LEADERSHIPCOMMUNITY

CHANGE

Lessons In Collective Leadership

Crossing Boundaries, Changing Communities

KELLOGG

FOR

KELLOGG FOUNDATIONVISION TO INNOVATIVE IMPACT

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Kellogg Leadership for CommunityChange (KLCC) was launched by theKellogg Foundation in 2002 to pro-mote and nurture collective and cul-turally appropriate leadership in com-munities across the country.

Crossing Boundaries, Changing Communities is a corephilosophy of the work, urging the inclusion of non-tra-ditional leaders from diverse backgrounds in the collec-tive decision-making processes of their communities.

Traditional models of leadership are often out ofstep with the demands of contemporary communi-ties. Increasingly, diverse populations must find waysto share power, resources and decision making. Weoperate from the premise that while many 21st cen-tury communities are eager to shape new visions forthemselves, they often lack the relationships and col-lective leadership experience required to realizethese visions. This work helps community leaderscultivate the relationships and expertise they need toimprove the neighborhoods in which they live.

We acknowledge that conventional approaches totraining leaders often overlook important communityvoices. To ensure a diversity of community perspec-tives, the program capitalizes on a variety of social,economic, cultural and experiential criteria to identifyprogram participants. After selecting a diverse cohortof fellows in several communities nationwide, wework with these leaders to develop collective leader-ship skills, and provide opportunities for them toexchange best practices and resources while advanc-ing a new collective vision for their communities.

Ultimately, the Foundation’s goal is to strengthen com-munities by helping individuals who are already engagedin community stewardship to recognize themselves andothers as leaders, and then develop the collective leader-ship expertise needed to work across a range of back-grounds and perspectives. The hope is that the work willyield leadership models that are appropriate to the chal-lenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The first of three planned sessions began two years agoand focused on improving teaching and learning in sixcommunities around the country. The lessons learnedfrom Session I challenge current thought on leadership.They suggest that community leadership is in a betterposition to improve teaching and learning when itincludes representation from formal institutions (such asschools) and informal networks. Session I demonstratesthat local community-based leaders, working collectivelyaround a shared vision, can move beyond salient com-munity tensions to help improve the life and vitality oftheir communities.

The following report highlights what we’re learningwith this exciting leadership development program.This summary report is based upon the findings of acomprehensive evaluation process conducted underthe direction of Kellogg Foundation Director ofEvaluation Dr. Teresa Behrens and lead evaluationconsultant Dr. Maenette Benham, professor of edu-cational administration at Michigan State University.We invite you to take a closer look at what has beena worthwhile endeavor so far and encourage you tocheck back with us periodically as we move forwardwith future sessions. ▲

Exploring new possibilitiesthrough collective leadership

Gail McClureVice President for Programs

Rick FosterVice President for Programs

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Introduction

The inaugural session of Kellogg Leadershipfor Community Change (KLCC) began in2002. The first session mobilized participantsaround the theme: Strengthening Public Willand Action Towards Quality Teaching and

Learning. Under the direction of six local agencies,roughly 25 fellows from each site (more than 100 intotal) participated in this trailblazing session.

This leadership program differs from the Foundation'sprevious leadership development programs in that itemphasizes collective rather than individual leadershipdevelopment, embracing the belief that shared leader-ship nurtures individuals and communities.

Session I participants worked to develop the social andcultural literacy that would enable positional and non-positional leaders from different segments of a com-munity to come together and work toward the com-mon good.

The fellows also worked to nurture collective leadershipwithin their communities and then use collective actionto create systems change. Their primary objective waslong-term leadership development that is collective,action-oriented and involves a critical mass of practi-tioners within diverse communities.

The content of this report is based on a comprehensiveevaluation report prepared by Dr. Maenette K. Benham,

lead evaluator for the session and a professor of educa-tional administration at Michigan State University. Theevaluation process applied qualitative and quantitativemethods to assess the program at the local and nationallevels and was conducted throughout the term of thesession. To read the full Session I evaluation report, visit:www.klccleadership.com

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Each of the six sites was expected to make progressin the following areas:

■ Emergence of collective leadership to effectchange;

■ Development of a diverse body of communitychange agents;

■ Initiation of a sustainable community culture ofcollective leadership;

■ Participation in, contribution to, and strength-ening of a national learning exchange; and

■ Identification of lessons learned to assist others with replication efforts.

The sites also sought to enrich the Foundation’s learn-ing about leadership development. ▲

Collective power — individuals working aspartners to make a difference — is at theroot of relevant and sustainable changeefforts. Leadership is about building trust-ing relationships and alliances as well as

managing tasks to achieve goals. In the practice ofcollective leadership:

■ Leaders realize that they must learn new ways ofthinking and doing to ensure that the work of theteam is contextually and culturally relevant.

■ Leaders know how to guide discussions about dif-ferences and similarities of vision among group mem-bers in order to derive a common vision.

■ Leaders are aware of how to engage in respectful aswell as critical collaborative processes in order to arrive ata shared meaning.

■ Networks of allies are essential, therefore, leadersnetwork effectively to build alliances with influentialcommunity members and groups in order to persuadethem to support the common vision.

■ Communication with the general community is fre-quent so that people know what the group is work-ing on and what the successes are. This can increasecommunity awareness and help to build public willfor a project. People like to be involved in successfulendeavors.

■ Leaders identify an achievable goal for their com-munities and then collectively develop strategies forachieving it.

■ An evaluative process is necessary to support theefforts of the leadership partners in attaining theirgoals.

How can community-based, collective leadership be defined?

Community-based, collective leadership is the resultof a process that brings together a diverse communi-ty of people to create change. The process beginswith a shared dream that forms the heart of a groupof skilled and passionate individuals. Collective lead-ership emerges from relationships people have withone another. Community-based, collective leader-ship engages communities in activities that can effectsustained and systemic change by entwining leaders,partnerships and networks of individuals and organi-zations around the focal institutions that need devel-opment or change.

Interrelationships will pull and push individuals, collec-tives and fellowships. Community contexts of history,cultures and politics affect and influence these interre-lationships. Understanding how these elements inter-sect and are mediated is required in order to identifythe effective leadership capacity of the community.

What exactly is leadership at the community-based, collective level?

■ Leadership is relational: the group as a whole is aleader just as members within the group can be lead-ers within the group.

■ Leadership emerges out of specific situations: theprocess of defining vision and setting direction, aswell as exercising influence over other people andorganizations, becomes a shared function of thegroup.

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Collective LeadershipComponents What do leaders need to know?

“Community-based, collectiveleadership is the result of a process that brings together a diverse community ofpeople to influence the work and outcomes of a particular community institution.”

■ Leadership is transformational: it is grounded on theconcept of and commitment to social advocacy andsocial justice.

This is a cyclical process; it does not happen once andend. Instead, the leadership continues evolving ascommunities change. As groups grow and move, theycontinue to learn and relearn about their community.

What are the principles of leadership?

Session I communities found that leaders were bestequipped to influence change when they learned andunderstood the complexities of community context (histo-ry, culture, demographics, politics, economics, etc.).Leaders cannot be effective in addressing a situation unlessthe full picture is brought into focus. Otherwise, differentcommunity members who might have participated or givengood feedback could be alienated unintentionally. Beingfully involved in community action means that the wholecommunity, not fractions of it, must be understood. Acommon concern should be developed out of this learning.The importance of people and place should be recognized.

Session I participants found that before individuals cancome together to work for the collective good, leadersmust work collectively to identify and put into perspec-tive the pertinent issues facing the community.Clarifying these issues and continuously articulatingand reinforcing them helps leaders distinguish betweengroup action and individual action. Individuals com-prise the group, but more is accomplished when everyindividual in the group is dedicated to reaching thesame basic goals. ▲

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The following site summaries are the results of an evalu-ation process employed to help understand how themodel of community-based, collective leadership fared ina real-world setting. The experiences of two sites, Buffaloand Montana, are highlighted in greater detail in casestudies beginning on page 7. All of these summaries areoffered as examples of what the KLCC process yielded inthe Session I communities. The significant questionsasked throughout the evaluation process were:

Does this model really work to help effectchange? If so, how?

■ EASTERN CIBOLA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO:Applying the KLCC principles of collective leadership,

two Pueblo and two Hispanic communities — at oddswith one another for more than 400 years — found amechanism for collaboration. They are now bringingtheir distinct cultures into a common curriculum forthe schools through the creation of a county-leveldepartment of education. The new department willprovide the various community groups a place of col-laboration through which they can interpret state pol-icy from the framework of their own community andin a manner that best serves their culture and values.

■ MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: Each of fivecultural enclaves (Hispanic, Anglo, Hmong, African andAfrican American) struggled to cross the boundarieswithin their own cultural community that preventedthem from seeing themselves as part of the larger com-munity. The unifying thread for the five groups was torecognize and acknowledge that even within a culturalcommunity, work must be done to understand andbuild bridges across the differences within that culture.The change they all ultimately experienced was movingfrom being focused on their own internal differences torecognizing that they could have greater impact if theyunited across cultures to move toward a commonobjective. By the end of the program, the participantsproudly announced that although “we started the pro-gram as five groups, we are graduating as one.”

■ NORTHWESTERN, WISCONSIN: Underemployedand low-income adults, many of them female, spreadacross five rural communities discovered that theycould be more effective by working together to helpcreate meaningful life-long learning opportunities —

What Happened in the Session I Communities?Over the span of 18 months, people from all walks of lifewithin each of the six Session I communities came to knowand trust one another and work together on their locally con-ceived approach to improving teaching and learning in theircommunity. Changes occurred at the grassroots level in howvarious populations communicated with one another; howthey articulated and framed their vision for the future of thecommunity; how they resolved conflict for the collectivegood; how their community infrastructure changed tobecome more inclusive; and how they plan to continue towork together toward an improved community.

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Collective Leadership at WorkThe communities participating in

KLCC Session I all focused on an

educational goal. The lessons they

learned, however, can be applied to any

number of issues in a community that

needs a different type of leadership.

The Situation Flathead is a reservation in which most of the land wasgiven to white settlers in the early 1900s. In the RonanSchool District, about half the students are AmericanIndians. At the start of the Kellogg Leadership forCommunity Change session, there was one AmericanIndian teacher in the district.

The community was divided — the unspoken rules thateveryone knew without it being said were: some events,

jobs, and activities were for whites, and others were forAmerican Indians. American Indian students were drop-ping out of school in disturbing numbers.

The Intention In their written application to the KLCC program, theFlathead community team described the cultural divide asan impediment to improving opportunities for increasingthe quality of education in their community. As theygained leadership skills to further define their vision of

including adult education and economicdevelopment support — through dis-tance learning and other collaborativemechanisms.

■ EDCOUCH-ELSA, TEXAS: The workof the Llano Grande Center fellowshipaffected the other five KelloggLeadership communities by demonstrat-ing the power of youth in convincingadults to try on new thinking andapproaches to existing problems.Inspired by Llano Grande, all of theSession I communities were motivatedto recruit and engage youth to join andinvigorate their leadership groups. An

adult member of the New Mexicoteam explained why she is pushing toinvolve more youth: “They’re the onesthat can move mountains. Throughthem, we get the adults. I see theyouth from Llano Grande; it’s amazingwhat they’re doing.”

In each case, there was a rekindling ofthe creativity, spirit and hope withinthe Session I communities. The energyand mechanisms created at each ofthe sites are leading to a renewal ofthe public commitment to improveteaching and learning for this andcoming generations. ▲

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Flathead Reservation, MontanaCreating ‘Gracious Space’ for New Community Dialogue

the future and design their approach, they becameclearer in their goal of reducing the drop-out rate forAmerican Indians by bringing in new voices, honoringthe power of diverse cultures, and shaping a sharedlong-term commitment to creating a community andeducational system where all students could be suc-cessful.

Action and Results Salish Kootenai College, the host agency for the fellow-ship on Flathead Reservation, formed the steeringcommittee to guide the program’s development. Thesteering committee included representatives from keyorganizations concerned with education — the tribalgovernment, the school district, the college, the voca-tional school and various human service providers.They created a fellowship of American Indians andnon-Natives, including students and elders, positionalleaders, and those who had been previously disenfran-chised.

Fellows from the Flathead Reservation community metthree times a month as they created “gracious space”(which is both a spirit and an organizational tool thatcreates opportunities for deeper listening and under-standing, welcomes diversity, and encourages the cre-ative potential of disagreement or diverse views) andstruggled to understand the perspectives of those withwhom, ordinarily, they would not interact. They dis-cussed their pain and began healing together as theycreated a shared understanding of what leadership

meant for their group. They changed the original fram-ing — reducing the drop-out rate of Indian students —to the more positive and inclusive goal of creating asupportive school climate that welcomes all youth andencourages them to succeed and graduate.

The Fellowship researched why students were leavingschool. They had a presence in the schools on a week-ly basis — including welcoming day activities, support-ing Indian clubs and school spirit activities, and show-ing appreciation for teachers. They developed radiospots with students talking about other students thatthey admired. Fellows participated in parades, commu-nity events, and school board meetings. They created afamily room to welcome parents into the school, amentoring program and a peer mediation program.

After 18 months of intensive work by a fellowshipdesigned to embrace their community’s diversity thereare signs of change. For example, the school districthas engaged in a cultural assessment to evaluate cur-rent programs and determine if more changes areneeded and, for the first time, the school district willenroll students for kindergarten at the Head Start pro-gram that serves Native American children. Despite anunusual number of youth related tragedies in the com-munity, there was a slight increase in the NativeAmerican graduation rate.

Joyce Silverthorne, the head of the Tribal EducationOffice, reports that the types of conversations that now

happen at Ronan schools“occur in no other district onthe reservation.” She is eagerto see the leadership spread toother districts. Fellows havebegun attending conferencesand workshops to share theirlessons.

The Future The Flathead Reservationfellowship continues to havea committed steering com-mittee and a core group ofenergized fellows who feelthat they have only begun.The networks of the steeringcommittee have been addedto the fellows’ networks,

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increasing capacity of the wholeFellowship to work in the community. Thegroup is proud of its accomplishments andis clear that there is much more to bedone. The Fellowship looks forward tocontinuing the Family Resource Roombegun in the middle school, expandingthe mentoring program and offering otheractivities that create a welcoming environ-ment in the schools. With an eye towardlong-term sustainability, the fellows arestrategizing to identify continued fundingsupport, have started to expand theirgroup, and are beginning to think abouthow to mentor new leaders who will jointhem to make their community a placethat values education and where everychild can be successful. ▲

The Situation Buffalo is a city with a great past and a challenging pres-ent. The city has faced a decade of decline with decreas-ing population, loss of jobs, and loss of funding for pub-lic services. Its schools have faced financial crisis and —during the course of the session — were taken over by astate control board. Despitethe dramatic action, Buffaloresidents carry a strongsense of place and commu-nity, and a pride in theirdiversity and culture.

Buffalo’s neighborhoodsare a quilt of diverse ethniccultures, with most peopleliving near others who lookthe same or carry the sameheritage. In putting togeth-er the community team, itwas important to createthe most inclusive grouppossible — representingvarious neighborhoods,ethnic backgrounds, ages,and socioeconomic situa-tions. In fact, one partici-

pant remarked that she had never seen such a diversegroup assembled in her many years of watching com-munity leadership programs. The shared passion for chil-dren and education made it possible for the team totranscend differences and turn their energies into astrong, collaborative effort.

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Buffalo, New York Engaging Community toCollectively Shape the Future

The Intention As with each Session I applicant, the Buffalo commu-nity indicated that there were several key education-related issues — such as the funding crisis facing thelocal school system, teacher training and support, andafter-school programs — that they wanted to address.During their participation, the Buffalo fellows workedto further define their vision and design a plan forstrategic action. Ultimately, they opted to change theparadigm for how the community can shape schoolboard elections and labored to increase funding forafter-school programs.

Action and Results At the end of 18 months, the fellowship had donewhat many had formerly considered nearly impossible:they had become active participants in Buffalo’s com-plex school system and made a real difference. Buildingon the work of their host agency, The Public Policy andEducation Fund of New York/Citizen Action of NewYork, the Buffalo fellowship coordinated a collabora-tion of after-school program providers, the school dis-trict, labor unions, and the mayor’s office to prepare aproposal that increased Buffalo’s allocation of 21stCentury Fund grants from $150,000 to $1.5 million.

When the entire nine-member school board came upfor election, the Buffalo Community Fellowship creat-ed Your Voice, Your Choice, a voter participation cam-paign and community process for identifying and artic-ulating attributes the community desired in its schoolboard members. The resulting checklist provided a ref-erence for voters to use in evaluating school boardcandidates. Embraced by the school board, the news-paper and the community, this checklist was widelydistributed in English and Spanish. The fellowship also

supported a get-out-the-vote effort, and the electionsaw a significant increase in voter turnout. One fellowused the tools learned during the Kellogg Leadershipsession to help organize the Hispanic community toinfluence how boundaries were drawn during theredistricting process. For the first time, there is now aHispanic member of the Buffalo school board. ForBuffalo, their successes were the result of a strongexisting approach to citizen action coupled with theframework, impetus and training offered in the KelloggLeadership session. The Buffalo team used the Theoryof Change as a foundation from which they were ableto articulate their own vision. Using a variety of mutu-al learning and sharing techniques, the Buffalo fellow-ship moved from being a group of strangers to a uni-fied team and is now recognized as a collective sourceof leadership throughout the Buffalo area.

The Future The impact of the fellows’ work has already beensignificant in Buffalo and now extends far beyondthe boundaries of city limits. The fellowship team isusing what they’ve learned to create a report cardthat will provide follow-up accountability for thework begun with Your Voice, Your Choice, toexpand working with the after-school provider net-work, and to mentor the next round of communityleaders. The Public Policy and Education Fund ofNew York/Citizen Action of New York has incorporat-ed lessons learned from the fellowship’s experiencewith leadership development, new ways of buildingpartnership-based coalitions, and the use of graciousspace into their organizations on a statewide basis.In addition, a new fellowship is emerging on LongIsland for which the Buffalo group will provide men-torship and support. ▲

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“At the end of 18 months the fellowshiphad done what many had formerly considered nearly

impossible: they had become activeparticipants in Buffalo’s complex school system

and made a real difference.”

The fellowships all went through a trial-and-error phase, but each of them eventually land-ed on effective strategies for using a communi-ty-based, collaborative leadership model. Earlyin the process, evaluators asked the big ques-

tion of whether or not this model actually achieves posi-tive results. The answer, based on the experiences ofSession I participants, is that this model is, indeed, effec-tive. The question that follows, then, is this: how dogroups use this model to achieve results? Below aresome of the pivotal questions and points that should bekept in mind as groups coalesce into a vibrant force intheir communities.

How does a collection of individuals movefrom the “I” to the “we” and become acollaborative group of leaders?

The process of coming to embrace common goals and ashared vision can be complicated by the cultural environ-ment of a community. History, geography, demograph-ics, lineage, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic factorsinform perspectives that shape the worldview of peopleresiding in a community. Having an awareness of thiswill help group members better understand one anoth-er and how they are connecting with one another andthe community at large. These sensitivities foster opencommunication, continued learning, and high but realis-tic expectations of one another. Understanding theinterrelationship between context and culture, groupmembers move beyond the ‘I’ and into the ‘we’ mindsetand begin to see themselves as part of a larger whole.

How can community-based, collectiveleadership be developed and enacted tobuild community capacity and public willto create sustainable change?

Balance must be achieved between personal learningand team-building skills to build trusting relationships.Participating leaders need to be able to understand andarticulate their areas of competence and passion, com-

munication styles, and views of the community. Theyshould participate in activities that help build individualand cultural self-esteem and should become comfort-able communicating with one another in reinforcing andconstructive ways. Knowing the group members andfeeling good as individuals allows for the possibility ofestablishing, within the group, a strong sense of belong-ing and will result in feelings of relatedness.

Successful groups emphasized high fluidity and highparticipation of group members in the direction-settingprocesses of their work. This can be achieved by: clearlydefining roles and responsibilities through collaborativeprocesses that establish ground rules for respectful dis-cussion and debate; developing a shared vision of thegroup and community; articulating shared expectationsof each member’s participation; maintaining frequentand easily accessible communication; establishing a pos-itive group attitude and a no-titles, non-threatening cli-mate in which unique experiences and expertise areacknowledged while egos are checked at the door.

Groups that knew the cultures around them were betterable to identify and assess relevant community issuesand needs. Group members who become more awareof cultural differences are better able to use culturallyappropriate means of communicating and advocating.In addition, as group members get to know the commu-nity, they also build alliances within it.

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Applying theLessons of the Fellows

Learning and using strategic planning, sharing deci-sion-making practices, learning policy and politicalassessment processes, employing developmentalevaluation methods, and using effective facilitationand community organizing strategies are all part ofteaching group members the tactical leadership skillsthey should eventually possess.

What structure can enhance communitybuilding and leadership for change?

In cases where participants were most satisfied withtheir learning-leadership and social-advocacy experi-ences, the evaluators observed that the organization-al structure was flat (not hierarchical), with key deci-sions being made and implemented in a collaborativemanner. In addition, group members reported a deepsense of ownership of the values and ideals that guid-ed the work of the organization, as well as agreement

with and support of shared norms that defined theactivity and expectations of the organization. Theorganic and participatory nature of successful organ-izations was created by having:

• Clearly defined and frequently articulated rolesand responsibilities;

• Transparent distribution of resources;• A set of defined expectations that held each

member accountable to one another and to theoverall project goals; and

• Open avenues of communication across all levelsof the organization.

How should members of a community-based leadership group handleoutsider/insider tensions?

Theoretically, members of a community are insiders toany public institution in that community. In the realworld, there is often resistance to those who are notpart of the institution’s formal “insider” network (inthe cases of some groups, this resistance often camefrom school administrations and school board mem-bers). Groups that overcame this resistance:• Began by learning how the resistant organizations

functioned;• Established trust by building alliances with people in

the organization one at a time;• Recognized the need to build alliances with other

groups that had influence on the governance of theresistant organization;

• Learned how to question critically yet respectfullywhile presenting ideas; and

• Presented their ideas through both informal, con-versational settings and formal, meeting-like set-tings.

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Never overlook the value of external communications.

The task of communications is absolutely integral tobeing heard and to achieving sustainability: leadersmust understand that the successes of a group, theavailability of members, and the group goal need to beconveyed. For community-based leadership to work,the community must know you exist. Leaders should:•Outline who they want to know about the organiza-

tion. Think of how they can continue to broaden theiraudience.

•Be able to convey the essence of the organization in apress release.

•Make communication educational. What will an audi-ence learn from reading or listening to a message?

•Be frequent and consistent in messages. There are a lotof messages competing for an audience’s attention; toavoid being forgotten, an organization must not neg-lect communication opportunities. Don’t confuse theaudience by sending out conflicting information.

How do you engage the community and get people involved?

One of the biggest frustrations for leaders is that it seemslike the same people are always involved in the commu-nity, while the vast majority are content with inaction.The experience of the fellows suggests it is not that peo-ple are apathetic, rather, many do not know how to getinvolved or do not feel connected. Attending to the fol-lowing may help stimulate involvement:• The basic survival needs of community members need

to be met before anyone will get involved in a socialchange movement. It is a lost cause to advocate forchange in a place where people are struggling to eatand stay warm.

• In many successful cases, the process of building pub-lic will to act begins with building personal will ofindividual group members. By developing and defin-ing relationships, individuals can thenwork to build public will.

• Articulate a common goal. It is easierfor people to get behind a focusedgroup whose purpose is clear.

• Start from scratch. People need to knowthe community’s needs and how to act.The What and the How of your con-cerns must be addressed, and appropri-ate context should be provided.

Part of networking and learn-ing about the community is figuringout where the fire in the community islocated. Are people most fired up aboutissues of place, history, people, alliances, lan-guage, culture, future prosperity, or well-being?What do people really care about? Once the fire’slocus is identified, it becomes the group’s job to directthat passion by articulating these hot issues. This drawspeople out and fuels their spirit to serve.

Take note of who is already involved and then ask: Whois missing? Make it a mission to locate these peopleand reach out for their ideas and energy. Sometimes allit takes is an invitation, especially if a community is onethat has been historically plagued by exclusionary prac-tices of any kind.

Acclimate the community to the idea of change and try toget people comfortable with it. Don’t be discouraged; theexperiences of the KLCC Minnesota group demonstrate thatit takes time to cultivate the public’s will for change becauseit often means changing deeply embedded attitudes.

The sense of belonging, bonding, finding commonground, and sharing passion leads to what the Montanafellows defined as the “we will” movement to engagecommunity change. As this movement grows, more peo-ple will join. People enjoy being a part of something.

How can a project be sustained after theoriginal funding is gone, or after the origi-nal people move on?

A persistent worry among those involved in communi-ty change projects is sustainability. Burnout, evaporat-ing funding, and the transition of people leaving thegroup all are common challenges. Planning ahead forthese occurrences is a smart way to ensure that a proj-ect will continue even after its landscape changes.

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Leaders can:•Invite new people. They bring new ideas, new energy,and new networks.•Maintain a position of fluidity and inclusiveness. Thishelps to build new alliances, and people often need totake breaks from the work and come back to help oncethey are refreshed.

•Be sure that information is disseminated so the commu-nity is aware of what is happening and what thegroup’s needs are. A note to those in a small commu-nity: fellows in rural areas often found word of mouthto be better than the written word.

•Engage in and offer community-based leadership train-ing programs.

•Use self assessment as a tool to identify strengths andgrowth areas of staff and new leaders.

•Engage in collaboration. Don’t rely on collaborationwith just a few because if those people leave, you areleft with nothing.

•Make sure that there are at least a few highly self-moti-vated people in the group who can keep going bythemselves when times get tough, and who can bringothers along with them.

This seems like it will take a lot of time. Isit worth it to spend the time changing theleadership structure that is already in placein my community?

In the beginning of their collective leadership work, all ofthe Session I communities reported quite a bit of frustra-tion with time. Developing new ideas about leadership,changing their activities, and trying to learn about theircommunities’ cultures consumed a lot of time that theyfelt they didn’t have. They struggled with the perceivedinactivity of building relationships within the groups andlearning about themselves, the groups and the communi-ties when they had the desire to do, to work and tochange their communities. However, once the groupstook the steps of learning about themselves and eachother and formulating group visions, they ended up witha robust and holistic perspective of their community thatinfluenced the content and process of their change work.In their final evaluations, the groups consistently reportedthat it was highly effective to take the time to build rela-tionships before they started on their change work; theinsights it provided informed the process and made themmore aware of each step they were taking, and why theywere taking it. ▲

“We have modeled the waythat we wanted to be treated.

We have met people where they areand listened even when it

was very hard.”— Montana KLCC Fellow

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“Sometimes we try to do [community change work] ourselves. I’ve come to realize that it is much moreefficient, and increases chances of success, if you can embrace and empower other folks, and sharethe leadership responsibility with them in an effort to accomplish a goal…”

— John Calvin Davis, KLCC Session I, Buffalo, NY

Maenette Benham, Matthew Militello & Richard Price ............................................National Evaluation TeamCrystal Elissetche, Delia Perez & Miguel Guajardo....................................Edcouch, Texas Site Evaluation TeamShelly Valdez ..........................................................................Eastern Cibola County, New Mexico Site EvaluatorDoug Ruhman ....................................................................................................Ronan, Montana Site EvaluatorDanis Gehl ........................................................................................................Buffalo, New York Site EvaluatorDavid Scheie ............................................................................Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota Site EvaluatorDavid Johnson ........................................................................................Northwestern Wisconsin Site Evaluator

The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following national and local site evaluators whose collective work forms the basis of this report:

Collective leadership is a concept that fits well withour mission at the Kellogg Foundation because itis about assisting groups of individuals in marshal-ing their collective knowledge, talents andresources toward improving the quality of life for

themselves and those around them. The Foundation has onlybegun to explore the possibilities of collective leadership. Ourexperiences in Session I have encouraged us to keep applyingthe lessons we are learning as we move into the next session.We know we are succeeding because we are generatingmore questions than answers about how to strengthen thecollective leadership skills of community members. The com-munities where we work and the Foundation staff continueto learn together.

The participants in Session I came from diverse cultural, eth-nic, educational and economic backgrounds. They were old,young and middle-aged. They were positional and non-posi-tional leaders as well as those who, prior to joining the fel-lowship, did not self-identify as leaders. What they all sharedwas a commitment to community and a belief that socialchange was not only necessary, but possible. What theyaccomplished in such a short period of time is remarkableand only the beginning of what we anticipate will be lastingchange.

Session I has affirmed our belief that in order to grow, insti-tutions, like individuals, must be willing to change. Our deci-sion to focus on collective leadership was an evolution infocus from our previous individual leadership developmentefforts. Participating in a new way of thinking is always excit-ing. The newness, however, also brings change and uncer-tainty. The Foundation wishes to thank the many fellows,host agencies, consultants, staff and board members who

ventured into this new terrain with us. Session I has pro-vided many lessons about leadership development, but

we also have learned important lessons about ourown institutional norms and customs. The

Foundation is working to integrate those lessonsinto our systems and institutional culture, and

is deeply grateful to our KLCC partners forgiving us the gracious space to be an

equal participant in the learningprocess.

Session II began in the spring of 2005. It includes five com-munities from around the country and is focused around thetheme Valuing and Building Youth and Adult Partnerships toAdvance Just Communities. Like Session I, Session II includesurban, suburban and rural communities. Each comes to thework with a set of unique attributes and challenges, but theyshare a commitment to exploring the possibilities collectiveleadership holds for enabling them to better their communi-ties. Our goal for the session is to unleash the potential ofyouth and adults to engage together in shaping the commongood by collectively building new pathways for youth to serveas social change agents.

As we move ahead, we look forward to expanding the col-lective leadership learning community and invite our col-leagues, friends and leaders everywhere to take the les-sons outlined in this report and share them with thosewho might benefit from their application, and to alsoshare their thoughts and reactions back with us.Knowledge shared is the fertile ground from which newpossibilities emerge. The potential for discovery is great.Change is imperative. ▲

The Road Ahead

One Michigan Avenue East, Battle Creek, MI 49017-4058

For more information contact: Frank Taylor, Program DirectorOr visit us online at: www.klccleadership.orgEmail: info@klccleadership.org

KELLOGG FOUNDATIONVISION TO INNOVATIVE IMPACT

KLCC is a program of the

© 2005 Photos by Elizabeth Bettenhausen, Jim Blow, John Guthrie, Eddie Rios, Cheryl D. Fields and Randy Siner.Editing & Production services: Stephanie Pierce & Langhum Mitchell Communications.Design by XLR8STUDIOS.Job # LE 4367 Item # 1032