Informal leadership in community-driven development: Implications for transformation

As emergent approaches to community development shift the focus from problems to capacities and from needs to assets, there is a need for outside agents such as adult educators and development practitioners to re-evaluate how authentic community-driven development takes place. This study explores the role of informal leaders in community-level transformation. Through developing case studies of six informal leaders in three rural communities of Mindanao, Philippines, this study identifies the supports and challenges faced by informal leaders. The case studies are informed by the results of semi-structured, appreciative interviews of six informal leaders and six other stakeholders from the three communities which took place over the course of three weeks in February, 2006. Uncovering determinants of informal leader emergence in this context, this study also explores the role informal community leaders play in the transformation of their communities, the role of outside agents in supporting the emergence of such leaders, and the various connections between the fields of transformative adult education and community development as they relate to informal leadership.;This study concludes that informal leaders at the community level are in a unique position to change people's perspectives of themselves and their capacities as individuals and as communities to affect positive change. In this respect, informal community leaders are transformative adult educators. The inherent level of trust between them and their fellow community members enables them to lead, teach, and inspire others to transform. Informal leaders are successful in this role because they are trusted, they are communicators, they model positive behaviour, and they recognize the capacities of themselves and others.;The findings of this study carry implications for outside agents hoping to inspire some sort of transformation at the community level. Outside agents should seek out, work with, empower, and learn from local people who are in a position to inspire others as informal leaders. The perspective and role changes of these individuals seem to be directly linked to the overall transformation and development of their communities. The role of the outside agent in supporting transformation becomes one of empowering local leaders to be agents of transformation themselves. Sustainable community development comes from engaging the local community as learners and leaders.