A fundamental challenge facing community college presidents and senior-level staff is to create an environment in which diverse qualities of students and staff make positive contributions to the organization. This requires replacing conceptions of leadership as one person at the top who has power with a vision of democratic leadership which creates opportunities for participative decision-making, leadership opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities, and multicultural communities. Graduate programs in community college leadership at the Maricopa County Community College District (Arizona), North Carolina State University, and the University of Texas at Austin are exemplary in their inclusion of the principles of democratic leadership in their training. Based on elements of these programs and the democratic approach to leadership, the following elements can be viewed as essential to leadership preparation: (1) an understanding of organizations as cultures; (2) a sensitivity to individual differences which enables all members of the campus community to contribute to decisions and change; (3) a commitment to empowering diverse constituents, recognizing that equal opportunity is not merely a policy but a vision which can be achieved; (4) a recognition of mentoring as a vital part students' experiences; and (5) an emphasis on team-building through cooperative and collaborative work. (Contains 42 references.) (KP)