Because news reporters spend a lot of time talking with various community leaders, we often get a unique look at the inner dynamics of local leadership. I don't know if that makes us better judges of those involved in community leadership, but it does make us sensitive to the demands of leadership. Each month, this newspaper covers nine town councils, three school boards, a board of commissioners, a county water authority, a regional water authority, a planning commission and a host of lower-profile events and officeholders. Altogether, we come in contact with well over 100 leaders each month in Jackson County. While most public decisions are made by committees of people, individual leadership is important to the final outcome.
Different people have different skills and each one is valuable in the decision-making process.
The top leader in a group, however, is the person who can synthesize those various ideas into a cohesive package that leads to a final decision. Personality does matter. People who get along well with others are generally more effective leaders. Wide views are more important than narrow perspectives. Those who can keep some distance between themselves and individual issues are generally more effective than those who pursue single agendas.