rural communities

Leaders are the head and heart of vibrant, strong

rural communities

Leadership

Leadership

may be the difference as to why some communities thrive while others struggle.

peak

We seek to understand good leadership qualities and development practices.

journey

Join us in our

journey

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Strengthening Leadership to Transform Rural Communities

Leaders are the head and heart of vibrant, strong rural communities. Leadership, in fact, may be the difference in why some communities thrive while others struggle. 

RuraLead is a learning initiative. We want to understand impactful leadership qualities and leadership development practices. 

We went on a listening tour through rural America starting in late 2020. In each region, we bore witness and honored the work of rural and Indigenous leaders. We hosted a series of videoconferences to connect leaders, ideas, and funders. Together, we explored a broad definition of leadership and how we can elevate it in all its forms. 

Read “Three Imperatives for A Better Rural Future” for perspectives on what rural communities need to become stronger – and the best ways to strengthen leadership to meet those needs. We hope this learning will help rural practitioners adapt ideas and help funders understand what’s needed to strengthen rural communities.

RuraLead explored these essential questions:

  • Who gets to lead? Who has power in rural places?
  • What constitutes good leadership?
  • What does it look like in practice?
  • How do people become leaders in rural communities?
  • How do we strengthen and support rural leadership?

Appalachia Journey

Appalachia Journey

Drawing from the great storytelling traditions of Appalachia, hear first-person accounts of how leaders emerged and found the agency to improve rural lives. Participants discussed why rural leadership matters and find ways to support leaders’ work and development.

Midwest Journey

Midwest Journey

Imagine a future where rural leaders have the resources needed to create stronger, more equitable communities. That’s what we asked leaders to do. From that imagination emerged a new vision of leadership development.

Southern Journey

Southern Journey

Pathways to rural leadership are as diverse as the American South itself. Meet leaders who will show you what rural leadership looks like in practice. Together at the event, we crafted an understanding of how to overcome shared challenges.

Northwest Journey

Northwest Journey

Rural leaders sometimes face peaks and valleys as they navigate their communities forward. During our Northwest event, we talked about what success looks like, and showcased ways to bridge resource gaps so so more rural communities can thrive.

Rural Indigenous Journey

Rural Indigenous Journey

Through interviews with rural Indigenous leaders and leadership development practitioners, and participants at the RuraLead Ideas Summit, RuraLead heard again and again that Rural Indigenous communities and leaders know their own strengths and needs best. Real change can and must come from within the community.

RuraLead Ideas Summit

March 4, 9, 23, and April 6, 2021

The RuraLead Ideas Summit engaged invited rural and Indigenous leadership development practitioners working alongside RuraLead initiative partners. Together, we addressed how rural and rural Indigenous leadership development can evolve and how different sectors can work together to advance rural equity, development, opportunity, and prosperity.

During the third day of the Summit, we were joined by funders, leadership practitioners, leaders, and stakeholders in discussions of themes from RuraLead’s Learning Journeys, interviews, and Summit sessions, along with ways to collectively strengthen rural leadership development.

Read the Summit overview and emerging themes that were discussed by RuraLead Field Builders and RuraLead Ideas Summit participants.

With Gratitude

RuraLead thanks the many rural and Indigenous leaders, practitioners, and funders who shared their stories and knowledge with us. The voices and collective wisdom of the many people we met with and interviewed formed the basis of the RuraLead initiative. The needs for peer learning, sustaining the RuraLead network, and continuing to build and support the field of rural leadership development were repeatedly emphasized.

RuraLead has taken significant steps in understanding and connecting the field of rural leadership development. In order to coordinate next steps for the field at a national level, we must maintain the powerful partnerships forged through RuraLead, and we aim to reconvene RuraLead partners and stakeholders in 2022 to best shift RuraLead learnings from concept to practice.

RuraLead is a program of
Our partners

We’re creating an inventory of rural leadership development programs across the nation. If your program is not yet on this map, we’d love to learn about your work.