Understanding Local Leadership

Bo BeaulieuPurdue Center for Regional Development

The Structure ofCommunity Leadership

Oftentimes, leadership forms a structure much like a pyramid

The level of influence that individuals have is dependent upon their location in the leadership hierarchy

Levels of leadership can be categorized as legitimizers, implementors, doers and general public

Legitimizers

Persons in the community whose approval is necessary to guarantee the success of important undertakings

They get involved in projects having significant policy implications

Their endorsement is important if groups hope to be successful in getting their goals accomplished

Implementers

Are the most active participants in community projects

Involvement usually is limited to areas where they have technical or professional expertise

Role is to implement the plans and decisions arrived at or approved by legitimizers

Doers

Perform many of the project chores (stuffing envelopes, distributing information)

Seldom involved in planning and decision-making aspects of a project

Tend to be task-oriented in their activities

General Public

Includes a sizable number who never become involved in local activities.

Some become active on an occasional basis.

Their views are important, particularly on matters that affect them directly.

The Community Leadership Hierarchy

Legitimizers

Implementers

Doers

General Public

Locating the Mix of Local Leaders

Positional

Reputational

Decisional

Social Activity

The Positional Approach

The idea behind the positional approach is that individuals who occupy the top spots in the major organizations of the community are the local leaders

Their key roles in the various organizations give them access to important resources that they can mobilize for any community project

The Reputational Approach

This method begins with the assumption that those individuals who have the reputation for power constitute the community’s leadership structure.

• Who in this community has the most influence in deciding important matters facing this community?

• When proposing something new for this community, whose support do you feel is vital?

The Decisional Approach

This approach assumes that active participation in community projects or issues is leadership.

Therefore, individuals who perform roles in community decision-making activities constitutes the community’s leadership structure.

The Social Activity Approach

This method focuses on those individuals who are active and who hold office in local clubs, voluntary, service, and civic organizations in the community.

These individuals tend to be willing to take on time-consuming tasks associated with getting projects off the ground.

A Synthesis

Legitimizers Positional & Reputational

Implementers Decisional

Doers Social Activity

Leadership Level Approach for Locating Leaders

The Leadership Template