The Potential Leaders in Local Communities initiative of the Australian Government's Stronger Families and Communities Strategy focused leadership development initiatives on four largely disadvantaged social groups – youth, Indigenous communities, women, and rural and regional communities – to address various social issues. 

This paper evaluates the outcomes of the initiative. A number of different strategies were successfully employed to develop leadership skills of participants, including techniques such as mentoring, the use of role models, outdoor confidence, team building activities and training, and the practical use of leadership skills in real-life situations rather than in an abstract formal learning environment. Seven projects are used as examples to illustrate the issues faced and the achievements of the overall initiative.

By and large the evidence suggests that projects provided by the Strategy through the Potential Leaders in Local Communities initiative have provided numerous success stories by: 

• supporting the development of youth leadership
• providing strategies that support and develop Indigenous leadership
• providing momentum and support to the already strong leadership development initiatives focused on issues of rural and regional development
• providing the framework for increased social participation
• improving access to opportunities to enhance economic participation.