There is a diversity of new leadership voices that are emerging in communities. Some of these new leadership voices have been overlooked as potential leaders in the past, such as young people or those who have been economically and socially marginalized. Others have a long history of being volunteer leaders or working in nonprofit organizations; yet, they have never been present at leadership tables where decisions are made, resources distributed and policies set that impact their communities. Still other leaders, who are well-established in their professional or policymaking careers, recently have developed a commitment to working with leaders in community. New leadership voices should not be thought of exclusively in terms of individuals. Equally important are the networks and partnerships that are forming and becoming effective advocates for change. These individuals, groups, and organizations all have a commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities.

Examples of new leadership voices

• A woman on welfare who is trained as a home health care aide and in return becomes a volunteer for improving the care of the elderly in her community.
• A day care owner in Mississippi who becomes a national advocate for child care legislation and a spokesperson and trainer for those in her community who have an interest in starting their own small businesses.
• Two PTA presidents whose commitment to their school evolves to a focus on improving student achievement and reforming the curriculum.
• A tribal community college president who attends a national meeting of land grant institutions and challenges those present to reconnect with the original grassroots vision of land-grant universities to be responsive to and meet the needs of the communities where they are located.
• A high school teacher who creates a community center at the high school to give young people an opportunity to learn about the assets of their community and develop projects that serve the community where they live.
• A group of young people engaged in research and training to transform the service learning field's vision of service.
• An elected official who sponsors legislation to expand opportunities for young people to serve on nonprofit boards.
• The Michigan Middle Start Network that advocates for middle school educational reform.
• An advocacy network of Asian Pacific Islander American community partners, which advocates for a federal executive order to bring resources and attention to Asian Pacific Islander American communities.
• Young people who evaluate and make funding decisions about which youth projects to support in their communities.
• A white banker in Mississippi who sits on the loan committee of a community development corporation in a predominantly African American community.
• A young woman coming out of prison who shares her life experiences juggling the demands of the child welfare system, schools, parole boards, and the welfare systems with welfare reform advocates.
• A venture philanthropist who sits on the board of a nonprofit organization.
• A physician who practices in a community health center and becomes an advocate for policy and institutional changes that will improve the health of communities.

The diversity of new leaders brings many assets that enrich community discussion, and contributes to making decisions that are based on broad participation and engagement. These assets include:

• Experience- Every person brings a unique set of experiences to decision-making tables. The mother on welfare and the banker each have knowledge and experience that can contribute to developing responsive community policies and programs that meet people's needs.
• Enthusiasm and a desire to make a difference - When emerging leaders have the opportunity to contribute to making a difference in their communities they often demonstrate passionate advocacy for change, social justice and equity.
• Open mindedness and creativity - People who do not hold leadership positions and who do not represent vested interests bring an open-mindedness and sense of creative possibility to discussions of problems and their solutions.
• A broadened perspective - New voices, because of their diversity, broaden the perspectives, experiences, and knowledge at the table.
• A willingness and ability to work with others who are different from them -- The experience of exclusion often makes people more tolerant and respectful of the differences that others bring to the table.
• Overlapping spheres of influence - Diverse leaders bring with them differing spheres of influence. One of the keys to catalyzing change is having spheres of influence that overlap between established leaders and grassroots leaders.
• An ability to organize and mobilize others - Grassroots leaders bring an ability to organize and mobilize others to participate in change efforts.
• Information and expertise - Community leaders, particularly those who are working around a policy issue, have information and expertise that is valuable in making a case for change. Established leaders often have significant leadership experience that they can offer to groups, as well as knowledge about business practices and policy that community voices may lack.
• Credibility - Established leaders bring institutional credibility to community change efforts. Those who have been excluded from sharing their experiences with policymakers bring credibility to the decision-making process when their voices are heard.
• Ability to bridge the sphere of institutions and community - Some leaders have an ability to communicate in both the institutional sphere and in communities, and can often act as bridge or boundary-spanning leaders.
• Access to resources - Bankers, business leaders, politicians, and other established leaders have access to resources that are valuable for supporting community change efforts.

New leaders are being supported to develop their skills, knowledge and experience in many different venues. In the next section we explore five venues for leadership development that were described to us.

4. The term "community" is used broadly to include geographic communities as well as communities of interest.
5. The idea of overlapping spheres of influence is developed in a Health Goal Evaluation Substudy Report, Leadership: A Framework for Assessing the Leadership Resources to Improve Community Health, July 1999.