Leading Your Community By Mickey Shields, Iowa League of Cities What is leadership? Ask 10 people that simple question and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. The beauty, and perhaps the struggle, of leadership is that those 10 people would not be wrong. Leadership can be defined and exhibited in numerous ways. Municipal government offers a unique set of leadership challenges due in part to the fact that citizens elect multiple council members to represent them. Each elected official has equal standing and brings their individual leadership traits, which can make finding cohesiveness difficult. Furthermore, not all city officials, including employees, immediately understand their role in the organization and where their leadership is best used. Despite these challenges, city governments also offer a platform to make positive change in a community. Combining the experience, knowledge and talent of council members along with the professional know-how of city employees can create an organization that is responsive to its citizens. With strong, collaborative
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leadership, such an organization will operate in a highly efficient and effective manner. The trick, of course, is finding your way there. Leadership Traits At the risk of oversimplifying, leadership is generally defined as the ability of an individual to influence a group of other individuals to achieve a common purpose. How does a leader do this? There are many leadership traits, and an essential element to becoming an effective leader is understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses. Some leaders are great visionaries and can create a dream for the future. Some are technically proficient and can show others how to get a job done well. Some are skilled negotiators and can build consensus. Some are inspiring orators that can rally a crowd. Some work well in small groups and make lasting connections. All those examples and more can represent leadership qualities. Many people are able to point to one or a couple leadership traits, but rarely do you find someone that can do it all. In other words, there is no perfect leader, which means we must recognize where we might be a little short and
SOUTH DAKOTA MUNICIPALITIES
