One theme keeps coming up: some small towns say they want younger people involved, but what they really want is for younger people to enthusiastically carry out the same ideas that have been circulating for decades.
They want the energy, volunteer hours and fresh faces but not necessarily the questions, challenges or changes that come with them.
That is SO dangerous for a community (especially one that’s stagnant or declining). When younger leaders learn that participation requires silence and new ideas are treated like disrespect, they don’t keep showing up forever. They stop attending meetings, leave boards, move away, build elsewhere or decide their hometown simply isn’t interested in what they bring to the table.
Institutional knowledge matters as does experience. But experience should help new leaders avoid old mistakes, not force them to repeat old strategies. Respect cannot mean agreeing with the person who has been there the longest.
If we want genuine participation, we have to make room for genuine influence. That may mean term limits, dedicated seats for younger leaders, mentorship that works in both directions, meeting times with virtual options that accommodate working families and a willingness to test ideas without making people survive years of small-town politics first.
Younger people do not need to earn the right to care about the future they will inherit. Invite them in, listen when they speak and let them help build something new."
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