Twenty years ago, Sue Vineyard in her book Megatrends & Volunteerism: Mapping the Future of Volunteer Programs, was able to project ahead and see some of the upcoming trends which are currently facing the leadership development culture particularly in the area of volunteerism. She recognized that the population is aging. This has two major impacts on community service … We will experience a larger pool of potential volunteers ready, willing and able to serve community needs along side a shrinking teen population. We will especially enjoy more career women entering the ranks of the retired who come with a broad expanse of skills, experiences and vital creative energy (Vineyard, page14).[i] She describes a new way of missional leading as “a flexible, fair, fast-paced and future-oriented way of dealing with assignments, that shifts people in and out of work circles according to the strengths and gifts each can bring to the task at hand.” (Vineyard, Page 184)[ii]
With this shift in composition of volunteer teams Vineyard notes tat the ultimate leader will be one who can facilitate and empower a diverse team comprised of a variety of people possessing a variety of gifts in such a way that a variety of needs can be met. In essence, this is her prescription for effective leadership developments for today, and given the reality of our current cultural status, she was right on mark ten years ago.