Connie Loden
Executive Director
Heart of
Wisconsin
Business & Economic
Alliance
By
Connie Coley Loden
Interview
with Connie Loden
How did you
come to be interested in the area of leadership in the community?
I
became involved when I was 22, operating a resort business and
someone asked me to chair a committee for a community event, then
after a couple of years, I was leading it. What truly got me interested in and
created a passion for leadership and developing my skills was my
participation in the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program in 1994-96.
What do you see as
being the essential ingredients for individuals to become community leaders and
initiate to completion a leadership project?
A vision and passion to make it happen --
A "can-do" attitude with integrity -- A willingness to take risks,
lead change and make a difference.
How can community
organisations create partnerships for community development? Are there any
key strategic partnerships that all communities should strive to develop?
Strategic Partnerships are key to healthy
vibrant communities. We are better together! To create a successful
partnership for community development, identify the key stakeholders and how do
they complement each other -- what can they accomplish together by pooling their
strengths, versus operating alone and missing necessary skills or connections?
Clearly identifying the expectations of the partners at the start is extremely
important to a partnership where all the parties feel a win-win relationship
leading to a partnership that is sustainable.
For a complete how to create partnerships for
community development, please see my article on Creating Strategic Partnerships
-- attached or on-line at http://associationsites.com/commdev/collection//Partnering%2Epdf
A key strategic partnership that our
organization has developed is with the Community Foundation of South Wood
County. Our organization the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic
Alliance brings the community economic development expertise and the Community Foundation
brings the funding assistance and community development convening skills. For
more information on this partnership
http://www.progressinitiative.com
In your work with
communities to achieve a culture in which all citizens have increasing
opportunities to enjoy and engage in the community, which areas and groups do
you focus on and what have been some of the issues that you have encountered in
your attempts?
In working to create a culture shift of
community engagement, we have tried to focus on as many areas of the community
that we can at one time. Although this may seem like a large challenge, which it
is, we purposely have taken this on as to really be affective in creating
change, you can not only work with one segment and have the results you want.
As the community operates as a system, it is important to work with the entire
system as the individual components effect one another. T
he intention is to create a synergy and to
integrate activity across the community providing vehicles for most any citizen
to be involved in. We have done this through leadership programs (a foundation
required for successful communities), introducing innovation through dynamic
speakers, developing visions for the communities (provides a context and inspiration for
their work), engaging inclusive community teams, youth led initiative for
decision making input, youth participation in all community development groups,
entrepreneurship support and development (both social and business),
business industry networks to identify new economic opportunities and
foster collaboration, promoting philanthropy to ensure capacity and
sustainability, and coaching to build capacity to develop structures
and maintain momentum.
One of the issues we have encountered is the continued need for capacity
building and coaching in developing people to take on being drivers of their own
destiny. This is new territory to many, when they have existed in a very
dependent culture for decades. Three key components to transferring the decision
making and responsibility to the community citizens are commitment, capacity and
structure. If they have the commitment, and you build their capacity, by
developing and putting structures into place for collaboration across the
community, you provide sustainability to continue forward movement into the
future vision.
Another issue has been a change in power structure that is more dispersed across
the community and is not necessarily embraced by the old power structure.
They enjoy a sense of power when the community remains dependent on
them. As the community moves toward having the capacity to move forward, if they
are on board or not, this becomes threatening.
It
creates voicing of scepticism by the old power structure to diffuse the
momentum. It is best not to spend to much effort in bringing these people in,
but instead work to inspire and generate the momentum from the grassroots
community involvement, which will, through their enthusiasm and success, tip the
conversation and over come the nay-sayers.
What
have been some of the outstanding examples of leadership that you have come
across in the
US
and why have you been impressed by the people behind them?
A
couple of examples of outstanding leadership in the US:
Elizabeth
Doyle -- she is a servant leader with utmost integrity. I was very
disappointed when she dropped out of the presidential race.
Lt.
Governor Barbara Lawton - Barbara has been willing to put herself
up to stand for election again, after first losing. When the Institute
for Women's Policy Research "Status of Women in Wisconsin "
report weighed in with a low C- grade for our state, Lt. Gov.Lawton, took this
issue on to raise the grade during her administration. The office of Lt.
Governor is one that often is a lame-duck position, one of waiting for the
Governor to step down. Instead, Barbara took action in a way that can make a
difference for advancing the prosperity of women and for our state. http://www.wisconsinwomenequalsprosperity.org/index.html
Her approach has been tireless and has engaged women and men across the state
to seriously look at the issues, develop solutions and implement them. I
have been honored to serve as her co-chair of one of the initial issue
identification task forces on leadership and political participation.
Another
leader I have been impressed with is our previous Governor and US Secretary of
Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson. Tommy Thompson led our state
with an unbridled energy and desire to make a difference, willing to deviate
from the norm in government and looking to reinvent how it operated. He took
that same approach to Washington, when he served as Secretary of Health
and Human Services. He brings a vision and innovation that transcends
the bureaucracy and generates results.
On
the community level: There are few that match the contributions that
Nodji Van Wychen has provided for her small community of Warrens, Wisconsin.
She is a cranberry farmer, who put the community of Warrens on the map, with
the development of the Warrens Cranberry Festival, which draws about 100,000
people to a town of about 200. She has enthusiasm and energy flowing from
her to all those who come in contact with her. She serves on the County Board,
the School Board, Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association, Wisconsin Rural
Leadership Program and many others too numerous to mention. She has been
recognized as the recipient of the Wisconsin Community Leadership Award
in 2003.
In
addition, I'm impressed by the numerous people taking on making their
communities a better place. Also, those who have developed collaborative
skills and seek to create partnerships. There are many people who come to mind
for me in this category.
What is the
objective of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program and why have certain areas
been chosen for the leadership education program?
The mission of the Wisconsin Rural
Leadership Program is to develop leaders to be catalysts to strengthen
communities. The program helps to develop the individual, their
involvement in the community and their involvement across communities. It
helps participants: 1.develop leadership across communities (global
perspective/connections); 2. To think globally and then act; 3. To ask the
right questions; 4. Look beyond the obvious; 5. Creating catalysts to
strengthen communities. The premise of our curriculum design is around issues
exploration with skill development interwoven. The seminars are a collective
course connected together. Issue seminars include: State Government,
leadership, Understanding Urban Life, Technology and Where It Is Taking Society,
Global Economics, Appreciating Diversity-Finding Common Ground, Environmental
Issues, The Debate/Tension Between Individual Rights and Community Rights.
Three out of state seminars round out the broader global perspective. The
Regional Seminar explores the issues, concerns, challenges, barriers encountered
by leaders outside of the Midwest. Recent topic of the Regional Seminar has
been Diversity held in Atlanta, Georgia and study civil rights issues, others
have looked at Native American issues, The National Seminar takes a focus on the
federal government, with a theme, such as energy, through which to explore
public policy. The International Seminar looks at another area of the world that
offers exploration of a timely issue theme as well, often corresponding with the
theme of the Federal Seminar. Examples of countries we have learned
from include Australia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Hungary, Turkey, Russia,
Brazil and others. Interspersed throughout are lessons to build skills in
ethics, public policy, tension of funding - who pays- who decides-who benefits,
how do we know what we know?, historical perspectives, and the tension of
individual and community rights.
Are there any
comments that you would like to make about what has impressed you about
community leadership in
Australia
and areas that need further strengthening?
I have been impressed by people like Jane
Moritz in Hyden who played an integral role in a community where there is
virtually 100% volunteerism. This community is amazing in its 'can-do' attitude,
and taking charge of their future. I am also impressed with the accomplishments
and legacy of Monty House MLA, who as WA Minister for Primary Industries initiated Progress
Rural Western Australia. Progress Rural Western Australia is one of the
most successful community economic development programs, I've encountered.
It created change and stimulated innovation across the rural countryside in
Western Australia. It is the framework, which I have applied in our own
development of the Community Progress Initiative, enlisting the assistance
of David Beurle, who served as the Principle Project Officer for House on
Progress Rural Western Australia. One other lesson I have learned from
leadership in Australia is to think BIG -- if you think you are thinking big,
think BIGGER! Where leadership could be further strengthened would
be removing the Tall Poppy Syndrome. Building partnerships was an area that
needed development when working previously with communities in Australia,
however, when I was there in November 2004, I could see more partnerships had
formed and were successful.
How have you
developed and nurtured your leadership potential?
I continue to be hungry to be a life-long
learner and expand and develop my leadership skills as I go. I attend
conferences, collaborate with others, travel on study tours, lead study tours,
S
tepping out and taking risks -- getting
out of my comfort zone always stretches me and helps me grow. I ran for the
state legislature in 2000 and that was a definite case of out of my comfort zone
and a tremendous positive learning experience. I observe and learn from others,
building relationships and expanding my resources and networks. Relationship
building is definitely a key to learning to be a leader. One of the most
valuable motivators for me is to think BIG and the ability to generate my
future.
Do you try to help
women develop their leadership potential and how do you achieve this?
Yes, I do try to help other women
development their leadership potential. I find it very inspiring to watch young
leaders blossom and grow. My work with the Wisconsin Rural Leadership
Program is an example. I have mentored and encouraged some of the local
high school students in taking on state-wide leadership roles, including working
with the Lt. Governor to put on a State-wide Young Leaders Forum
as a component of the Wisconsin Women's = Prosperity Initiative. I invite
young leaders to try new leadership positions and assist them through
mentorship and support. I designed and delivered the Heart of
Wisconsin Community Leadership Program and the Gogebic Range Leadership Academy.
I initiated and chaired the
Wisconsin Community Leadership Summit to
provide continued leadership development programming. I began and manage the
International Community Leadership Network a ListServ community,
sharing a passion for community leadership around the world. I work with the
Girl Scouts as a Mentor for Camp CEO Job Shadowing. The Wisconsin
Women=Prosperity Initiative allowed me to really make a difference in advancing
women in leadership roles, as the research and recommendations, our Task Force
on Leadership and Political Participation brought forward, directly effect
policy changes.