Building Collective Leadership Capacity: Lessons Learned from a University-Community Partnership

Brandon W Kliewer,Kerry L Priest

doi:10.33596/coll.42

Abstract

Nine deliberative civic engagement forums were convened using a community-driven framework in order to co-emerge what was required to make systemic change. In the context of these forums, we identified the perception community members had when approaching collective work, the dispositions they initially called upon when making-sense of collective action, and barriers that prevent collective work. The article concludes by offering a direction to attend to both individual and collective outcomes when working to deepen capacity of community to advance collective action.

Highlights

In 2015, a comprehensive community needs-assessment was conducted for the purposes of planning and strategic change in Riley County, Kansas
What do these perceptions reveal about dispositions that help or inhibit collective leadership activity?
In response to the first research question, “How did participants perceive their role in community change efforts?”, we identified themes: (a) leadership through positional roles and (b) raising awareness as a focus of leadership activity

Summary

Introduction

In 2015, a comprehensive community needs-assessment was conducted for the purposes of planning and strategic change in Riley County, Kansas. According to the survey data, respondents perceived an active sense of civic responsibility, engagement, and volunteer opportunities. Those surveyed disagreed with the statement that “all residents think they can make the community a better place to live” The discrepancy – or “gap” between espoused values and lived experience – highlights an underlying adaptive challenge (Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009). While these survey results were specific to our community, the feeling and expression of alienation or dispossession from civic work and community change parallels national and global trends (Butler & Athanasiou, 2013). At the same time, increased reliance on professional lobbyists, suspicion of the media, and negative political campaigns have created a growing disconnect between citizens, the political systems associated with representative government, and officials elected to create change (Mathews, 1999)

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Conclusion