help from a board of advisors (NACL, 1995). Most CLP directors were logistical coordinators, reserving meeting rooms, arranging speakers, and sending materials to leadership class participants. Board members were often previous graduates of the CLP who wanted to remain involved in the program by helping identify new community members willing to participate. The NACL report (1995) and several other studies examining the characteristics of CLPs (Howell, Weir, & Cook, 1979; Cruze, 1988; Brungradt & Seibel, 1995; Langone & Rohs, 1995; Williams & Wade, 2002) found that most CLPs focused on a leadership class that extended for six to nine months with an average class time of 72 hours. Leadership class members were often managers or directors in businesses and nonprofit organizations or local government officials. Traditionally, CLPs leadership class curriculum included (a) providing information about community history, strengths, problems, and needs; (b) visiting and discussing specific community sectors (e.g., healthcare, government, major businesses, education); and (c) networking class members with each other and community leaders, primarily from the business and government sectors (J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership, 2003). A handful of CLPs included a class project in which class participants identified a community problem (e.g., homelessness) and tried to address it (NACL, 1995). In summary, the purpose of most CLPs has not drastically changed since their establishment in the 1970s and 1980s (J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership, 2003; Langone & Rohs, 1995; NACL, 1995; Williams & Wade, 2002). 91

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) was a statewide initiative sponsored by the Kansas Health Foundation whose mission is to improve the health of all the people in the state. Leadership development is a major component in achieving that mission. The KCLI was designed as a train the trainer approach to changing CLPs from networking and the provision of community information to programs focused on specific leadership skills and concepts that promote collaboration, understanding, and a mutuallydeveloped vision. The KCLI consisted of a series of retreats over two years involving directors and lead board members from 17 CLPs across the state. As part of the KCLI, CLP directors and board members were introduced to a variety of leadership skills and concepts, including learning styles, consensus building, servant leadership, creating a learning environment, and a vision process (see Table 1). Table 1. Description of Example Leadership Skills Presented at the KCLI Leadership Skills Vision Process Timeline Exercise Creating a Learning Environment Learning Styles Steps to a Performing Community Experiential Learning Cycle Multiple Lens Exercise Consensus and Collaboration Servant Leadership Brief Description Includes the steps and process to creating a shared vision, including reviewing the past, assessing strengths and issues, understanding what is important, and deciding what to take forward and leave behind. Process by which a group identifies key events and trends within their community that have affected how they live. Used to discover past decisions, beliefs, and actions as told by participants. Providing a group with an environment that promotes dialogue, excitement, and shared responsibility. A tool designed to assess individuals preferred approach to working and learning. A process is provided as to how to use such information to improve group functioning. Describes the steps to a performing community or group and how to assist groups through each step. The steps include gathering, chaos, unity, and performing. Review of the steps to the experiential learning cycle and how it can be applied to groups. The steps include experience, process, generalization, application, and wisdom. A process by which participants are able to relate and understand each other by viewing the world through their eyes. Includes an opportunity for participants to discuss similarities and differences. Group processes that value all perspectives when making a decision. Goal is to bring people together based on their individual strengths to maximize resources. Concept that servant leaders serve others out of a natural feeling to make sure others priorities are met. Through the process of putting others first, rather than promoting one s own selfinterest, can servant leadership be achieved. 92

Wituk, Ealey, Clark, Heiny, and Meissen Previous research has shown that CLP directors and board members incorporated their newly learned leadership skills and concepts into their local CLPs curriculum and activities (Wituk et al., 2003). Once the leadership skills and concepts were included in CLPs, graduates of CLPs (i.e., business persons, government officials, nonprofit directors) would have positive beliefs about their leadership skills, confidence in applying them in different situations, and more importantly, using the leadership skills and concepts in a variety of settings to make their communities better places to live. This train the trainer approach can be described as attempting to create a leadership ripple within communities, starting with CLP directors and board members and expanding outward through the work and volunteer activities of CLP graduates. Figure 1 reviews the train the trainer approach and its relation to the logic model of the KCLI. The current article addresses the question as to how far the leadership ripple initially expanded through communities. It builds upon previous findings by examining the leadership skills and concepts practiced by local community residents who graduated from CLPs. More specifically, four areas are examined, including CLP graduates (a) beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts, (b) confidence in using the leadership skills and concepts, (c) self-reported use of the leadership skills and concepts in work and community settings, and (d) perceived benefits and challenges when using leadership skills and concepts. Figure 1. Logic Model for the Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLI) Components of the KCLI Invitation to participate and support from Kansas Health Foundation Facilitated retreats by Contemporary Consultants. Retreats included contemporary leadership skills and concepts (See Table 1) Process, formative, summative evaluation conducted by Self-Help Network Short Term Outcomes Participating CLP directors and board members will have increased or improved: Knowledge Attitudes Beliefs Use of leadership skills and concepts Intermediate Outcomes Organizational changes to CLPs, including: Revised leadership class curriculum New responsibilities for CLP directors and board members New recruitment strategies Incorporation of leadership project Long Term Outcomes Graduates of CLPs Positive beliefs about leadership skills and concepts Confidence using skills and concepts Use of skills and concepts in work and community settings Impact: Improve Health of All Kansans. 93

94 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society Description of Participating CLPs METHODS CLPs in the current study were fairly diverse in terms of their location, size, and cost. While some served small communities of less than 2,500 residents, others served large metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 500,000. CLPs had been in existence for an average of 12 years. Each year CLPs graduated an average of 20 adults with some having as many as 29 and others as few as ten participants. Programs ranged in duration from four to nine months, averaging five months, and typically meeting once or twice per month. Costs to attend CLPs ranged from $125 to $1,100, with an average cost of $400 per participant. Often participants costs were covered through their employers or a local sponsor. Procedure, Instrument, and Data Analysis Fifteen of the 17 CLPs that participated in the KCLI provided a list of their program graduates. Ninety-five CLP graduates were randomly chosen from the lists of participating CLPs, and they completed a thirty-minute telephone interview approximately one year after they had completed their participation in the local CLP. Questions were designed to address several topics including (a) beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts, (b) confidence in using the leadership skills and concepts, (c) use of leadership skills and concepts at work and in the community, (d) perceived challenges of using the leadership skills and concepts, and (e) basic background and demographic information (i.e., employment, responsibilities at work, community involvement) and why they decided to participate in their CLP. Beliefs and Confidence Participants beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts and their confidence in using them were assessed through a series of statements in which they were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with each on a scale from 1 to 6, with 1 = strongly disagree and 6 = strongly agree. Questions were designed to assess the extent to which participants believed that their newly introduced leadership skills and concepts were beneficial (e.g., the leadership skills and concepts benefit my community, the leadership skills and concepts benefit my work) and the extent to which they were confident or prepared to use the leadership skills and concepts (e.g., I understand how to use the leadership skills and concepts. I am confident using the leadership skills and concepts.). Use of Leadership Skills and Concepts To determine which leadership skills and concepts participants used, graduates were asked a series of questions about their use of specific leadership skills and concepts presented as part of the KCLI (e.g., learning styles, visioning process, servant leadership, consensus-building) and how frequently they used each leadership skill or concept in both community and work settings. In addition, CLP graduates were asked to reveal which one of the leadership skills and concepts they had used most frequently. Perceived Benefits and Challenges In order to determine challenges when using the leadership skills and concepts, participants were asked several open-ended questions, including, What has been the most challenging aspect of incorporating the leadership skills and concepts into community groups/organizations? and What has been the most beneficial aspect of incorporating the leadership skills and concepts into community groups/organization? Responses to the open-ended questions were transcribed for analysis. Based on the qualitative data

Wituk, Ealey, Clark, Heiny, and Meissen analysis process of Miles and Huberman (1994), responses were reviewed as we looked for common themes. Predetermined themes were avoided to allow all themes to emerge without restraint from the data. To reach valid and logical themes, the research team met frequently to discuss theme definitions and resolve any disagreements in coding. Description of CLP Participants Table 2 provides a description of CLP participants. Most CLP graduates were female (60%), and nearly all CLP graduates (93%) worked full-time. Almost half (47%) of respondents worked in businesses, such as financial institutions, retail, or industry/manufacturing. Nearly 20% held positions within city or county government; just over 15% worked in schools or colleges, and nearly 15% worked in non-profits or churches. Most participants (78%) were managers, directors, administrators, or supervisors (e.g., director of special events, fiscal manager, branch manager, regional vice-president). Other direct service positions (22%) included clerks, assistants, counselors, and teachers. Most participants (78%) heard about their local CLP through word of mouth, especially from those who had previously graduated from the program, such as co-workers, friends, or Chamber of Commerce staff. Participants were frequently nominated or recruited to participate in the CLP (69%) and were contacted either by the CLP director or a board member. Just over 30% volunteered or self-nominated to participate. People were motivated to participate for several reasons. Participants stated that they wanted to participate in the CLP to learn more about the community (30%), to learn specific leadership skills (29%), and to meet new people (23%), and in addition they had heard positive things from past participants (10%). Before their involvement in the CLP, nearly 90% of participants were involved in at least one community group or organization. The types of community groups/organizations varied greatly and included churches (Sunday school, church committees), non-profits (United Way, Red Cross, Big Brothers, Big Sisters), community coalitions, youth programs (4-H, sports), service organizations (Kiwanis, Lyons Club, Rotary), and school related activities. On average, participants were involved in four community groups/organizations before their involvement in the KCLI. Over 40% were involved in five or more community groups or organizations. Table 2. Description of CLP Graduates Demographics of CLP Graduates % of CLP Graduates Female 60 Worked Full-Time 93 Worked in Business 47 Worked in Schools or Colleges 15 Worked in Non-profits or Churches 15 Managers, Directors or Administrators 78 Prior Involvement in a Community Group or Organization 90 Relation & Motivation to Participate in CLP % of CLP Graduates Participants Who Heard of CLP through Word of Mouth 78 Nominated or Recruited to Participate by CLP Director or Board Member Volunteer or Self-Nominated 30 Wanted to Learn about the Community 30 Wanted to Learn Specific Leadership Skills 29 Wanted to Meet New People 23 Heard Positive Things from Past Participants 10 69 95

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society Beliefs and Confidence RESULTS CLP graduates had strong positive beliefs regarding the leadership skills and concepts (See Table 3). Many participants believed that the leadership skills and concepts were beneficial to them (m = 5.7; SD =.62), their work (m = 5.4; SD =.70), and their community (m = 5.5; SD =.83). Although participants had strong positive beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts, they did not report as much confidence when using them (see Table 3). For example, just over half (55%) strongly agreed or agreed that they felt confident using the leadership skills and concepts in any setting (m = 4.6; SD =.96). To determine if there were any statistical differences between participants beliefs and confidence in using the leadership skills and concepts, individual items for each were combined into a total score for perceived benefits and confidence. A paired samples t-test was calculated to compare the means of the two total scores. The mean for the perceived benefits was 22.16 (sd = 2.27), and the mean for confidence was 19.73 (sd = 2.98). There was a significant difference between the two scores (t(89) = 8.31, p <.01), suggesting that participants believed that the leadership skills and concepts were beneficial, but were not always confident using them. There were no other significant differences in beliefs or confidence when examining the gender of participants, position held, or amount of experience. Reported Use of Leadership Skills and Concepts All CLP graduates (100%) reported using at least one leadership skill or concept. While the learning styles inventory was the most frequently used (85%), a high percentage of CLP participants reported using several other leadership skills and concepts (see Table 4) at least once, including consensus building (77%), servant leadership (73%), creating a learning environment (62%), and the future vision process (61%). A paired samples t-test indicated that community leadership skills and concepts were reported significantly more often in work settings compared to community settings (t(90) = 2.74, p <.01). Of the ten leadership skills and concepts listed, participants used an average of 4.24 in work settings (sd = 3.01) and an average of 3.16 in community settings (sd = 3.43). For example, while 75% used the learning styles at work, 47% used it in a community setting. In addition, participants were not any more likely to be involved in community groups or organizations because of their participation in the CLPs. Two correlations were performed to determine if those with higher positive beliefs used the leadership skills and concepts more frequently or if those with higher levels of confidence used the leadership skills and concepts more frequently. Positive correlations were found for both. Those who expressed positive beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts used them more frequently (r(90) =.305, p <.01). Similarly, those who expressed higher confidence in using the leadership skills and concepts reported using them more frequently (r(90) =.471, p <.01). Benefits and Challenges of Using Leadership Skills and Concepts Overall, 85% of participants stated that through their involvement with the CLP, they had changed their interactions with others at work and/or in the community. Because of participation in their CLP, over 50% of participants stated they had become more aware of others perspectives. For example, one person said, I have a better understanding of others. I think about what I m doing and why they react the way they do. Others (27%) stated they listened to others more often (e.g., When working with others, I stop and make sure everyone has input. I m working to find solutions that will be beneficial to all. ). 96

Wituk, Ealey, Clark, Heiny, and Meissen Table 3. Confidence and Beliefs Regarding the Leadership Skills and Concepts Items M The leadership skills and concepts are beneficial. 5.7 The leadership skills and concepts benefit my community. 5.5 The leadership skills and concepts help make my community a better place for kids. 5.5 The leadership skills and concepts benefit my work. 5.4 I understand how to use the leadership skills and concepts. 5.1 I am prepared to use the leadership skills and concepts. 5.0 I am comfortable using the leadership skills and concepts. 4.9 I am confident using the leadership skills and concepts in any setting. 4.6 Note: Based on six point Likert scale from 1 to 6 with 1 = strongly disagree ; 2 = disagree ; 3 = somewhat disagree ; 4 = somewhat agree ; 5 = agree ; and 6 = strongly agree Table 4. Use of Leadership Skills and Concepts Leadership Skills and Concepts Used at Least Once % of Respondents Who Said the Leadership Skill or Concept was Used Most Frequently Used at Work Used in Community Learning Styles 85 40 75 47 Creating a Learning Environment 62 2 51 35 Timeline Exercise 55 12 46 28 Vision Process 61 4 46 37 Servant Leadership 73 8 61 46 Experiential Learning Cycle 20 2 15 11 Steps to a Performing Community Consensus and Collaboration 40 26 27 27 77 4 64 44 Multiple Lens Exercise 39 1 25 24 Many felt more comfortable (24%) in leadership situations (e.g., When I was selected as chairperson of our committee, I was a little concerned if I could handle it. But now I feel much more confident in facilitating the meeting. ) On the other hand, participants stated they were met with a variety of challenges as they tried to implement the leadership skills and concepts into work and community settings. Twenty-three percent of respondents stated they had few opportunities to use the leadership skills and concepts (e.g., There were situations where I didn t think it was appropriate to use the leadership skills because I was newer to the group. ). Others stated they lacked the time (21%) to use all of the skills and concepts, or others had difficulty in seeing the usefulness of the leadership skills (21%). Those who mentioned these challenges were no less likely to use the leadership skills and concepts compared to those who did not mention the challenges. 97

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society DISCUSSION The KCLI train the trainer approach and current findings are important and critical contributions to both community leadership and community development. Findings from the current research and their relation to the train the trainer approach are discussed in light of the need for community leadership and development, followed by several implications. Several findings from the current research suggest KCLI was a practical and useful approach to statewide community leadership development. First, the KCLI was an intentional departure from traditional leadership approaches emphasized in CLPs in that it focused on leadership skills and concepts. Rather than focusing on networking and learning about the community, the KCLI emphasized the importance of individual leadership capacities through specific leadership skills and concepts. Directors and board members of CLPs and the graduates of CLPs recognized the importance and believed that these leadership skills and concepts were useful in their work and community positions. Secondly, the KCLI was designed so that multiple community sectors and individuals from a variety of backgrounds and positions could gain the leadership capacities to make positive changes in their communities. Rather than targeting a select few, the leadership capacities presented as part of the KCLI were designed to be useful to everyone in as many situations as possible. Current findings show that the leadership skills and concepts were used in many different settings, although more frequently in work than in community-based or volunteer settings. One can speculate on several possible reasons for this difference. Work place settings may have been more receptive to the leadership skills and concepts as they provide multiple opportunities for their use. For most individuals, their job or work accounts for more of their time and effort when compared to their volunteer or communitybased service. Therefore, CLP graduates are more likely to use the leadership skills and concepts in settings where they are spending more time and are in positions where those skills and concepts are more accepted. The leadership skills and concepts were not difficult to learn, neither were they overly complex. While not all CLP graduates were confident using the leadership skills and concepts, for the most part, they believed in their benefits and used them in their local communities. The CLP graduates were likely not as confident using the leadership skills and concepts, which represent a departure from the typical CLP model of leadership development that focuses on networking and community information. The leadership skills and concepts likely challenged CLP graduates in this sense. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that CLPs provide time-limited leadership training. Participating in a six to 12 month CLP may not provide the depth of experiences and opportunities to improve participants confidence. Greater attention is needed to look into ways in which to build CLP graduates confidence, especially as they are faced with multiple challenges when implementing the leadership skills and concepts. One possible mechanism is through the use of experiential learning, providing an opportunity for CLP graduates to learn from one another about their positive, as well as challenging, experiences when using the leadership skills and concepts. Such discussion among CLP graduates would allow them to provide each other with suggestions, to foster greater confidence, and to promote the continued use of the leadership skills and concepts. Finally, the KCLI targeted local CLPs rather than trying to develop a new leadership program or structure within communities. Based on a train the trainer approach, the leadership skills and concepts could be quickly and readily disseminated to community residents participating and graduating from CLPs. Such an approach is relatively lowcost and time-efficient, as it provides the opportunity for expanding leadership skills and concepts across different community groups, coalitions, and places of work. Based on 98

Wituk, Ealey, Clark, Heiny, and Meissen findings from the current research, the KCLI train the trainer approach has expanded the leadership ripple from CLP directors and board members to the CLP graduates. The ripple is likely to continue to expand as current CLP graduates use the leadership skills and concepts in work and community settings. In addition, every year new community residents participate in CLPs, providing additional opportunities for the leadership skills and concepts to be disseminated. Despite these strengths, the current research does have its limitations because we lacked a comparison group of CLPs who failed to receive KCLI training. A comparison group of CLP graduates who did not receive the training would have helped guard against possible extraneous variables that may have been related to the current findings. In addition, the current study relied on self-reported data. It is possible that CLP graduates exaggerated or overestimated their use of the leadership skills and concepts, although this overestimation is unlikely given that many of the leadership skills and concepts were new, and graduates reported no previous introduction to them. While the current research could have been strengthened through a comparison group design, the findings do provide several insights for CLPs, community leadership, and community development. Focus on General Leadership Skills and Concepts The KCLI highlights the importance of a capacity-based approach in strengthening the leadership skills and concepts of individuals. Although CLP graduates were not always fully confident in their leadership abilities, and they sometimes faced challenges, graduates recognized the benefits of the leadership skills and concepts and reported using them at work and in the community. In addition, it appears that leadership skills and concepts could be modified and adopted to various settings, groups, and organizations rather than designed for one particular group or audience. For example, CLP graduates were able to use the leadership skills and concepts in multiple areas in which they were already involved. From a community development perspective, leadership skills and concepts can help act as catalysts to transform organizations, groups, and others to collaborate. Community Development across Community Sectors Findings from the current research provide initial evidence that the leadership skills and concepts presented as part of the KCLI were widely dispersed through participating communities. Graduates of CLPs represented a variety of community sectors, including business, government, non-profits, schools, and faith-based organizations. While the majority of CLP participants represented traditional leadership positions (e.g., directors), CLPs appear to be expanding to include other roles (e.g., teachers) as well. By including multiple community sectors and people in a variety of different positions, CLPs provide an opportunity to blanket their community. In this sense, CLPs represent a useful bridge between the nonprofit, business, and government sectors. By spanning these community sectors, CLPs provide an opportunity for people of various backgrounds, strengths, and experiences to work together to address the issues and concerns facing their community. Such an approach creates synergy between not only individuals, but community sectors, as they begin to jointly define community challenges and develop ways those challenges can be addressed. Targeting Existing Community Leadership Programs The current initiative also suggests that CLPs are an underutilized resource for community leadership development. They have focused on networking and community awareness. By emphasizing leadership skills and concepts, CLPs have strengthened their 99

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Journal of the Community Development Society potential to serve their communities. Directors and board members of CLPs (who were previously logistical coordinators) can develop and teach useful leadership skills and concepts to leadership class participants. By targeting CLPs, the KCLI was able to enhance an existing, well-recognized organization in local communities, rather than trying to create a new leadership program or service. This enhancement helped ensure that the leadership skills and concepts would continue to be promoted beyond the scope of the original initiative. CLPs that emphasize leadership skills and concepts are a useful structure within communities, and they have the potential to reach thousands of individuals. CONCLUSION The importance and need for leadership development in building strong communities cannot be debated. In order to thrive in the current economic, political, and social environment, communities need leaders who can help local groups, businesses, and nonprofits work together to address challenges and promote local strengths. By collaborating with CLPs, the KCLI represents a leadership movement, developing leadership across an entire state. Community development takes place in multiple sectors with individuals who have the leadership skills and capacities to make a difference. This approach is truly community-wide, with high levels of engagement and interaction and individuals who are committed to making their communities better places to live. Leadership skills can be widely dispersed throughout a community, region, or state given attention to integrating skills and concepts into community structures that are able to reach large numbers of individuals. Using these strategies, future leadership initiatives can have far-reaching impacts, addressing multiple community challenges. With this in mind, the KCLI represents the kind of solution suggested by Robert Putnam (2000) as a way to build social capital capable of addressing the ever changing and diverse issues of communities. REFERENCES Bass, B. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18, 19-31. Bolton, E. B. (1991). Developing local leaders: Results of a structured learning experience. Journal of the Community Development Society, 22 (1) 119-143. Brungardt, C. L., & Seibel, N. (1995). Assessing the effectiveness of community leadership programs. Kansas Leadership Forum Publication Series. Cruze, G. L. (1988). Developing community leaders: An analysis and evaluation of a metropolitan leadership program. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50 (01), 51-A. (University Microfilms No. DA89-07694). Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership. New York: Paulist Press. Howell, R. E., Weir, I. L., & Cook, A. K. (1979). Public affairs leadership development. Pullman: Washington State University, Rural Sociology. J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership. (2003). Survey of adult community leadership program content. Atlanta, GA. Kirk, P., & Kraft, M. K. (2004). Community leadership development. Community Development Journal, 39, 234-251. Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (1995). The leadership challenge: How to keep getting extraordinary things done in organizations (2 nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Langone, C. A. & Rohs, F. R. (1995). Community leadership development: Process and practice. Journal of the Community Development Society, 26 (2), 252-267. Lappe, F., & DuBois, P. (1997). The quickening of America: Rebuilding our nation and remaking our lives. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Mills, R. C. (2005). Sustainable community change: A new paradigm for leadership in community revitalization efforts. National Civic Review, 94, 9-16. 100

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