LeadershipPlenty was designed by the Pew Center for Civic Change, a project of the Pew Charitable Trust in collaboration with some of the country's leading thinkers on leadership and civic engagement. The program is based on the premise that individuals operate in communities of abundance. The initial program design is built on training modules that strengthen leadership skills vital to active civic communities. For more information, visit the LeadershipPlenty website.

The American Planning Association (APA) collaborated with the Pew Partnership to create a flexible curriculum to focus on mid-level and mid-career professionals involved in community enhancement and planning. This includes members of CBOs and CDCs, practicing planners who work in community planning, and individuals committed to improving quality of life conditions in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Find out more about participant eligibility requirements.

The program was produced in 2003 by the Planners for Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee of the APA's New York Metro Chapter. Committee members are committed to increasing the overall diversity of the planning profession, as well as increasing the influence of traditionally underrepresented groups in planning practice.

Need for APA/LeadershipPlenty
APA/LeadershipPlenty is as much a program to improve outcomes in community development and planning as it is a leadership initiative. It was designed to address three issues: the leadership crisis in the community development field, the lack of diversity at the top levels of community development and planning, and the schism between the two fields.

According to Building the Organizations that Build Communities, by Roland Anglin of the Bloustein School, the community development field is facing a “looming leadership crisis” with the retirement of first and second generation executive directors. Few second level professionals are prepared to replace the charismatic leaders who built and grew organizations. There are many good managers – but the skills that make someone an effective steward of budgets and programs differ from those used to motivate and inspire others. Retention of talented staff is also a major concern to executive directors, according to the researchers.

APA/LeadershipPlenty addresses these problems in two ways. Participants learn leadership skills that are distinct from management skills – systems thinking, alliance building, and strategic communications. The program also helps participants overcome the feeling of powerlessness that is both demoralizing and disruptive. By building participants’ sense of confidence and showing them different tools for leadership, the program encourages participants to take steps that benefit themselves, their organizations, and their communities.

Another problem noted in Building Communities -- and this affects planning and community development -- is the lack of diversity in leadership. It is not just a matter of there being too few African-Americans, Latinos, and Asian-Americans in executive and supervisory positions. “The industry’s leadership and senior management staff reflect their communities less and less and often are separated by a cultural, racial and/or educational gap. (p. 101)”

The authors of Lagging behind: a Study of Ethnic Diversity in the Planning Profession in the APA New York Metro Chapter found few planners of color in senior level positions. APA/LeadershipPlenty promotes diversity in many forms, including a retreat on race and diversity. By marketing the program to various audiences through multiple networks, we encourage ethnic, cultural, geographic and professional diversity. Seeking diversity – not just accepting it – is a core value of the program’s teachings.

There is an unfortunate and unnecessary divide between the community development and planning fields, especially in the New York area. Since the days of Robert Moses, there has been great tension between formally trained planners who work in government agencies, and others who work in community based organizations. In fact, there appear to be many people in the nonprofit sector who work as community planners, but do not consider themselves as such because of stereotypes and misunderstandings. At a recent Planners Network conference, an event moderator who had been a community activist since the 1950s told the audience of planners that “you all work for the enemy.”

By bringing community development planners together with planners in a learning community, they can break down these barriers and share knowledge that will improve both fields. Planners and community development practitioners have benefited from their work together. A model now used for wide-scale community planning – known in some areas as comprehensive community initiatives – is modeled on master planning techniques used for planning for cities and counties. By hearing from community development practitioners, planners are more aware of how large-scale changes in land uses can affect local residents and businesses. Still, misunderstanding and prejudice persists.