Social Change Model of Leadership Development
The premise of working toward a common good is embodied in the work of Susan R. Komives and her colleagues, particularly in the area of civic engagement. Komives et al.’s work is geared toward student leaders and how to empower them to make a difference. She and her coauthors envision leadership as a relationship among multiple partners, but with the additional goal of attempting to accomplish positive change in an ethical manner.
According to Komives, Lucas, and McMahon, civic engagement entails “the sense of personal responsibility individuals should feel to uphold their obligations, as part of any community” . This can include watching out for older or vulnerable neighbors, creating a positive climate in the workplace, cleaning up roadsides with a group of friends, confronting unjust treatment of others when you observe it, and just generally contributing to the public good.
The concept of civic engagement is also at the heart of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development developed in the mid-1990s. The model depicts leadership as a connective and collaborative process based on seven values, each of which begins with the letter C. The “seven Cs” are values that enable people to get to the goal, to accomplish positive change. “Change means improving the status quo, creating a better world, while demonstrating a comfort with transition and ambiguity during the process”
