You only see the tip

December 17th, 2009 by Mike Knutson

When Neil Linschied told the audience at the Midwest Rural Assembly how he deals with “the stare,” I knew he had something good to say about how young people fit into a rural community. (go here for more on “the stare.” )

Today, an article titled “Area leadership program winds down” in the Worthington Daily Globe convinced me that Neil has a lot more to share about leadership development in rural communities.

The article highlights the Worthington Integrative Community Leadership Program, which was organized by University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Community Vitality. The program’s intent is to build broad based leadership. Worthington, MN, for those who don’t know, is a rural community with a large Hispanic population. As program facilitator Toby Spanier states in the article:

If Worthington is going to be successful, the leadership should mirror the community as much as possible.” (source: “Area leadership program winds down,” Worthington Daily Globe. 12-16-09)

Even though I don’t know Worthington first-hand, I couldn’t agree more.

Neil, also interviewed in the article, shared something about how we relate to newcomers to our communities that I had never thought of before. As the article states:

Linscheid presented a culture iceberg, saying only 10 percent of a person’s culture is accessible through first impressions and stereotypes. Things like food, dress and language are only the tip of the iceberg, while beliefs, attitudes, problems and emotions are “below water.”

Think about someone you meet and what you notice right away,” he said. “What are those things you can’t see? … The important thing to remember is this stuff is what makes people who they are.”

The stuff that we can’t see about someone else is really the stuff that makes the person who they are. Yet, we make snap decisions about newcomers to our rural communities the moment they walk into the café.

It’s a good reminder for us as we think about how we can transform our community into places where young people want to live. Judging others before they get a chance to become a part of the community is an easy way to drive them away.

Photo Credit: natalielucier - Flickr

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