Leading Volunteers When Nobody Has to Listen to You - Eric Kaufman

Send Fan Mail by Text!Increasingly, leadership is understood as a relational process rather than as an authority granted by a formal title. In this episode, Sharna speaks with Dr. Eric Kaufman about how decision-making happens in community settings. Drawing from his research and experiences with civic organizations, volunteer groups, faith communities, and educational programs, Eric explores how collaboration works when people connect through a shared purpose.Eric is a professor at Virginia Tech, where he coordinates a graduate certificate in collaborative community leadership and supports an undergraduate minor in leadership and social change.  He also has a partial appointment at Virginia Cooperative Extension, and that role has focused his attention on best practices for working with community members to guide educational programming.  You'll learn:What shared responsibility looks like in volunteer-based groupsWhy many are eager to contribute but hesitant to take on official leadership positions How asking better questions can create more inclusive decision-makingWhy strong communities require both leadership and active participationEpisode ReferencesKaufman, E. K., Kennedy, R. E., & Cletzer, D. A. (2019). Understanding the Nature of Eco‐Leadership: A Mixed Methods Study of Leadership in Community Organizations. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 167(1), 33-49. Graduate Certificate: Collaborative Community Leadership, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Virginia Techhttps://www.alce.vt.edu/student-info/graduate/commleader.htmlConnect with Eric Kaufman https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickkaufman/ Support the show*Get a discounted coach session with Sharna with promo code PODCAST https://www.sharnafabiano.com/coaching/Order the book: Lead & Followhttps://www.amazon.com/Lead-Follow-Dance-Inspired-Teamwork/dp/1646632796/Support the Show!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1735834/support