Community Business Leaders of Tomorrow Kyle Merten Jeanie Long “Leading towards a better tomorrow.”

Does leadership make a difference? OUTCOMES –Networking –Creating a unified spirit –Social responsibility- commitment to and support for the community IMPACT Involvement – seek active roles in community

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Defining Community Leadership Community leadership is that which involves influence, power, and input into public decision making over one or more spheres of activity. The spheres of activity may include an organization, an area of interest, an institution, a town, a county or a region. Leadership capacity extends beyond the skills necessary to maintain a social service and/ or activities organization. The leadership skills include those necessary for public decision-making, policy development, program implementation, and organizational maintenance. Attribution???

Industry and Employment Top Industries –Education, Health and Social Services (19.3%) –Manufacturing (15.2%) – Retail Trade (14.1%) 29.0 minutes average travel time to work. –Economic opportunities being lost outside county 5.4% unemployment rate in Austin County –0.3% higher than U.S. unemployment rate (2005)

Demographics Population (2005) 26,151 people –Increase of 11% from % of the county is 18 or younger 61.3 % of the population is between 18 and % is 65 or older Demographics 71.9% White Non-Hispanic, 16.1% Hispanic, 10.6% Black, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native persons, 0.4% Asian persons, and 0.5% persons reporting two or more races.

Future Demographics 2040 population projections –Vary from 26, ,107 All models illustrate a decrease in white populations and increase an increase in Hispanic population –Conservative model (2040) %(white), 27.90%, 12.98% (African American),.94% (other) –Liberal model (2040) % (white), 46.00% (Hispanic), 9.93% (African American),.51% (other) Texas Demographer-

What is the vision of this program? Goal- To improve the quality of life among Austin County residents by stimulating economic growth. Target Audience- The target audience for the program will be 50 business leaders in Austin County, from agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

Vision Overall Objective -To develop a leadership workshop for business leaders in Austin County by April Outcome Objectives -Participants will increase their knowledge of leadership opportunities within Austin County including: visioning, goal setting, networking, team building, and collaboration.

Vision -Participants will change their attitudes of leadership opportunities within Austin County through two social networking events. -Participants will increase their leadership skills within Austin County by distinguishing between, and identifying different leadership styles and completing a personal, business and community needs assessment.

Vision -Participants will adopt practices associated with leadership opportunities including: writing goal statements and developing vision statements. -Participants will adopt practices associated with leadership opportunities including: conducting needs assessment and executing team building exercises with co-workers.

Program Areas Needs Assessment Visioning Goals Leadership Styles Networking Team Building

Social Networking Event Allow participants to mingle and meet other participants. Conduct a needs assessment for business, community. Conduct a SWOT Analysis for the community.

Creating a Vision Creates a clear and concise belief statement among an organization or a community that everyone believes in or shares that is a catalyst for change!! Vision Statements are the basis for all organizations. –Strategic planning is done through strategic visioning Provides the focus and energy for learning. Should not be based on an individual’s vision imposed on an organization. –No longer shared –Low commitment by organization Creating visions requires courage and creativity. BE BOLD AND THINK BIG!!

Goal Setting Based off of vision statement. Goals give us a sense of purpose. Twice as likely to achieve goals when written down! Writing goal statements –Specific –Difficult=Motivation of People –Attainable

Networking A leadership trait used to create connections between people to gain, nurture contacts for the future. Result: building relationships with community people. Power structures in communities –Based on size, commitment of people who are part of it. –Internal: Community –External: those who control the resources Opinion leaders in communities –Degree to which an individual is able to influence other individuals’ attitudes or overt behavior in a desired way with a relatively high frequency. –Innovators on specific subject matter; help change agents make specific decisions that affect communities.

Leadership Styles Autocratic Bureaucratic Democratic Coercive Transactional Transformational Laissez-Faire

Team Building Group vs. Team Team Development Team Functions

Social Event Summary of program areas. Keynote speaker: Collaboration. Encourage program participants to use knowledge and skills gained to address the issues identified in Week 1.

Timeline Needs Assessment Visioning Goals Leadership Styles Networking Team Building Social Event

Volunteers and Committees Volunteers: promotion Committees: organization Volunteers and committees: help with maintaining the vision of the program and the community!

Evaluation of Program Retrospective Post Evaluation Instrument –Satisfaction –Demographics –Knowledge –Intentions to adopt –Economic Impact questions Follow up will be done eight months later –Zip survey