When leadership education reaches the inexperienced, Extension addresses the rural leadership gap
Jenny Zeltwanger of Morris remembers a life-changing invitation to lead in her local church. “Someone had the forethought to say, ‘We want you to have some power and input and we trust you.’”
Invitations like this inspire leadership that lasts a lifetime. Is your community extending enough invitations?
Leadership energy is critical for rural communities, and University of Minnesota Extension is committed to supporting local leaders. Many wear multiple hats. Their contributions are heroic, but they are overextended.
Calculating the stress
Ben Winchester, Extension rural sociologist, says rural leaders are overworked. Using public records data, he calculates the need for formal leaders in each county, comparing that to the number of available adults. He has found a profound leadership gap in very rural areas, where one in every nine adults must hold a formal leadership position.
“The good news is that rural civic life is strong,” says Winchester. “The number of nonprofits is growing, and local governments manage complex issues. But we need more people to lead.”
A study conducted by Minnesota Compass, a project led by Wilder Research to provide data and track trends, reveals demographic gaps.
- Young adults are 38% of the population; only 24% of formal leadership positions are held by them.
- 17% of Minnesota’s adults are people of color; only 9% of formal leaders are BIPOC.
- 50% of Minnesota’s adults are women; only 24% of leaders are women.
- 3 out of 20 Minnesotans have a disability; only 1 in 20 leaders has a disability.
Extension minds the gap
Extension’s leadership and civic engagement programs pull people from the sidelines and into community life.
Alma Conteras Lopez of Murdock responded to the invitation to lead by participating in Extension’s 2024 Growing Local Emerging Leaders program in southwest Minnesota.
“As an immigrant, I have had to learn to navigate different systems in the U.S. That’s why part of my inspiration is to help families navigate those systems.”
Her leadership is growing through her work with Conexiones, an immigrant-serving nonprofit that envisions stronger, more united communities. She was also invited to help save lives as a bilingual first responder.
Extension educators are seeing immigrants take on significant roles where they live. New Americans open businesses. They care for multiple generations. That’s all about health care, child care and elder care — issues communities are deeply worried about.
“The good news is that rural civic life is strong...but we need more people to lead.”
—Ben Winchester
In 2024, a new Growing Local Leadership program in northwest Minnesota will welcome everyday leaders, recognizing contributions that aren’t usually seen as formal leadership. “Parents of young children may not run for office, but they organize families to address child care needs,” says Jennifer Aranda, Extension leadership and civic engagement educator. “Some retail workers have top-notch customer service and communication skills critical to leadership, but they don’t see themselves as leaders.”
Passing leadership to the next generation
Passing the torch can be difficult. It is hard to trust that others will do the job, especially when they do it differently. For some, leadership is core to their personal identity.
“This is so understandable,” says Zeltwanger. “I personally like to serve on boards where experienced leaders work alongside very new leaders, sharing what they know. Because newness is an asset too.”
Five ways to welcome new leadership
1. Start seeing leadership everywhere.
Scout out leadership in everyday settings.
2. Connect potential leaders to current leaders.
Relationships demystify power.
3. Create spaces where people share stories.
Stories reveal potential.
4. Listen to youth.
They are tomorrow’s leaders. They can also lead today.
5. Be willing to let go of leadership.
New leaders are an asset
New podcast engages Minnesotans to learn ‘Side-by-Side’
There has been a rural-urban divide ever since Aesop wrote fables about the city mouse and the country mouse.
But the story has become more polarized lately, and less informed.
To engage Minnesota in conversations across differences, Extension has premiered a new podcast called Side by Side. Podcast host Ellen Wolter, Extension leadership and civic engagement educator, will talk to guests about the many ways urban and rural Minnesotans rely on each other — through economics, natural resources, cultural opportunities and more.
“I grew up rural, then moved to cities,” says Wolter. “Now I live in central Minnesota. It’s so easy to ‘other’ each other. These conversations are about understanding how we are connected.”
Guests include:
Nick Jacobs, assistant professor of government at Colby College, shares research about the rural voter, including the limitations of data and common misconceptions.
Julie Tesch of the Center for Rural Policy and Jake Loesch of the Citizens League discuss their Interconnected series, which covers Minnesota policy issues.
Artist Che Smith describes his experiences growing up in Chicago, and then getting to know the people and the places of rural Wyoming, where he now owns a home. Find the podcast at sidebyside.transistor.fm.
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