Introduction
Community leadership development programs are essential for providing a foundation in leadership and how individuals, irrespective of their positions or backgrounds, can inspire change and a better state of living in respective communities. Leadership changes communities and drives others towards a common societal goal. For example, leadership programs for young adults can ensure that they pursue worthwhile careers and can provide for their families within community settings. As such, this leadership module provide the required foundation required to promote better leadership and management skills within communities and will ultimately assist in building communities currently and in the future across the United States.
Overview of Module
This leadership module will be dedicated over a period of two days including 12 hours of theoretical and practical studies. It will also consist of 6 subjects that can be divided into 1 hour of theoretical studies and then another hour of practical studies, which can consolidate all knowledge learnt and ensure that students grasp the required leadership skills taught throughout the curriculum of the overall module. The class would also be conducted in a classroom setting, for the majority of theoretical components being taught and outside of the classroom and more practical and open environments for the practical sessions of each subject. The module is designed so that all subjects can be taught at the same location with limited movement between each class or any additional requirements that may reduce time dedicated to leadership and management skills.
Leadership Module Subjects
The following subjects will be included in the leadership module and which have a very distinct relationship with communities and their growth currently and in the future:
Leadership Personalities – 2 Hours in Length
Leadership Styles – 2 Hours in Length
Cultural Leadership – 2 Hours in Length
Collaboration of Leadership & Management – 2 Hours in Length
Change Leadership
Situational Leadership
1. Leadership Personalities
As has been previously identified in a number of community projects, leadership personalities assist communities in connecting and engaging with respective individuals. Community influence and power over others can only be achieved if leaders and managers are able to relate with others and include the requirements of others. In many instances, these requirements come down to respective personalities and how people can tailor their personalities to become more relatable and charismatic. Differences in leadership personalities will also be studied in this subject as leaders and managers alike, need to understand the personalities of others and how to frame or propose an idea that others, with differing opinions, may ultimately accept and agree upon. The subject further acknowledges the fact that change and development can only be inspired in large and small communities if leaders can have some grasp of the personalities of others.
2. Leadership Styles
One of the most important components of leadership is style and how individuals tailor their leadership style and inspire others. Every leader is going to have a different style of leadership and way of appealing to others. The first leadership style that will be covered in this subject is the assertive style of leadership and the ability to be commanding and highly authoritative when it comes to directing and also correcting. Many community projects rely on assertive leaders who can immediately drive change and development rather than depend on the efforts and leadership styles of others. The second style that will be covered is the follower leader style. The follower leader style is also highly suitable and is tailored to particular situations where expertise from others is required and will result in success and overcoming particular challenges. Many leaders in the 21st century need to understand how to correctly delegate tasks to others who have the expertise in the relevant field of study. Furthermore, assertive and follower leadership styles are highly beneficial in certain scenarios and less effective in others. For example, a scenario that may require a long-term community project with a particular emphasis on technical expertise will be better suited to a follower leadership style. A short-term project on the other hand that involves endurance and a high level of command and authority may require only the assertive leadership style.
3. Cultural Leadership
An integral component of community wide projects is cultural leadership and an individual in a position of power, being able to recognize the particular needs and requirements of different cultures in communities across the United States and also globally. Multicultural societies are particularly dependent on cultural leadership and there is no doubt that every community has a large array of different cultures. This subject will particularly focus on how leaders can better assimilate different cultures into society and can effectively re-shape society to make it more user and culture friendly. For example, a leader who develops programs for the better implementation of skills that aide different cultures in community schools and throughout development programs is a cultural leader. Additionally, cultural leaders need to be weary of the use of ethics in cultures and being able to recognize the abilities of all cultures, which may be integral in driving change and future development in communities.
4. Collaboration of Leadership and Management
Leadership and management have always been requirements of community led programs and initiatives. Despite possessing the required leadership skills such as professionalism and confidence, individuals may be lacking in such areas as management and insufficiencies in managing in particular, the administration for a particular community based program. By effectively teaching students how they can combine or collaborate both leadership and management skills, individuals can come away with a better understanding of how they can apply leadership and management to particular scenarios. For example, individuals may be able to understand that it is better to orchestrate stronger leadership in situations where people are being meddlesome. Additionally, management ensures that employees and participants overall within community programs are being cared for and their requirements are being met. Career guidance and the development of human resources in communities require extensive and highly competent management skills. This subject will provide the necessary guidance on the collaboration of leadership and management.
5. Change Leadership
Change leadership is one of the most significant components of leadership overall and an essential part of this leadership module. Change is inevitable in any situation, particularly in those that are community based. By providing the necessary change preparation skills to community individuals, they can better manage and drive change in the future.
6. Situational Leadership
In further expanding on the previous subject of change leadership, situational leadership within this module will also provide individuals with the necessary skills to handle a variety of different situations that are faced by communities on a daily basis. Such situations as natural disasters or substantial changes to community infrastructure can be better managed with leaders who are equipped with adequate knowledge of situational leadership. Additionally, situational leadership can ensure that leaders are able to cater to the needs of individuals in varying situations.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this leadership module, it is expected that the student will be able to orchestrate the following:
Effectively lead and manage others with confidence and conviction
Be able to use initiative and their people to solve complex problems
Recognize the requirements and needs of their people
Accomplish a high level of performance within the community amongst their employees
Be able to effect change and prepare their teams for future developments and change
