The ability of community colleges to effectively fulfill the important roles assigned to them by society is determined by the management and leadership provided by those in positions of authority in the institutions. As community colleges look to the year 2000, leadership is needed to renew the colleges' commitment to the ideas which animate them and to create a climate that enhances excellence and promotes learning. The climate within which the faculty and staff work is created principally by the first and middle levels of administration; administrators work within a climate created by the chief executive officer (CEO); and the climate in which the CEO works is created by the board of trustees. For leadership to thrive within such a structure, individuals in positions of authority must encourage independent initiative and evoke a spirit of commitment and community within the college. Achieving a genuine spirit of community, characterized by fundamental respect and a hard-won understanding of individual differences, will require those in leadership positions to summon the will, create the ideas, and allocate the resources to overcome lingering prejudices based on color, culture, religion, sex, sexual preference, and age. Leaders must acknowledge the legitimate stake that every individual has in the institution and accord each dignity, respect, and the assurance that his/her needs and views will be taken into account. The signs of leadership appear primarily in the character of followers and in the institution's ability to achieve its most ambitious goals. (ALB)