Recognize the Importance of Community Leadership and Clearly Define the Leader’s Role

APQC’s 2010 study on communities, Positioning Communities of Practice for Success, identified seven critical success factors that support effective community programs. One of these factors focuses on the importance of community leadership and clearly defining the leader’s role. The three leading organizations examined in the study—Alcoa World Alumina, Ernst & Young, and Schlumberger—invest in their community leaders, making sure that the right people become leaders and that these individuals have the tools, training, and support they need to get the job done.