Leaders emerge from some very unlikely situations. They come in all ages, sizes, shapes, and from both genders. In this paper we discuss the relationship between the theoretic and practical applications evidenced by the Institute for Community Leadership's (ICL) efforts to prepare people for civic leadership. We present background information about ICL including the Institute's purposes and goals, an examination of its past achievements, current activities, and future projections, and we conclude with a discussion of "conditions for success in collaborative public ventures" (Hackman & Johnson, 2009, p. 293) as it relates to the Institute's efforts to prepare people for community leadership.