Our Services - Leadership Programs

Improving Leadership

CIEL offers leadership training for communities through custom training and our Leading Communities program (download the brochure). CIEL’s unique collaborative community leadership model, with its four areas of leadership, is at the heart of all of our leadership programs (download the model).

Leading Communities

Leading Communities is a leadership training program for rural communities, designed for groups of learners who are all from the same community. Participants enhance their leadership capacities, deepen their understanding of community issues and opportunities, and develop relationships and skills for community collaboration. The course is intended for a mix of leaders from a variety of areas of community life, not just elected leaders and municipal officials. Download the video.

“The most valuable personal development experience I have ever taken part in.”

- Leading Communities participant

Training at Home, Not in the Big City

Leading Communities is delivered on-site in rural communities, rather than requiring participants to travel to a larger centre. We offer participants up to seventy hours of training over the course of several months, with some follow-up work on a class community project. We design the program schedule according to the needs of the participating communities; however, the program generally takes place one weekend per month. A typical schedule for the leadership class is Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning and afternoon of each weekend.

The Collaborative Leadership Model

One of the greatest challenges facing community leaders is fostering cooperation between groups with differing interests or goals. This is the skill of collaborative leadership, and it’s at the heart of Leading Communities training.

Most of us have traditionally believed in the importance of strong individual leaders. But that model may be outmoded because of the speed of economic, environmental and social change. There is now an urgent need for leaders who can share leadership and help people come together across differences in order to plan and take action for their community’s well-being. Collaborative leadership is both a skill and an attitude, and Leading Communities teaches both.

“ I think it should be mandatory for every elected official to undergo this type of training before serving their term as it gives you so many of the skills needed to do the job. Communities would be much more effective and productive. I would like to see a version of this program as part of the newly elected officials training and also include this is the Leadership Academy of Union of BC Municipalities.”

- Leading Communities participant who serves as an elected official

Leading Communities Curriculum & Content

The Leading Communities curriculum is experiential and practical, and it is grounded in research and the principles of adult learning. It is designed to explore real-life issues and develop skills that are relevant and real to communities. The curriculum focuses on developing leadership competencies in 4 key areas:

Personal Leadership– developing the “leader within” through enhancing self-awareness and exploring the relationship between personal beliefs and public action.
Collaborative Leadership- developing interpersonal effectiveness in working across differences.
Community Leadership– understanding community systems and tools for community building.
Transformational Leadership – becoming an inspired, empowering “change agent.”

Leading Communities draws on the knowledge, skills and experience of the participants to bring the topics to life. The program content may vary in each community, but here are some examples of topics covered:

The Leader Within—Personal Leadership Styles and Values
Effective Communication Strategies
Group Dynamics and Team Learning
Dealing with Conflict
Building and Sustaining Community Collaboration
Facilitating Effective Meetings
Strengthening Social Capital
Tools for Community Economic Development
Building Shared Vision
Developing Successful Community Initiatives
Youth Engagement and Leadership
Building an “Entrepreneurial” Community Attitude
Creating a Learning Community
Leading Innovation and Change

Part of the Leading Communities curriculum includes a community project which is planned during the course and implemented afterwards. The participants practice the skills and ideas learned in the course, and make use of the new personal connections they have made as well.

“This course has been one of the special occasions in my life, and I feel honoured to have been chosen as a participant. The dedication, passion, and time put into developing this program is phenomenal!"

- Leading Communities participant

Selection of Participants

Participants in Leading Communities sessions are carefully selected to create a mix of experienced, emerging and potential leaders from different socio-economic groups, interests, ages, life experiences and cultural backgrounds.

Typically, participants in Leading Communities sessions meet some other leaders in their community for the first time. A municipal councilor, for example, may spend time with an aboriginal leader and someone from the local youth centre—people they may have never encountered before. In Leading Communities, such people often make personal connections through sharing course activities and engaging in discussions about community issues. In this way, the Leading Communities sessions have proven to function as community-building events in themselves.

Benefits to the Participants

Participants in Leading Communities have typically been very enthusiastic about what they have gained, which includes

Increasing their personal, interpersonal and community leadership capacities
Developing a new understanding of their community’s assets, challenges and dynamics
Engaging in a learning community and becoming part of a cross-sectoral network of community leaders
Practicing their leadership skills through the development of a collaborative community project
Cultivating creativity and an innovative mindset to respond to community challenges and opportunities
Becoming more effective at working collaboratively with others and responding to complex issues

What Past Participants Have Said

“The content was so rich and full. I didn’t expect this type of program.
“I have appreciated being part of this fantastic diverse group. I feel like I have made connections that will last a very long time. I’ve learned that we are all different and understanding those differences has been very helpful.
“I was made aware of the strong desire within the group to positively benefit the community, and I want to be part of that.
“It’s freaking awesome!
“The project was effective as a way to practice our leadership skills. Because we had been through the training together, we had a shared vision and shared investment in the project that might not have been there otherwise."

Benefits to the community

Developing a “critical mass” of skilled leaders who share common tools and experience
Encouraging new, innovative thinking on community challenges and opportunities
Deepening relationships among community members, and greater collaboration across sectors and interests
Implementing a class community project which benefits the larger community
Supporting leadership succession through development and mentorship of new and emerging leaders
Enhancing a sense of community “trusteeship” and engagement among community members

Contact CIEL for a custom-built leadership solution for your community.

Click here to access CIEL's leadership publications.