These people may be visible, but more often than not they work quietly behind the scenes. The decision makers are composed of individuals having political, social, and economic knowledge of the community. Leadership is successful when there is a cooperative relationship between decision makers and followers for identifying and solving community problems and expanding available local resources. Viewing leadership as a cooperative relationship allows a community to use the energy that can be created between leaders and followers. A community is generally defined as a geographic space inhabited by people who have a sense of unity and common interest.
Every person belongs to a series of communities that include organized or unorganized groups.
Collectively, these groups determine the long-run fate of the community. This is very important to individuals as they take their places as players in society. People may identify with many subcommunities. They may belong to a subcommunity interested primarily in schools, economic development, city, county, civic, or other interest groups. Within these groups are people who have the power to make decisions for specific projects.