Leadership and Community Planning, Research Paper Example

Participants in the community planning process require strong leadership skills in order to produce the most desirable results. One of the most important of these characteristics is the ability to empathize. With empathy, planners can come to understand the motivations behind community concerns and desires. This skill is especially useful when considering those who differ the most from the leader in life experiences, and it will also allow for unbiased self-evaluations by learning to view one’s self from the perspective of another. Empathy is also a necessary tool for the fruitful exchange of information with stakeholders.

A second essential quality for community leaders is skillful strategizing (Ganz, 2010). The fundamental benefit of strategy in a community planning leadership position is to aid the participant in handling the power that is associated with their job. There are many production options that need to be considered even after a project has been chosen for development, and acting upon the opportunities that will lead to the best possible outcome is an invaluable quality in community planning leadership. The decisions that need to be made must support the best ideas that are available, and strong strategizing abilities will help to allow a community planning leader to consistently achieve this goal in the direction of all associated processes.

Empathy and strategy are helpful skills that help to optimize the decision-making process, but they are not the only qualities that a leader in community planning should possess. The most important factor may be the ability to continue the learning process throughout life (Senge, 2013). It is essential for a leader to remain informed about developments in their field, and they should be able to easily find this information on a regular basis. The most prominent learners will find sources of valuable concepts that may not be obvious to others, like peer-reviewed journals from across the spectrum of academic topics.

References

Ganz, M. (2010). Leading change: leadership, organization, and social movements. Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice, 509-550.

Senge, P. (2013). 5 Learning organizations. Knowledge Management in Education: Enhancing Learning & Education, 77.