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How Parents are Keeping Children from Becoming the Next Generation of Leaders

By Paula Jensen

A girl smiles while eating a meal at Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

  By Paula Jensen It seems I have almost always been interested in leadership.  My parents modeled leadership as I was growing up through their active roles in community, church, and school.  I joined 4-H at the age of eight, was called a “ring-leader” as an elementary student (which I don’t think this was a […]

December 28, 2019 Filed Under: community, failure, rural, youth Tagged With: guest post, kids, leadership, Paula Jensen, rural, youth

Why does nothing ever get done in this town!

By Paula Jensen

A diverse group receiving awards from a city council

  By Paula Jensen Having a passion for rural community development and leadership is what drives my personal and professional life. My personal vision statement reads, “I will be a clear voice for rural people and places by mobilizing and empowering rural changemakers to build vibrant communities.” It has taken me a number of years, a […]

October 12, 2019 Filed Under: community, rural Tagged With: #Iamrural, city council, government, leadership, local government, mayor, officials, Paula Jensen, rural

We tried that before and it didn’t work!

By Paula Jensen

Guest Post by Paula Jensen When was the last time you heard someone say, “We tried that before and it didn’t work!”  In my early days as a local leader those words spoken by an experienced leader often stopped me in my tracks. Their words indicated to me that they had the experience of knowing […]

May 26, 2019 Filed Under: community, mistakes, planning, rural Tagged With: #Iamrural, conversation, experience, failure, leadership, listening, Paula Jensen, questions

If they want to lead, empower them to lead

By Paula Jensen

Guest Post by Paula Jensen Leaders are the essence of small towns and rural communities. The success or failure of any housing, community or economic development efforts in the places we call home often rests upon the level of engagement and investment of local citizen leaders. Yet, in so many communities I work in across […]

April 27, 2019 Filed Under: community, rural, youth Tagged With: #Iamrural, change, emerging leaders, leadership, Paula Jensen, rural, trends

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