Fostering Leadership within a Community

One trait of a great community leader is the ability to nurture leadership within the community. While a community may begin with one or a few individuals, its growth and sustainability rely on the active involvement of its members. It’s not feasible for a single person to carry the responsibility of expanding and cultivating the community alone. The true magic of a community emerges when its members evolve into leaders by actively recruiting new members, adopting a host mentality rather than that of a passive attendee, and taking on organizing roles.

Initially, I struggled with nurturing leadership when running the Olive Tree Writing Club. Many members offered to help and I didn’t know how to act on it. Over the past few months, I learned that you can gradually get members more engaged. First, start small. For example, you can ask them to volunteer to manage the door at an event. Afterward, you can ask them to facilitate breakout groups for an event. Eventually, you can empower them to host their own events and become community leaders.