Abstract

Creating a leadership development program requires clarity on leadership values as well as competencies, lucidity on the purpose for which a program is developing leaders, intentionality about reinforcing leadership development throughout all aspects of the program, and efforts to model and practice the leadership internally that programs are seeking to develop among members. Public Allies offers this model in the resource, Lessons on Leadership Development: Developing a Comprehensive Approach, shared at the AmeriCorps Direct Best Practices Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in April 2005.

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Issue

According to Public Allies, limitations of traditional models of leadership, current change efforts and organizations, and the limited engagement and support of young people, reinforces privilege in who attains and maintains leadership, creates few opportunities to develop diverse young leaders, and emphasizes leadership practices that result in the fragmented service of social needs rather than increased community engagement, leadership development, and collaboration to increase more systemic solutions.

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Action

According to the Public Allies' document, Lessons on Leadership Development, effective leadership development includes:

Recruitment and Selection

• Recruitment goals, messages, and outreach
• Interview questions and selection criteria

Service Activities

• Individual placements with responsibility for outcomes
• Partner orientation and expectations

Building Community

• Deepening knowledge and trust in each other
• Honest, empathetic, authentic, and direct communication
• Taking on difficult issues and differences

Member Development

• Individual development plans and coaching
• Leadership development curriculum; including self-awareness, diversity and privilege, team work, understanding the community, asset-based community development, civic engagement, critical thinking, professional skills, nonprofit management, and leadership
• Leadership opportunities
• Connecting to community leaders, organizations, and resources

Evaluation and Assessment

• Track outcomes
• 360 reviews with feedback circles
• Presentations of learning
• Conduct surveys

Leadership development values inform and are reinforced by all aspects of the program.

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Context

Public Allies utilizes a social change model that leads from mission to vision:

• Young adults from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and a lifetime commitment to working for positive community and social change join Public Allies and are seen as assets in their communities.
• Through the program, Allies gain a framework to network for change, building community with a talented and diverse network of peers working on different issues in the community; serve in paid apprenticeships with community organizations with responsibility for achieving measurable service results; receive training, coaching, and support to practice leadership that values collaboration, inclusion, community assets, continuous learning, and integrity.
• Ally and staff alumni join a network of changemakers — social entrepreneurs, service leaders, reformers, and activists, working both in influential positions and on the front lines in communities.
• Ally alumni work together and with others across issue, approach, sectoral, positional, and cultural boundaries resulting in new approaches and solutions.
• Ally alumni engage the assets of their communities so more citizens are involved in collective change efforts.

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Citation

McKinney, David and Paul Schmitz. Lessons on Leadership Development: Developing a Comprehensive Approach. Public Allies. April 19, 2005.

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Outcome

• Using the social change model approach, nonprofit, public, and civic organizations are more diverse, collaborative and asset-based, and effectively develop diverse leadership in their organizations and their communities.
• Learning outcomes include asset-based change, collaboration, continuous learning, diversity, inclusion, and integrity.
• The skills Allies report gaining the most are interpersonal communication, teamwork, practicing inclusion and diversity, project planning and evaluation.
• Leaders who value and practice collaboration, diversity and inclusion, continuous learning, asset-based change, and integrity will unite individuals and organizations across boundaries, build more effective, inclusive, and responsive organizations, engage the assets of more citizens, and ultimately help create a more just and equitable society.

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Evidence

• Eighty-four percent of alumni report that Public Allies leadership development adequately prepared them for future educational and career goals.
• Over 80 percent continue careers in the nonprofit and public sectors.
• Alumni are more than twice as likely as peers to volunteer (78 percent), mentor a young person (64 percent), serve on a board (36 percent), attend political meetings (68 percent), protest (56 percent) and engage in other civic activities.

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Posted On

May 11, 2005

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For More Information

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Source Documents

Related Practices

• Helping youth create change by developing leadership skills
• Using viral marketing to recruit student volunteer leaders
• Recruiting college students as volunteer leaders

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Related sites

Topic Areas

• Youth service
• Communication skills
• Development
• Retention
• Supervision
• Capacity building
• Nonprofit management
• Sustainability
• AmeriCorps
• AmeriCorps VISTA
• Volunteer
• Member
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Youth
• Program management
• Public Allies

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