Community leadership
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Community Leadership?” It means many different things to people, and there are so many options to lead your community. From the smallest task of checking on your elderly neighbors, to something bigger, such as running for a local political office, you can become a Community Leader.
Most often, our first thought when we hear the phrase Community Leader, we think of the Mayor, a member of the School Board or Town Council. Thinking outside of that box, we can see there are many leaders in our community that we don’t necessarily recognize as leaders.
- Reserve Police Officers and Sheriff Deputies
- Volunteer Firefighters/EMT
- CERT Members
- Little League Coaches
- Boy/Girl Scout Troop or Trail Life Leaders
- Explorer Advisors
- Neighborhood Watch Members
- Citizens who attend legislative meetings or email their State’s Senators or Representatives
- Parents who volunteer in their child’s school, whether it’s with the PTA or in the classroom
- Homeschool parents who form cohorts for their children or groups to get advice and support
These are just a few examples of Community Leaders, and the list goes on. There are countless different leaders in our communities, and we have to start recognizing that you don’t have to be the Mayor to be a leader in your community.
You can start small, attend your next town council, county commission, or school board meeting. Or you can go a few steps further and run for local office in your town or district. Even if you don’t win the election you run for, your name, face, and voice will be out there in a way that is different from being an activist or vocal resident. You will be a Community Leader. In Jesse’s case, when he ran for local office, he may not have won but his reasons for running were heard. Now, those who did win are discussing those topics. His voice was heard and issues he believed to be important are being addressed. The process of running for office also helped him network with people in the community and learn about their concerns and solutions.
The choice is up to you to get your voice heard and help to build a strong community.
Original author: J. Felix