Community leaders are often seen as the staple of a community. They’re the people who represent a part of the community, often seen as someone who does a lot of good for the people around them. Whether that be solving problems or raising issues that need to be addressed within the community, people look towards the community leaders as someone who helps people work towards a common goal. Below are some qualities that make a great community leader.

WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
You’re not going to know everything; it’s just a fact. Your experiences and knowledge will only go so far if you’re looking to help your community. A willingness to adapt and learn is an essential trait that someone can have. The simple understanding that your perspective is not the only one in a situation is vital to your community leader’s success. Being open to other people’s shared life experiences can help you connect with others.

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
You have to be seen as a trustworthy person to gain any sort of notoriety with the people around you. If you’re not seen as reliable or honest by the people you’re supposed to be helping, how will anything get done? Having a sense of integrity or understanding sound moral principles is essential. You should work to create a safe environment to have good, healthy discussions with the people around you.

SERVICE
A mark of a great community leader is the acts that you give to your community. This could be volunteering, fundraising, or selling items to raise money. Collecting food for a canned food drive or serving food for the homeless is another example of how you can be a good community leader.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Interpersonal skills are necessary, as you’re constantly interacting with people in your community. Communication skills, such as mediating, negotiating, active listening, and articulating arguments, are good in your toolset. Community leaders need to be able to articulate and lead the people around them and how things should be done effectively.

MOTIVATION
Motivating others is an excellent sign of a good community leader. You should be able to inspire and encourage people to want to work towards change. Wanting to help people improve their lives and the ability to help them work towards that makes a great leader.

Community leaders are some of the most influential people in a community. These people should have the ability to help their community work towards a common goal, whether through motivating others, crafting an environment to have healthy discussions, good interpersonal skills, being active in your community, or being willing to learn about the people around you.