Community leadership is vital to our country

This article about community leadership is the third in a five-part series on the gift of leadership.

The term community has a variety of meanings, but it has historically meant the bonds between those who live and work together. Community has many levels. Sometimes we think of community as a group of people or neighborhood while other times we may think of community as a city, county, or region. Yet there may be times that we see our community as an entire state or a whole nation. Regardless of which definition we use, the importance of community is that its members will often work together to mobilize resources, solve problems, and strengthen the community.

There are examples of community leadership across the world, yet the United States appears to be linked more closely to the concept than many other countries. Since de Tocqueville's famous analysis of American democracy in the 1830s, the foundation of the United States has generally been thought to depend on voluntary associations, mediating groups, and social capital for its social well-being.

The separation of America from Britain through the American Revolution acted as a catalyst for the creation of community led programs with more than 1,000 voluntary organizations created between 1760 and 1820 in Massachusetts and Maine alone. Part of the impetus for creating such associations is the belief that participation helps build communities.

Though community participation and leadership appear to be part of the fabric of life in the United States, this past century has seen a deterioration of our communities as coherent entities bound together by common morals and values. Some would say that not only has our sense of community been battered, but that it has been replaced by focus on self and self-interests that began in the late 1960s.

Yet, community leadership remains vital to our country. We need quality leadership at all levels of our society in order for our country to grow and be sustainable. Community leadership plays an important role in creating social capital and building institutions at the local, state, and national levels. Communities need individuals with

initiative, a sense of responsibility, local knowledge and leadership capabilities from all segments of a community to appropriately address and solve community issues. With all that is currently happening in our country,

we can easily see that

strong community leadership is an essential component to "correcting" our country's current course.

But let's be clear about what community leadership is and is not. Community leadership is not community members telling others what to do; rather, community leaders have the ability to help citizens identify common problems and incite the citizens to action to bring about positive community change. Let us also remember that leadership is not a place or a title, it is a process. Community leadership is about representing the interests of the members of the community and helping that community reach its goals.

So, are you a community leader? If your answer is yes, thank you. If your answer is no, I urge you to consider getting involved. However you define community, your community needs you. Every one of us has a unique set of skills, talents, and knowledge and there is a community organization or initiative that is in desperate need of those abilities.

Want to get involved and don't know how? The Southwest Florida Community Foundation will be happy to assist you in finding a way to give a gift of community leadership. Please ask to speak with Director of Programs Anne Douglas when you call.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry through endowed funds for nearly 32 years. With assets of more than $57 million and over 320 endowed funds, the Community Foundation has provided more than $30 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves.

For more information, call (239) 274-5900, or visit their Web site at www.floridacommunity.com.