For those interested in geeking out about the difference between two types of leadership: the "charismatic leader" and "community as leader". 

Most projects that come to be in our culture tend to be driven by "charismatic leaders" through whom all decisions ultimately get funneled through. They provide inspiration for devotion to the project, much support, and extra energy. Egalitarian community leadership implies that the community as a whole makes decisions among each other -- NOT necessarily by consensus -- but by constant informal communication among the most relevant people regarding that specific question and considerations, that lead to decisions and actions. Communities with charismatic leaders can still be healthy communities, and sometimes they even survive the death of that leader - they change a lot in the process, but they persist. Strong community projects can happen in either scenario; it's simply good to be aware of the nuances.

An example for egalitarian community leadership: Means of Production garden in BC. 

Means of Production is a continuously changing creative space. Depending on who is putting energy into the garden for a season, the garden reflects the changes. Sometimes it is weavers. Sometimes instrument makers. Sometimes herbalists. The nature of it is truly wild to the community and its ever-evolving self-organization. Certain people or groups may invest in it for awhile and therefore care about how their part of the project is effected by others, and many people co-habitate and use various parts of the garden. Some people put energy into planting perennials and these plants grow and benefit everyone that uses the space in the future. "Grow Art" organization is the most persistent organizer around the space, offering workshops and tending perennial tasks. 

Because of the freedom of this site, its gift has been available to many people that would not perhaps have had access to a garden, or a reason to interact with other strangers, or a place that felt welcome for them to invest creative energy. 

'The public' can use and care for this space any time, any day, and becomes a focal point for the entire community to care for and interact with.

There is no boss. There is no set person that makes final decisions about what can and can't happen. The land and the people work together with no additional oversight. The garden simply absorbs and holds the energy of the current group involved. The long-term vision? A place for people to regard as a resource for materials and relationships. Wow. As simple as that is, it is accomplishing it with more integrity than any other project I have seen implemented in a city setting. 

An example for charismatic leadership: Planet Repair Institute in Portland. 

Planet Repair is exemplary in the world of community projects. The group at this urban homestead mostly makes decisions by consensus, but major changes to the land ultimately come down to the opinion of the owner, who has lived there the longest and will probably stay there forever. 

Planet Repair a great example of how this kind of "charismatic leadership" system works very well. It makes good sense that someone invested in this specific place has slightly more say. In this case, the entire community benefits deeply from their dedication as they involve other people in the decision making process, are considerate of new ideas, and provide educational opportunities far beyond even their immediate community when it comes to major improvements to the place. This house was the reason straw-clay insulation was legalized in Oregon and in the process of various building projects on the land, hundreds of people were able to learn hands-on natural building and permaculture techniques. An annual Urban Permaculture Design Class is taught here, with an added emphasis on neighborhood transformation and community organizing. Plus the neighbors can take any classes offered at Planet Repair for free. 

'The public' is generally most welcome only during specific events or workshops. 

It is surly worth noting, too, that resiliency in the community would be tested if the leadership at Planet Repair were to suddenly die or if his focus attention were called to another project. It is already true that if the group living there is not prepared to host guests that they are not openly welcome. Although many people love this place, there is a sense of its ownership -- and it's not "community ownership".

The first paragraph of the forward to "The Facilitator's Guide To Participatory Decision Making" is written by Michael Doyle saying, "I see group facilitation as a whole constellation of ingredients: a deep belief in the wisdom and creativity of people; a search for synergy and overlapping goals; the ability to listen openly and actively  a working knowledge of group dynamics; a deep belief in the inherent power of the group and teams; a respect for individuals and their points of view; patience and a high tolerance for ambiguity to let a decision evil and gel; strong interpersonal and collaborative problem-solving skills; an understanding of thinking processes; and a flexible versus a lock-step approach to resolving issues and making decisions." 

When it comes down to it, the primary concern in community projects is true inclusion. And what does that look like? The world of facilitation and leadership is literally filled with hundreds of books, everything from dealing with complexities in race, class, and empowerment to simple ice breakers. 

Personal Note: 

While it is good to be aware of resources for organizing community projects, the best resource of all is experience. The first time I was reading "Building Power Community Organizations" by Michael Jacoby Brown, it was the winter after I left Portland and organizing the Village Building Convergence, and I had retracted from that world completely for a time. I had an impending sense of impossibility sinking in me as I read the chapter on organizing in your neighborhood for local action. I thought without words, "how could anyone ever be brave enough to do this?" The more that thought became clear, I realized how funny this scene was. Less than eight months previous I had been Placemaking Coordinator, supporting more than 40 sites to do this very thing! 

Why did I feel it was so impossible?

I have a theory: because it was written in a book by someone else. 

While books can be inspiring, empowering, helpful in guiding us in many ways... there is a sense of detachment from reality with a book, as well. So much of the process for community organizing projects comes more naturally to us than we realize. When we see the steps laid out on paper, they seem intimidating. When I ask my students what it feels like to imagine knocking on their neighbor's door, every time it is a conversation about fear. Once neighbors begin working together, it feels startlingly more natural that expected, even if it is awkward at first. 


And every project will run into difficulties, uncomfortable places, and hard decisions. Sometimes that's met with the reaction:

On January 1, 2015, a day in the icy cold woods with friends led us into marvelous circumstances. Each time we'd go somewhere off trail to play, stop somewhere beautiful, move on, 'find' something else magical, and continue, appreciating - over and over - the time-wittled magic of so many elements that needed to come together to create what we could notice. We could have stayed hours in one spot and remained spellbound. The anthology of enchantment seemed to permeate us deeper and deeper, making the four of us feel an incredible sense of Love. 

I have not often marked the gregorian New Year to be of much importance to my life. Solstice feels special. Dark. Deep. But so reflective that the process of understanding the year continues far past the turn of the date. The new year always felt like it happened in early Spring, for me. But there is something quite real about writing the new number in my journal. If 1/1/2015 is any indication of the kind of year 2015 is due to be, I am likely to be sweetly surprised and embraced by mythical rapture in ways that will completely stretch my concept of Love. (2014 definitely stretched it already!)

My friend Shay Hohmann remarked, "We've been going through this dark time, from the 21-31 feels like the peak of darkness, and January is like dawn. If the New Year is a day, January is the Dawn."

His comment went straight to my heart because the current poem I have been memorizing to perform tonight begins in this way, 

"My only faith in technologies are in that which are old. 
I trust in the "breakthroughs" of a seed through soil. 
This is a Revolution readying the heart
to rest under the morning blankets of frost
under the thinnest layers of snow
melting
just as the sky turns blue before dawn
and the landscape begins to refresh its colour..."

The poem continues, exploring concepts of darkness, before we break out of the soil in the end. This week, the poem has put me through several haunting initiations. I had no idea when I wrote it that it would effect me so deeply, but as I've been memorizing it, it has revealed many secrets, and brought up a lot of emotions. Synching up its story with events in my life in un-planable ways. Just once, yesterday, I was speaking the words of the poem in my mind - not aloud - completely through concentration, my body not able to be on autopilot because I wasn't using my mouth or voice. It's a nine-minute poem, and I felt, even through the concentration, my awareness of the three other human souls with me, the forest spirits, the cathedral frost, epic cliffs and icicles, and the music of the Little River. The pulsing Life from the huge trees around us. It felt like channeling. Like shamanic journey work. The same level of attentive concentration and openness to cosmic whispering. 

And if January is the dawn of the day that is the New Year, then this truly is the Revolution melting. It is ready, and it has made each and every one of us ready by putting us up to some really intense challenges. No way around it, 2014 was a year of extremes.

Astrologically, the Pluto-Uranus dance that has been happening since late 2012 will have its final exact square in March. Until then, we'll remain within 1 degree of the two being in this intense aspect with each other. A Square in an aspect of tension... the tension being: 
Pluto - Death and Rebirth. In Capricorn - Earth. Social structures and governances.
Uranus - Revolution, sudden changes in consciousness. In Aries - Fire. Initiation.

This is the global revolution. 

The darkest part of the year just passed. "Solstice" means to Stand Still, so we can bring together and focus our inward attention. We gather, reflect, tap into, and contribute to global healing energy potential. Intentions for focusing our collective structure on building a foundation from Love (rather than corruption) of designing social systems from a directive of collaboration and listening (rather than control).

Saturn moved into Sagittarius two days later, relieving the intensity of the last two years as Saturn plowed through Scorpio. We're beginning to understand where each person's heart is within the greater context of healing the plant, healing society, healing ourselves, by bringing our awareness into loving, caring interactions with every person we meet, inclusive of our interactions with our environment to create a new system of interaction altogether. Sagittarius is the fire and passion of society, and now this is the arena of our lessons. (More on Saturn in Sag. from Michael Schultz.)

This means we are - we have the capacity to - dream in a new world. Traditional astrologers see "squares" - such as the square between Uranus and Pluto currently - as bad luck. Evolutionary astrologers consider "squares" to be the greatest gift for action and growth. It is not easy. Especially with Pluto involved. I have heard others describe Pluto as the "astrological blowtorch" and they're not far afield. Pluto is digging out the deepest level of corruption in our social system and bringing them to the surface -- from governments to families to our own personal value structures, fracturing through all levels, together, we are revealing what needs to change. And yet the trick is not to focus on the problem.

If we refrain from focus on governmental and political problems in our social interactions, we have the greatest potential for healing at this time. What is "amiss" that needs attention is something we can apply to the structure, process, or ways of being through our Love. What kind of world will we create? Depends on how deeply attentive we can get. And it requires quite a lot of stillness among a busy "holiday" world in order to know what is right for us. Winter is a naturally slower time in nature, not a time of "doing", but a time of Listening.   

The reason to refrain from focus on the horror of all that in wrong, while it is important to be aware of it, to be angry at it, to feel the truth and frustration of injustice -- it is more powerful to realize these systems came from somewhere, rather than to stop your discovery at Anger and stay there. The next question, after the "what" is revealed, is "why". Why? It is not due to erroneous fault in individuals alone. It is not solely because of "greedy" rich people, "violent" police, "lazy" houseless folks, or the "silent" middle class. Human beings created large systems (Capricorn). And those Systems are being turned upside down and need to be transformed (Pluto). If we want another wold built upon Anger, then stay in your Anger. If we want to grow into a culture of equality, justice, freedom, health, and Love, we must choose to act out these qualities in our personal life. I find it is MUCH more interesting - and requires much more focus attention - to be perfectly honest with myself and seek Love and understanding for every person I interact with than it is to be blatantly Angry at the World.

And because of the work in finding that honesty everywhere, I will say I notice Life takes on a nature of radical beauty, as well as haunting neutrality.

It is wonderful to realize that some of the best days of our lives are yet to occur. Perhaps some of the worst too. Yet, equipped with only the wisdom we have gathered from our own experience, we know that Life goes on. And Love -- however we want to describe it or feel it -- will forever be the foundation by which we can let Life construct magic from the unknown.