Community Development through Community Leadership Programs: Insights from a Statewide Community Leadership Initiative

Community leadership programs (CLPs) represent a mechanism for the development of leadership skills and concepts. Yet, CLPs have focused primarily on networking and providing community information to participants. The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative (KCLL) was a statewide leadership initiative designed to improve the leadership capacity of 17 communities. The KCLI provided leadership skills and concepts to CLP directors and board members who were in a position to change their local CLPs to be more focused on leadership skills and concepts. Community residents who graduated from CLPs reported positive beliefs about the leadership skills and concepts, reported confidence when using them, and reported using them in work and community settings. However, they were faced with several challenges, including difficulty getting others to recognize the benefits of the leadership skills and concepts. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of the need for community leadership and development.