Leading Locally: Developing Confidence as a Leader

In the first article, we explored how rural leadership grows through relationships, connections, and everyday action. This article builds on those ideas by focusing on how emerging rural leaders can understand their strengths, develop a clear leadership identity, and gain confidence through practice.

A Familiar Rural Story

Consider a small rural town where the same few people have organized community events for years. When one longtime volunteer steps back, a newer resident offers to help coordinate a local fundraiser. At first, the person sees this as simply lending a hand. Over time, they begin attending planning meetings, sharing ideas, and helping connect with others. As people start to rely on them, their role quietly changes.

Without realizing it, they are no longer just helping. They are becoming a leader.

How Leadership Identity Develops

Leadership in rural communities grows through involvement, reflection, and experience rather than through titles alone. People often begin by noticing a local need and choosing to participate. Over time, participation deepens, confidence grows, and leadership becomes part of how a person shows up in community life.

Research on leadership identity shows this development happens through repeated cycles of action, reflection, and renewed commitment (Komives et al., 2005). In rural communities, this process is obvious because:

• People wear multiple hats
• Community work overlaps
• Others observe who follows through

Studies of rural leadership describe this as an ongoing cycle of stepping forward, learning through experience, embedding in community work, and renewing commitment as needs change (Jonix et al., 2016). Leadership identity also develops internally. Individuals learn about their values, strengths, and motivations through experience and reflection (Avolio et al., 2009).

Leadership People Can See

In rural communities, leadership is both personal and public. People know each other. They notice who participates and how leaders behave. This visibility builds trust and accountability, but it can also create pressure or self-doubt.

Recent research conducted by Zhang et al. (2023) shows that everyday leadership behaviors strongly influence whether others choose to participate in community efforts, showing their willingness to be involved. When leaders demonstrate:

• Integrity
• Clear communication
• Visible competence
• Care for others
• A shared vision

This connects closely to empowerment theory described by Pigg (2002), which explains that people participate more when:

• They believe they can make a difference (self-efficacy)
• Relationships support encouragement (mutual empowerment)
• Barriers to participation are reduced (social empowerment)

Evolutionary leadership research also helps explain rural dynamics. Groups tend to support individuals who act reasonably, competently, and in the group's interest while maintaining collaborative, shared leadership (Van Vugt et al., 2008).

Building Confidence Through Small Steps

Many emerging leaders feel self-doubt. They worry about how others see them or whether they are "good enough." Research on empathy suggests shifting to an other-oriented perspective helps reduce this pressure. Focusing on understanding others rather than worrying about personal performance improves listening and reduces stress (Coplan, 2011).

Confidence grows through action, reflection, and repetition.

Try these practical steps:

• Host a short, issue-centered conversation. Invite a few people to discuss one concern. Listen and summarize next steps (Komives et al., 2005).
• Demonstrate follow-through. Share notes or actions after a meeting. Small completions build credibility (Zhang et al., 2023).
• Offer personalized care. Thank people. Ask how involvement can be easier (Zhang et al., 2023; Pigg, 2002).
• Name a shared vision. Identify a simple goal the group can work toward (Zhang et al., 2023).
• Frame leadership as coordination. Invite many small contributions based on people's strengths (Van Vugt et al., 2008).

These are small actions, but in rural communities, they are apparent and highly influential.

Bringing It Together

A strong leadership voice in a rural community blends:

• Personal strengths
• Meaningful relationships
• Shared purpose

Leadership identity grows through involvement and reflection (Komives et al., 2005). Confidence grows when people feel empowered to participate (Pigg, 2002). Trust grows when leaders demonstrate integrity, competence, care, and shared vision (Zhang et al., 2023). Rural leadership develops through cycles of stepping up, learning, adapting, and renewing commitment as community needs shift (Jonix et al., 2016; Kaufman & Rudd, 2006).

You do not become a leader in one moment. You become a leader by showing up consistently, learning from experience, and helping others participate along the way.

Acknowledgment:

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry provides funding for AgWorks project. This project is funded 100% with federal funds from a US Department of Labor grant totaling $1,325,699.00 and 0% ($0.00) non-federal funds. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

References

Avolio, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and Future Directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 421–449. doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163621

Coplan, A. (2011). Will the real empathy please stand up? A case for a narrow conceptualization. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 49(s1), 40–65. doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-6962.2011.00056.x

Jonix, O., Bartholomay, M., & Calkins, M. (2016). Understanding the Importance of Leadership in Rural Communities. The Great Plains Sociologist, 26, 50-67,6. 

Kaufman, E. K., & Rudd, R. D. (2006). Rural Leadership Development: A synthesis of research. Journal of Leadership Education, 5(3), 128–141. doi.org/10.12806/v5/i3/rf7

Komives, S. R., Owen, J. E., Longerbeam, S. D., Mainella, F. C., & Osteen, L. (2005). Developing a leadership identity: A grounded theory. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), 593–611. doi.org/10.1353/csd.2005.0061

Pigg, K. E. (2002). Three faces of empowerment: Expanding the theory of empowerment in community development. Journal of the Community Development Society, 33(1), 107–123. doi.org/10.1080/15575330209490145

Van Vugt, M., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2008). Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some lessons from the past. American Psychologist, 63(3), 182–196. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.63.3.182

Zhang, M., Shi, H., Williams, L., Lighterness, P., Li, M., & Khan, A. U. (2023). An empirical test of the influence of rural leadership on the willingness to participate in public affairs from the perspective of leadership identification. Agriculture, 13(10), 1976. doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101976