Today, Tom and I got into a conversation about what the definition of a “leader” is on a campus. We realized a distinction between two types of leaders:
- Those in Leadership Positions
- People with the title; hired, elected, etc. to lead others
- Community Leaders
- Influencers in the community, whether they realize it. People who lead the culture in the way they conduct themselves within the community.
Why is this important? Because when talking about creating an epic community and culture, we can’t forget about the Community Leaders.
Think about it – here at the coworking space we work in, I am not in a position of leadership. I do not get paid by New Work City to run blender events or build community. But just by the type of person I am, and the type of work I do at Swift Kick, I often write prompts on dry-erase boards, help out with happy hour, and help a newcomer find their way. Because I have been trained as a community leader, I can help make people feel welcomed at New Work City. But I am not in a position of leadership by any means. The manager here could tell me to stop acting this way and I would have to respect that.
So when talking about training leaders to build culture on a campus or anywhere else, we need to make sure those with the titles also encourage the community leaders to engage in the same values. Think how awesome every campus would be if every single library assistant, cafeteria worker, bookstore clerk, janitor and student had the same attitude of excitement and welcoming that orientation leaders and Student Affairs Professionals have. There are plenty of those in the former categories that already do this, and they should be celebrated! But sometimes those people don’t realize that their influence is so important to the overall community. That’s where you, the community builder, comes in. 🙂
What do you think about this distinction of types of leadership? Are we right, or totally off the mark?
