Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up

by Paul Schmitz

Based on a proven leadership model, Everybody Leads shows how leadership can be found in uncommon places and reveals how to inspire and cultivate the leadership of those focused on social change. It shows how to take responsibility to work with developing leaders to make a difference and outlines the five key leadership values. Sponsored by Public Allies, the book helps leaders to connect across cultures, facilitate collaborative action, recognize and mobilize all of a community's assets, continuously learn, and be accountable to those they work with and those they serve. Register at www.josseybass.com/emailfor more information on our publications, authors, and to receive special offers.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Business

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2011

Reviews

[Jalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in awhile. It really pushed me to reflect on my own social justice activities and community advocacy. The book pushes all philanthropists and leaders of nonprofit and community organizations to investigate how we're engaging community members as leaders and designers of solutions to entrenched social problems rather than merely passive recipients of social services. This will definitely be a book I continue to re-visit.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Schmitz is an amazing speaker and this book is great reference for remembering the details of his presentation. His cup half full/half empty analogy was truly eye-opening and a fantastic reminder that we should never define anyone by just one trait.

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up" by Paul Schmitz is an empowering exploration of leadership that challenges traditional notions of who can be a leader. The book emphasizes that leadership is not exclusive to those with high-ranking titles or positions of power but is a quality that can be cultivated by anyone. Here's a summary of the key insights from the book:

1. Leadership Beyond Status and Credentials: The book challenges the conventional idea of leadership tied to status and polished credentials. It argues that authentic and radical leadership often emerges from unexpected places and individuals, including young people, women, and those from humble beginnings.

2. Community Building for Leadership Development: Leadership is not just about spotting potential leaders but nurturing them effectively. Community capacity is crucial for building effective leaders, and this involves engaging those at the margins. The Strive Partnership is cited as an example of a leadership program that has improved high school graduation rates by focusing on community building and collaboration.

3. Zero-to-Hero Story: The author, Paul Schmitz, shares his personal story of transformation from a self-perceived underachiever struggling with substance abuse to a successful CEO of the nonprofit Public Allies. His journey highlights the importance of resilience, seizing opportunities, and commitment to personal growth.

4. Grassroots Leadership: Leadership is portrayed as a grassroots movement that has shaped America throughout history, from the American Revolution to the civil rights movement. Modern leadership is influenced by technological advancements, diversity, and evolving leadership theories that emphasize inclusivity and collaborative, value-driven approaches.

5. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD): The ABCD approach is presented as a cornerstone for enduring change. This strategy focuses on recognizing and mobilizing community assets, emphasizing that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It encourages leaders to avoid the "us versus them" mentality and categorizing people as wholly good or bad.

6. Connecting Across Cultures: Leadership potential exists in diverse backgrounds, and embracing this diversity enhances community morale. Recognizing power dynamics and addressing issues of power, privilege, and oppression are essential for modern leaders. Strategies like the Privilege Walk exercise are employed to raise awareness and encourage reflection on personal experiences and societal structures.

7. Empowering Others from Below: Modern leadership is characterized by empowering others from below rather than wielding authority from above. The book advocates for prioritizing diversity and inclusivity, valuing potential beyond traditional credentials, and recognizing that experiences, skills, and perspectives contribute to authentic leadership.

In conclusion, "Everyone Leads" encourages readers to rethink traditional leadership paradigms and recognize the leadership potential within themselves and others. The book provides practical insights and strategies for fostering inclusive and community-driven leadership in a diverse and evolving world.

[CTEP]

For February I read a book called Everyone Leads by Paul Schmitz. Paul Schmitz is the CEO of Public Allies, a nationwide program in the AmeriCorps network. Members of Public Allies are placed with many different organizations in a VISTA sort of fashion, but Public Allies also has its own very specific models regarding leadership development, and community. Public Ally cohorts are particularly focused on developing leaders from nontraditional routes. In the book Schmitz describes how leadership is sometimes described as an exclusive opportunity, but that the only way for a community to develop is for leadership to be something available. Schmitz asserts that leadership is better considered an action rather than a status and that everyone can lead.

The book serves as a general history of the program while also exploring the philosophies behind Public Ally's leadership model. Interspersed throughout the book are short snippets of allies' stories displaying many different backgrounds and experiences from the more typical recent college graduate to the teen mother. Schmitz' own story begins the book as he describes a rocky youth of drug use and depression, focusing on how he was never the stereotypical leader and yet has accomplished a great deal.

The book has been very interesting, and I definitely think it's a good read as a survey for a large collection of different subjects that CTEP members work with every day including race, privilege, leadership, community, and many more. I myself have had a lot of these on the brain lately and am seeking out different works to think about them more, and Everyone Leads has also pointed me towards more literature i've already requested from the Library. I definitely found a lot of this discussion on leadership philosophy, of working with people and not for them, to be very useful along with an emphasis on values leadership that I largely agree with and value myself. I especially liked one discussion on realm of responsibility. Occasionally, the book painted a little little too nice of a picture. Schmitz glosses over for me what should be some key moments in the story early on of his own growth of his original work with the organization, going from getting hired to figuring it all out in only a few pages and I definitely wanted to learn more about that experience, and about general experiences of building resources in difficult situations. I think that Public Allies has important stories here as well but they definitely get crowded out by discussions of philosophy that occasionally become abstracted and idealized a bit too much.

[Sarah Cupitt]

WIP - note dump

notes:
- everyday people are capable of great things (not a revolutionary concept but great for the masses)
- Leadership isn't exclusive to the elite
- The real question we should be asking is not about where leaders come from but their ability to connect, inspire, and mobilise people toward common goals
- Technology can significantly enhance and accelerate community organising
- Asset-based Community Development, also known as ABCD.
- The author relies on two strategies to support potential leaders who can bridge societal divides: Diversity and recognition of power dynamics.
- As a modern leader, you need to be ready to address power, privilege and oppression issues.
- Ultimately, to be a leader is not just about effectively leading your pack but also about learning from them as you progress.

[Maxine Blackwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leadership is accessible and community-driven – transcending the traditional bubbles of power, inherited prestige and status. It can also come from unexpected places, as the author himself can attest to, having journeyed from substance abuse to C-suite success. Leading in today’s world doesn’t mean wielding authority from above, but rather empowering others from below while prioritizing diversity and inclusivity. Ultimately, to be a leader is not just about effectively leading your pack but also about learning from them as you progress.

[Mir Shahzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Leadership is accessible and community-driven – transcending the traditional bubbles of power, inherited prestige and status. It can also come from unexpected places, as the author himself can attest to, having journeyed from substance abuse to C-suite success. Leading in today’s world doesn’t mean wielding authority from above, but rather empowering others from below while prioritizing diversity and inclusivity. Ultimately, to be a leader is not just about effectively leading your pack but also about learning from them as you progress.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Community is where humanity meets. Leadership is bringing humans together.

Leadership is not about power, but about helping people obtain their full potential. Leadership is finding a common goal of the people then developing a way they can achieve their goals.
This book is a treasure trove of learning for leaders wishing to grow, not only themselves but also their communities.

[Carmela · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrible, boring, repetitive, erases work of people of color

[Markell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful resource for leadership development, AND community engagement.

[Lisa Strandberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read about the strength in humble, vulnerable leadership that creates space for half-empty, half-full people — which is to say all of us — to lead collaboratively.

[Tosha Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone Leads is a book that I needed to read in this phase in my life as I participate in the Public Allies Twin Cities AmeriCorps Program 16/17 cohort. I consider this book the BIBLE of learning about what it means to be a true leader. Schmitz compiles an organized structure of his own struggles, failures and how they allowed him to be the person he is today. He also acknowledges his white privilege and shows vulnerability at times. I love the stories he shares from people who have influenced him and others who were greatly impacted by Public Allies. I believe this book is for everyone, not just those who are currently in a Public Allie cohort. Anyone interested in “continuous learning” about life or the process of starting a nonprofit should read it. As an English major I love writing and appreciated the self-reflection questions at the end of each chapter. I didn’t have time to reflect in depth on any of the questions in a journal, but think that may be something to work on at a later time. Some of the exercises at the end of each chapter were also thought provoking. If you read this book please participate in the “Privilege Walk” activity in chapter 6, page 170. Feel free to add or delete statements as well. Everyone, but especially white readers who participate in this activity will be blown away. Heck I am a minority and had to face the fact that I have privilege as well.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dry and unfortunately the author spends an abundance of the first two chapters covering unnecessary details about the Public Allies.. However, if you can either bare with the first two and a half chapters or skip them, the remainder of the book has great stuff.

[Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this approach to what being a leader is all about. What I especially liked about this book is the community aspect- about empowering others to lead. Great read- can be kinda dry sometimes though but worth it for the information

[Olusanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book!!!

[Brion Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little dry but I gained some new ideas that I will take back to the various groups I work with.

[Samantha Small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspiring but a little too repetitive