The Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program (FHRLP) is a civic leadership development program serving communities in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Its goals emphasize collaborative, inclusive, and community-oriented leadership.
Experiential and Community-Based Learning
- Participants engage in site visits, community immersion, and problem-solving exercises.
- Emphasis on understanding local and regional systems—economics, healthcare, education, and government.
Collaborative Leadership
- Focus on consensus building, listening across divides, and shared decision-making.
- Encourages working across sectors and across political lines for regional benefit.
Servant Leadership Model
- Leaders are trained to serve first, placing the community’s well-being above self-interest.
- Values include humility, empathy, and stewardship.
Diversity & Inclusion Emphasis
- Encourages participants to recognize and address inequity and value multiple perspectives.
- Aims to develop leaders reflective of the entire region’s demographics.
Systems Thinking
- Leaders are taught to understand and influence complex, interdependent systems rather than single-issue solutions.
- Encourages long-term, sustainable approaches to community challenges.
Implication
The FHRLP trains civic stewards who strengthen democratic institutions and civic engagement, in contrast to authoritarian-style populism which often centers on disruption, personal charisma, and us-vs-them politics.
FHRLP Philosophy
- Collaborative problem solving
- Community first, long-term view
- Dialogue across differences
- Inclusive and empathetic
- Focus on systems and nuance
- Develops leaders through civic service