Pathways to community leadership: Transitions, turning points, and generational continuity

Abstract

Community engagement has a range of positive individual and societal implications. Gaps remain, however, in understanding the events, relationships, and contexts that set some on a path toward community leadership while many others remain less engaged. This article distills insights from qualitative analysis of 52 in-depth interviews with community leaders from around the United States. We examine the experiences that community leaders perceive to be most influential to their development, identifying three distinct developmental pathways among community leaders: early socialization experiences, gradual life transitions, and catalytic turning points. Analysis of these three categories of narratives suggests strategies to support community leadership development among individuals with different types of initiating experiences.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for support from the Aspen Institute during the data collection phase of this project. Kendl A. Kobbervig (Advocacy and Organizing Manager with Clean Virginia) participated on the study team during data collection.