Relationships between Perceptions of Community Leadership and Other Perceptions of Community

Leadership is an important component of rural community life. Effective leaders can help the community create a shared vision which is needed to address community needs. Given that, are rural residents’ perceptions of their community leadership related to other assessments of their community? The 2016 Nebraska Rural Poll asked respondents various questions about their community. Some of these questions measure their perceptions of their community leadership. First, respondents were asked how satisfied they are with various community services and amenities. Among the items listed was “local government.” In addition, residents were asked to rate various items in their community for newcomers. The specific question wording was, “Imagine you’ve been approached by a person looking to move to your community and are giving them an honest assessment of your community. How would you rate the following items in your community for that person?” Two of the items rated by rural Nebraskans were “responsive government/ community leadership” and “leadership opportunities.