Description

In every group there are certain individuals who influence the thinking of many others. In our congregation it may be people who have been members for a long time and know the history of the church. Or, it may be individuals who are respected because of their occupation or education, or their contact with a significant number of other members. The same thing is true in our community. There are “influentials” or “thought leaders” who have a great deal of impact on the attitudes and opinions of local residents. These include elected officials and those who work in the news media. Beyond those few are the relatively larger numbers of individuals who each influence a much smaller circle: The barber or hairdresser who chats with a number of customers each day; the foreman or office manager who supervises a number of employees; the bank vice president who has lunch with two or three local business owners one day and attends a civic club the next; the public school principal who has coffee with her teachers every morning and talks to parents several times a day, as well as meeting with a weekly PTA group. These individuals, particularly those who are long-time community residents, are all “influentials” and in a broader sense community leaders.