Communities, like any organization, need strong leadership to be successful. Leadership in communities, however, needs to come from many if not most of the members of the community. Strong communities are ones where there is a lot of discussion, dissent, and negotiation. Strong communities often include a lot of tension. Strong communities are made up of people with strong opinions who are not afraid to voice their opinions but also have enough respect for other members of the community that dissent can be negotiated without escalating to anger and resentment.

The problem? There is not enough leadership to go around. There is not enough empathy to go around. There is not enough respect to go around. There is not enough listening to go around. There is not enough strength of character to go around.

How do we get there? The best way to learn how to build strong communities is to experience a strong community first. It requires time, mentoring, observation...things that in the business world we often don't allow for.  In business, we need to show progress quickly and be show effectiveness.  The cadence of business and the cadence of communities are quite different - as is the leadership required.  Seriously considering developing a community for your business? Look for the really smart people in your organization who don't quite fit the management mold but are always pushing the envelope...and put them in charge of the community - and give them the time to explore other communities.