As longtime community development leaders begin to retire, a new generation must carry the wave forward. During the Community Wealth and Asset Building Practitioner Exchange at the NeighborWorks® Training Institute in Miami Beach, senior
leaders from across the NeighborWorks network shared what they believe the next generation needs to know about leadership, legacy and community transformation.
1. Know your why.
Stay grounded in the purpose behind the work and the people it serves, especially when you’re up against pressures that might derail your efforts. The Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr., pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and founder and board member of Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Center, in Houston, Texas, said that community development leaders often come into the work because they have seen hardship in their own communities they simply could not ignore. A clear sense of one’s values and purpose can provide direction even when the path forward is uncertain.
2. Put service to others first.
Ta’Neshia Renae, an Air Force veteran and deputy executive director of Williams & Russell Community Development Corporation in Portland, Oregon, said her leadership principles are founded upon the values she learned in basic training: “Service before self, integrity first, and excellence in all we do.” Kathy Flanagan-Payton, president and CEO of Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation in Houston, Texas, added another essential reminder when it comes to servant leadership: standing up for what’s right, especially for the most vulnerable among us.
3. Lead in a way that fits your community.
There is no single leadership style that works everywhere. Strong leaders take the time to get to know the community, the residents, the key players, and the situation, and adjust their approach accordingly. Authentic community leadership means making decisions based on what the community needs and wants, not what’s popular in general or well-funded in the moment. Listening and paying attention to how the organization is experienced by the people it serves is essential, said Emilio Dorcely, chief executive officer of Urban Edge in Boston, Massachusetts.
4. Protect your integrity.
Do what you say you will do, explain difficult decisions with diplomacy and empathy, and avoid taking shortcuts that could undermine trust. Dana Fuller Shepherd, executive director of Arrive (formerly Portland Housing Center) in Portland, Oregon, said that a funding opportunity is never worth sacrificing the organization’s values or changing who it exists to serve. Clemons agreed. “We can afford to lose the deal; we can’t afford to lose our integrity,” he said. 
5. Take care of the people doing the work.
Staff bring their own world views and experiences into the workplace. Strong leaders pay as much attention to the well-being of their team as they do to project outcomes. Healthy organizations are better positioned to foster healthy communities. Carrie Davis, president and CEO of Wealth Watchers, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, puts that principle into practice by investing annually in a staff retreat that includes access to mental and physical health resources.
6. Partnership leads to transformation.
Change within a community should be shaped in partnership with residents and community stakeholders. This is especially important when resources, like capital are scarce or “scared,” as Renae put it. Cross-sector collaboration may be challenging, but it also makes resources more accessible to those who need them and enables organizations to more effectively clear pathways to long-term community wealth.
7. Get creative with funding.
When resources are limited, leaders need to think creatively about how to make the most of what is available. Across the board,
traditional funding sources are becoming less reliable, making it increasingly important to look for new ways to generate revenue. Seek out and pursue non-traditional funding opportunities while investing in relationships with new, existing and unconventional funders. As Clemons, who shepherds relationships through and across many tunnels and roads noted, “funders fund people.”
8. Know when to step out of the trenches.
Leaders need firsthand knowledge of the work, but they also need enough distance to see what their staff and organization need. Developing capable team members allows leaders to shift from doing everything themselves to supporting others’ growth. Build a team of people whose knowledge and skills challenge your own. “I want everyone on my team to be smarter than me,” Clemons said. “If I’m challenging myself to be smarter than you, we’re going to be all right.”
9. Make room for failure.
Greta Harris, president and CEO of Better Housing Coalition in Richmond, Va., said that young leaders need to have the confidence to step out on faith and know that it’s not catastrophic to fail. “I’ve probably had more failures and initiatives that didn’t hit the mark than ones that did,” she said. “Some of the best learnings happen in those failures.” Making room for failure can foster accountability. “Sometimes when obstacles come, they’re not to hurt you, they’re meant to make you stronger,” Clemons said. “Rejection is protection.”
10. Prepare the next generation to lead.
Succession planning should begin well before a leader leaves, with intentional mentoring and documentation of important systems, processes and relationships. Future leaders need opportunities to build skills, confidence and connections so the work can continue without losing momentum. “Transformation will happen whether you do anything or not. If you want something particular to happen, you plant the seed you want to grow,” Clemons said. “And then you have to make sure it’s not choked out by weeds.”
