Unlocking Community Potential: The Catalyst Approach for Change

Who do we envision ourselves becoming? The big framing question, “Who do we envision ourselves becoming?” was written in wide black marker on a large flip chart and placed at the front of the room for easy viewing. I introduced the question and gave some context. The ten local leaders stared blankly at it. The […]

Who do we envision ourselves becoming?

The big framing question, “Who do we envision ourselves becoming?” was written in wide black marker on a large flip chart and placed at the front of the room for easy viewing. I introduced the question and gave some context. The ten local leaders stared blankly at it. The organization these leaders represented had been in existence since 2006. That’s not a long time in community and economic development years. Yet long enough to experience considerable success, then slump into a slow decline. This group of local leaders had come to a fork in the road around their purpose as an organization. Now they were faced with uncovering who they would need to become. They needed to regain success for the future of their organization and the community.

In the past 18 years, this organization has raised $8 million locally for projects. It also leveraged an extra $50 million in outside investments. These local leaders have been a catalyst for both big and small changes in their community. But shifts in organizational leadership and the pandemic halted much of that success. Some people told them, “Regroup and keep doing what you’re doing because it worked great in the past!” However, this group chose to have a deep-dive conversation. They focused on uncovering who they see themselves becoming as they considered their role as a catalyst for creating a thriving community.

I use the word “catalyst” to define this organization because collectively, as a group of volunteer local leaders, they are accelerating change in their community by strategically overcoming barriers and reinvesting local funds into projects. This has led to a regeneration of the region.

Happily, by the end of our deep-dive conversation two hours later, this organization’s leadership had come to a consensus. They would become the local catalyst that invests today for a prosperous tomorrow. And they would achieve this through thoughtf