You can’t have an impact unless you get involved
Leadership Indianapolis convenes business and community leaders to serve and strengthen greater Indianapolis.
By Rebecca Hutton, President & CEO of Leadership Indianapolis
Whether you turn on the television news, open a newspaper, or scroll a feed, one thing is constant: there is a lot of frustration in our communities. It seems there isn’t much we can all agree on but one message is consistent: we all want things to be better.
But how do we make things better? How do we transform the gridlock into momentum? How do we reshape fractured courses into shared paths forward? How do we convert paralyzing frustration into productive action?
We have to want it. We have to be more passionate about the solutions than we are about the fight. We have to replace suspicion of others with a real desire to rebuild trust.
But that too leads to the question of how do we actually do those things?
Well, as simple as it sounds, you have to get involved. If you want to have an impact, you have to get involved. You can’t sit on the sidelines or just shout (or post) about what others should be doing. We have to take actions that help us better understand the challenges facing our communities and the roles we can play in moving toward solutions that makes things better for everyone, not just the people we like and agree with.
I believe that the answer, in part, lives with community leadership organizations. There are more than 1000 community leadership organizations across the country working to equip people to be effective leaders who care about the common good. They are in big cities and small towns. Some are part of chambers of commerce, some are part of universities, and some are independent nonprofit organizations. They are made up of professional staff and committed volunteers. While they serve in a variety of places and ways, they all work with a similar goal: prepare, support, and inspire leaders who are deeply invested in their communities and will collaborate with others to address challenges.
Community leadership organizations offer several ways to get involved. Some programs help you learn about critical issues in your community. Other programs provide the opportunity to hone your leadership skills so you can have a greater impact. Others, like our Get on Board event at Leadership Indianapolis, can connect you with opportunities to volunteer and serve on nonprofit boards. Most importantly, community leadership programs can help you build relationships with other civic-minded leaders who are ready to take action.
If you want things to be better than this, get involved. If you want to get involved, reach out to your local community leadership program. We make things better by doing better.
Rebecca Hutton serves as President & CEO as well as the Program Director for the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series at Leadership Indianapolis. Prior to her involvement with Leadership Indianapolis, she served as the CEO of Theater of Inclusion, a company that develops and implements community engagement projects using the arts. Throughout her career, Rebecca’s work has focused on developing programs that engage people on the issues of creative place-making, leadership, and legacy.
Find a Program Near You
Leadership like this is happening in cities and regions across the country—and you can be part of it.
If you’re ready to grow as a leader, build stronger connections, and make a real impact in your community, there’s likely a community leadership program near you. These programs foster understanding, civic engagement, and lasting change.
Explore the map and find a program in your city through the
👉 National Community Leadership Collaborative