Community Development as a practice, has evolved into a recognised discipline for practioners and scholars alike. The discipline is about building social capital, leveraging networks and mobilising resources. In a world increasingly defined by diversity and interconnectedness, the leadership of NGOs and community organisations is pivotal in fostering innovation, and a sense of belonging, while valuing the difference. By exploring the importance of leadership, and how it serves as a driver for inclusive, people-centred innovation, the paper will elaborate on how community leaders and communities alike, can leverage technological tools and stakeholder collaboration to address complex community challenges, and foster community strengths. Furthermore, the paper will examine the importance of fostering equitable participation, with the intention to amplify marginalised voices, by creating networks of shared knowledge, and resources. Perspectives on strategies that encourage belonging, and inclusivity in communities, while addressing challenges of exclusion and inequity will be unpacked. The paper thus aims to engage practitioners, scholars and activists to recognise the importance of leadership in forging pathways towards thriving, sustainable communities. The research approach adopted will be qualitative research. A descriptive research design will be applied in this study, and data collected through interviews. Findings of the study will be presented at the 2025 CDS annual conference. Keywords: Leadership, NGOs, community organisations, innovation, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), belonging, collaboration, participation, sustainable communities, community development
