COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Collective leadership occurs when people come together and mobilize human, cultural, and technological resources in ways that improve their communities for the common good.  It is an inclusive approach to leadership because it asks individuals to cross boundaries of all types –such as age, income, religion, and culture – as they commit to listening, learning, joint action, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability across sectors.  Collective leadership represents a shift away from an exclusive focus on individual change agents and highlights the importance of more collaborative approaches.

In the past, community foundations would focus their work solely with the philanthropist and the nonprofit organization at the table.  Today, our work includes people from business, education, government, nonprofits, philanthropists and community leaders as well as citizens.