How can you adapt your leadership style to better serve your community?

Listen more to what your community really needs and be open to trying out new ideas. It's all about being flexible and really getting what's going on with the folks you're leading.

Any leadership style you adopt should carry people along and tap into the collective or individual potential of your community. In my experience, I have come to grasp the fact that people will buy into your vision or solution if they can see how their input will either directly or indirectly add up to the bigger picture. We all want to feel valued and part of something meaningful. Hence, it is a good point to start by finding out how you can drive people to be part of the desired change.

These are great suggestions and I’d hedge enough to say consider your own thoughts on the topic. You were, undoubtedly at some point, part of the demographic you’re now leading. Do you remember how you felt? What drive you? What do you know (informally) from external sources that aren’t in industry or in a similar role that could be applied? Be creative when thinking about your “community” because that is something that is growing and changing daily.

Make the time for personal outreach and active listening to determine what your specific community needs and how they wish to receive support and information.

There are few born leaders in the world. Instead, effective leadership requires the acquisition of specific skills and attributes. One crucial quality is having knowledge about your community. A good leader is connected to the grassroots level. Meaningful communication, empathy, and, above all, unquestionable integrity can work wonders. Only with these qualities can you efficiently serve your community.

Listening is the only way that I know to reach the outcomes of being flexible and responsive. Often leaders commit to being agile, without knowing what is ‘going well’ and ‘what needs to be done differently’ to meet the needs of the communities in which they serve. We all have many communities in which we service others, whether the workforce itself, our direct reports, the local community, and all of the intersectional communities that make us who we are as people. As we navigate between those communities being flexible and responsive is critical as a leader.

Being flexible and responsive helps in adapting to changing circumstances, and swiftly addressing emerging needs within your community. This approach fosters a dynamic and supportive leadership environment that can better serve the community's evolving requirements.

In this ever growing and fast-paced technological world, we often times fall victims of staying too rigid or brittle with our rules and methods surrounding our profession. However, I have realized that actively listening and being open to any feedback are great assets for an inclusive and adaptable leader. Challenging oneself to grow and evolve with the evolving work atmosphere is a sign of a great leader. Likewise, being flexible and responsive to changes helps a leader reassure their team that they will get through the tough times and celebrate the milestones.

100% listening is the best way to learn. So how do you do that as a leader? Engage. Ask questions, no pressure questions. Be graceful - understand that sometimes they may know more than you and roll with it. Be creative - just because no one has tried something before doesn’t mean it’s out of bounds. All great new ideas start somewhere. And acknowledge those who’ve given inputs or supported an idea, movement or your own progress to date. Great leaders know they didn’t get their on their own and some humility and gratitude goes a long way with those you’re asking to trust you.

Be flexible and responsive. In our school, adapting quickly to needs and staying open to feedback turned challenges into wins. It's like a dance – always moving, always improving

To empower we must get comfortable with identifying the strengths of the community so we can speak about them boldly. At the same time we must have courage and confidence to identify opportunities of growth for the purpose of collaboration and development of innovative ideas for problem resolution.

Empower and collaborate with your community. Involve them in decisions, planning, and projects. Provide resources and support for success. This creates trust, engagement, and ownership. Together, we thrive!

Sometimes I think peers see passing some power back to communities to be an unnecessary risk, especially given the challenging funding landscape for non-profits. However if our organisations aren't driving community resilience, helping individual's to develop skills and experience then arguably we're only providing a superficial programme which doesn't look forward to what the community might do without our organisations, and doesn't address deep seated needs within the community.

“Team work makes the dream work” holds a lot of power. When we can come together— with open-minded views, new voices, shared ideas or differences of opinion— we can create a community the works. Perception defines what a person thinks about a situation, and it’s important to note that everyone has a different perspective due to their beliefs and values. Having diverse perspectives can open ideas that would’ve never been thought of with like-minding conversations (not that those are bad either)! But, collaborative thinking can open a world of possibilities for the community they serve.

As a leader, my focus was to revitalize the community by enhancing access to clean water. Instead of imposing my plans, I engaged the residents in decision-making. Through collaborative meetings, we discussed water solutions. Some suggested installing communal wells, while others proposed rainwater harvesting. I provided resources for feasibility studies and implementation. The result was a sustainable water system driven by the community's ideas. By empowering and collaborating, we not only quenched our town's thirst but also fostered a sense of unity and shared responsibility.

An inclusive leader is always a growing and learning professional. They understand that the society we live in is ever growing, changing, and morphing. Therefore, they are always willing to listen, learn, and apply appropriate suggestions, tips, and lessons to their benefit. They know that knowledge is abundant and always around regardless of one's age, experience, and years of work.

Never stop learning. We are a society of continual growth and progress. The leader who thinks they know all loses immediately. Be sure to foster your own growth along with your team. Learn alongside them for additional camaraderie if you think it’s worthwhile.

In essence, a leader’s growth is interwoven with the growth of their community. By continually seeking to learn and evolve through the experiences, challenges, and diversity of your community, you not only improve as a leader but also contribute to the development of a vibrant, empowered community. Embracing the learning opportunities that arise from the community’s diversity is fundamental. Every individual in your community holds a unique set of experiences and knowledge. By being open to learning from these varied perspectives, a leader can develop a more inclusive and empathetic approach. This openness not only broadens your understanding but also fosters a sense of mutual respect and collaboration within the community.

Learn and grow with your community. Seek feedback, evaluate performance, and reflect on impact. Embrace learning opportunities, challenges, and diversity. Through continual growth, leaders enhance skills and effectiveness

Ask yourself - Is the community welcome in your organisation? are they embedded as members of staff, trustees and volunteers? Do the community know how they contribute or do we only do it to 'tick a box' for reports? Community engagement can't just be performative.

Share stories of success, perseverance, and collective achievement. By fueling inspiration and motivation, we create an environment where every member strives for excellence and contributes to our shared success story.

Remain adaptable and open to feedback. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your leadership approach and be willing to evolve based on the changing needs and dynamics of the community. Remember, inspiring and motivating a community requires genuine care, empathy, and a commitment to serving their best interests. By adapting your leadership style to align with their needs and aspirations, you can effectively inspire and mobilize them towards a brighter shared future.

Inspiring and motivating gives them the motivation to keep working and Being creative. After a project success, one can also have a celebratory session with the community as a way to foster union and appreciation.

Helping people see what they've already done can be powerful to motivating them to see what they can do next. I like telling people I'm an evidence-based practitioner, and the evidence in front of me (cites specific examples) suggests to me that they're capable of what's coming.

To be truly effective at leading by example you must be willing and able to get your hands dirty. Never ask someone to something that you yourself would not do. You should always be able to be a substitute on your team in the community no matter what the role is. Your influence will grow tenfold and you will hold much more referent power. By holding yourself accountable- others will embrace the same mindset. The team will accomplish much more when they know that you don’t just talk the talk - you also walk the walk.

Communication is key. Clear, consistent, and transparent communication of your mission and values helps in aligning your team’s efforts with your vision. However, it is your actions that truly galvanize your team. When they see you putting in the effort, taking responsibility, and upholding standards, they are more likely to follow suit. Moreover, leading by example fosters a culture of trust and respect. It encourages team members to step up, take initiative, and lead in their own capacities. This not only drives collective success but also cultivates future leaders. To inspire people to follow your lead, be the leader you would follow. Let your actions define your leadership style and watch as your team rises to meet your example.

Be authentic in adapting your leadership style for the community – be a human, not just a leader. Share your personal experiences, values, and vulnerabilities. Be YOU. Combine this authenticity with a heartfelt display of empathy, actively listening and understanding diverse perspectives. By doing so, you create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard, fostering a thriving and connected community.

Learn about different leadership styles and when they work for various types of followers. Then assess your followers to see what they need and adapt to fit the situation. Much study has gone into different leadership styles, and there is a lot of good information on leadership styles now that we have abandoned the “Great Man” theory that said good leaders are just born that way. Now there are many who believe that leaders can be made through study and practice, which leads to a person adapting their leadership style to the situation and followers at hand.

We’re an economic, social, psychological, spiritual ecosystem. Knowing that expands your view of these dynamics. Take the oxygen cycle: if you just breathed in, you wouldn’t breathe for very long. Sustain the systems around you and it will sustain you.

I would like to add volunteer management. As this is not just to find allies and passion among others who doesn't have the opportunity to work with CBOs, but to further create a healthy environment and to reach the unreachable communities. Besides, It would helps on more engaging participation from the community by the community led progam thus lead to bettter branding of our CBOs. And provide services in a way other parties cant or wont. -Belle Razali-

I believe being true to one's core values and beliefs is a great way to adopt one's leadership to serve the community better. Find out what resonates with you, your career, work ethic, and personal life. Is it being honest, is it deeper communication, or is it measures of diversity, equity, and inclusion? Doing an inventory of what you value and how it translates to your work is an important way to serve one's community better.