Basic Boundary Setting with Staff
Establishing foundational boundaries can be among the most challenging aspects of leadership. During this session, participants will have an opportunity to define essential boundaries needed in their current role. Areas of strength and challenge will be identified. They will also focus on aspects of boundary setting, like managing former peers. Action plans will be created to support new learning and approaches.

Emotional Intelligence: Leading with Your Head and Your Heart
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one of the key skills that leaders need to demonstrate to build strong teams. In this session, participants will explore a range of EI tools that can support them in developing healthy and empathetic professional relationships. They will practice self-awareness, self-regulation, and relationship-building skills.

Holding Staff Accountable
This session will explore how to effectively establish and promote accountability as part of an organization’s culture. Participants will have a focused discussion on the meaning of accountability and how best to hold themselves, along with members of their team, to account. Each person will be encouraged to identify 1-2 specific strategies to assist them in reinforcing accountability as well as what to do when individuals are not following through on their commitments.

Leadership 101: Building Essential Leadership Skills
Participants will be given the opportunity to explore what ‘Authentic Leadership’ means for their own leadership style. They will have the opportunity to take the TLS Leadership Excellence in Action Skills Assessment and will explore elements of leadership that come naturally as well as those that may present challenges. One or two areas of focus will be identified and specific developmental actions will be explored.

Navigating Difficult Conversations
Every leader faces conversations that feel uncomfortable or high-stakes—addressing performance issues, managing emotions, or resolving team conflict. Avoiding these discussions can erode trust and weaken morale. In this interactive session, participants will explore a simple framework for preparing, engaging, and closing conversations with confidence and respect. They will practice staying curious, validating emotions without judgment, and guiding dialogue toward productive outcomes. Leaders will leave with practical tools to turn difficult conversations into opportunities for growth and stronger team performance.

Advanced Boundary Setting with Staff
Leaders are often faced with situations where the boundaries that have been established are not being honored. This can create frustration on the part of the leader and tension among team members. In this session, leaders will learn strategies to recognize when boundaries are not being honored and approaches that can be utilized as they work to reinforce them. They will also consider how delegation may be an important part of how to set their own boundaries within the team.

Being a ‘Coach-like’ Leader
Many leaders can easily fall into the trap of attempting to answer every question and solve every problem. This cycle can create staff who are overdependent and excessively reliant on their leader. It can also result in leaders who become overwhelmed trying to manage and prioritize the work to be done. In this session, leaders learn how to become more ‘coach-like’ in their approach to leadership, which includes cultivating an attitude of curiosity, asking impactful questions, engaging in meaningful dialogue, giving constructive feedback, and empowering staff by supporting them in ongoing learning and development.

Communicate Clearly Amidst Chaos & Crisis
Experiencing chaos and crisis is to be expected when managing a team or an organization. During these times, clear communication is critical to keep staff calm and focused. However, our natural instincts may cause us to withdraw and protect ourselves. In this session, participants will discuss a crisis communication formula based on human needs where leaders explore how to meet staff’s needs for security, connection, and contribution during times of upheaval.

Creating an Intentional Culture (4 to 6 hours)
This session is designed to support teams who wish to align themselves around a culture that the team defines and co-creates. This highly interactive session first invites each member of the team to reflect on their own (and each other’s) work/communication styles and personal core values. The team members are then given an opportunity to reflect on their purpose and core values as a team. Finally, they will identify key behaviors that reflect the team values that have been selected, creating the basis for a road map that leads to the intentional culture they have envisioned.

DEIB 101: Foundational Concepts
For organizations to attract and retain high quality employees in a competitive marketplace, they must proactively address issues that include Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). In this session, participants will explore the importance of self-awareness, intention and impact when discussing DEIB. Additionally, they will define the DEIB terms and discuss how to bring more professional awareness about these concepts to their teams.

DEIB: Unconscious Bias
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases have an impact in the workplace. In this session, participants will explore the components of Unconscious Bias and identify ways to recognize their own bias. Strategies to decrease bias in the workplace will also be discussed.

Healthy Approaches to Managing Conflict
This session is designed to bring a broader perspective to the concept of conflict and conflict resolution. Using a model that provides various modes of conflict, each participant will be encouraged to consider an actual conflict-based situation during the session to allow the opportunity to explore various approaches for handling the situation.

Leading a Multigenerational Team
With four generations in today’s workforce, it’s easy to focus on what separates us—but the real opportunity lies in what unites us. In this interactive session, participants will explore inclusive leadership strategies that build trust, connection, and collaboration across age groups. Learn how to coach individuals (not labels), communicate with clarity and empathy, and foster team unity by focusing on shared purpose, values, and goals.

Leading Diverse Teams (6 hours)
There are many kinds of differences that are reflected within teams in today’s workforce. These differences create ‘diversity’ and while this may be positive in many ways, it may also create challenges for leaders who feel unsure or are inexperienced in this kind of environment. This training will support leaders in exploring how a variety of differences (i.e., Racial/Ethnic, Generational, LGBTQ+, Socioeconomic, and Differing Abilities) may contribute to positive experiences and outcomes for the team as well as the team members. Foundational discussion of DEIB principles will be included, as well as a focus on four inclusive leadership approaches.

The Power of Strengthening Team Trust
Participants will explore the fundamental role that trust plays in creating an effective team. They will discuss ways to identify when trust has been damaged and/or broken and will review specific strategies for building trust. Participants will also brainstorm how empathy and compassion matter when building trust. The session will conclude with participants having identified specific behaviors to support their own ‘trust-worthiness’ as a leader as well as strategies and approaches to build trust within the team.

The Role of Staff-Care in Effective Leadership
Participants will examine the role of staff-care within their organizations and teams, beginning with a focus on self-care and an examination of their own core values. They will then explore the ways that ‘staff-care’ supports healthy and effective teams and identify ways to assess how the team prioritizes ‘self/staff-care’.  Finally, they will brainstorm strategies for incorporating this important element into the culture of their organization as well as their teams.

Whole Brain Thinking in Leadership (3 and 6 hours)
Whole brain thinking is an approach to leading and decision-making that incorporates the logical, deductive, and rational side of your brain with the creative, intuitive, and sensing part of your brain. By looking at situations from this more holistic perspective, you will become a better problem solver, critical thinker, and empathetic leader. Come strengthen your ‘thinking muscles’ in this highly experiential session.

Caring for Your Mental & Emotional Health
Leadership comes with immense responsibility, and the mental and emotional demands can often feel overwhelming for all levels of leaders. This feeling of overwhelm can lead to isolation and burnout, which can be very difficult to manage – especially while leading others. This session offers practical, actionable strategies to support your wellbeing as a leader. Through mindfulness, self-compassion, and other evidence-based techniques, you’ll learn how to cultivate resilience, manage stress effectively, and create a healthier, more sustainable approach to leadership.

Developing a Calm Presence through Mindfulness
Presence is an energy. Presence is a state of mind. Presence is powerful. As a leader, it takes focus and intention to become fully present to the experience of each moment. Vulnerability and authenticity are key aspects of becoming more present for yourself and with others. In this session, participants learn foundational mindfulness principles and skills to train their minds to more fully focus and to support their emotions in becoming steadier. Developing these skills enhances a leader’s ability to connect deeply within and develop meaningful and transformative relationships with others.

Maintaining Composure in the Face of Hostility: For Managers (6 hours)
Participants will learn how to recognize and regulate their emotional reactions when faced with emotionally charged (anger, rage, rudeness) situations and people. They will explore the role their nervous system plays, identify specific triggers, and learn to respond instead of reacting in these situations. They will practice simple, yet powerful, de-escalation skills to use in situations of conflict and aggression. Participants will also discuss how to support staff that are faced with highly charged situations.

This four-part program helps leaders strengthen team performance through clarity, feedback, and follow-through. Participants learn how to set clear expectations, foster a culture of ongoing feedback, navigate difficult conversations with confidence, and build accountability at every level. The result is a more engaged, responsible, and growth-oriented team.

This 4-part series (each session being 2-hours) includes the following topics:

1. Setting Clear Expectations
   Clarity is the foundation of effective leadership. This session helps participants define and communicate expectations that align roles, responsibilities, and outcomes. Participants learn how to set goals that are specific, measurable, and motivating—reducing confusion and increasing accountability.
2. Creating a Culture of Feedback
   Ongoing feedback fuels growth and trust. This session focuses on building everyday habits of recognition, curiosity, and course correction so feedback becomes a natural part of team culture. Leaders learn how to deliver informal feedback that is timely, supportive, and actionable.
3. Formal Feedback and Difficult Conversations
   Even skilled leaders can hesitate when they know their feedback may not be well received. This session provides a simple framework for preparing, delivering, and following up on formal feedback.  It addresses how to approach difficult conversations with clarity and respect. Participants practice language that balances honesty with empathy to promote lasting change.
4. Accountability
   True accountability starts with ownership—at every level. In this session, leaders explore how to set clear agreements, track progress, and address lapses in follow-through without blame. The focus is on creating a culture where people deliver on commitments and learn from results.

A Two-Day Learning Experience for Newer Nonprofit Leaders

Every leader starts somewhere — and this engaging two-day program is designed for managers and supervisors who are newer to leadership or have had limited formal training. It’s an opportunity to step into your leadership role with greater self-awareness, confidence, and the essential tools to support your team.

Participants will explore the core of who they are as a leader, clarify their values, and practice skills to build strong relationships and communicate effectively. With a focus on authenticity, emotional intelligence, and team trust, this program offers a practical foundation for leading with impact — while creating space for reflection, growth, and connection with peers.

You’ll leave with a clearer leadership identity, new communication strategies, and greater confidence in your ability to lead others.

Program curriculum:

Sessions may be delivered virtually or onsite, in full-day or half-day formats.

A Two-Day Intensive for Seasoned Nonprofit Leaders

Even the most seasoned leaders benefit from stepping back to reflect, recalibrate, and sharpen their approach. This dynamic two-day program is designed for experienced leaders who are ready to strengthen their leadership practices, reinforce boundaries, and lead with greater clarity and confidence.

Participants will explore the deeper dimensions of leadership resilience, engage in candid conversations about creating and sustaining a healthy team culture, and tackle real-world challenges such as managing change and addressing staff performance. This is not a beginner’s overview — it’s an experience that’s focused on practical tools, strategic thinking, and actionable insights that can be immediately applied.

You’ll leave with a refreshed mindset, stronger boundaries, and a personalized action plan to support you in leading your team more effectively and sustainably.

Program curriculum:

Sessions may be delivered virtually or onsite, in full-day or half-day formats.

This program is focused on strategies for increasing retention. High-level session descriptions are described below and are based on a review of current research regarding the topic of retention within the nonprofit sector. Each participant will receive a folder with all materials. Each module will include an opportunity for participants to create an action plan to apply within their organization based on topics covered.

Module 1: Getting Started: Creating Open Positions, Hiring, Onboarding
This session will focus on how to utilize a strength-based approach in creating open positions as well as within the hiring process. There will also be a discussion about ‘hiring for culture’. Special attention will be given to how bias may impact hiring practices. Finally, there will be an exploration of meaningful and supportive onboarding practices.

Module 2: Centering Organizational Culture
This session will emphasize the importance of translating organizational mission and values into staff behaviors, which form the basis of organizational culture. There will be conversation regarding the organizational approach to ‘work-life balance’. Special attention will be placed on how organizations may center their focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within their culture. Finally, open and effective communication will be explored as a way to support culture.

Module 3: The Importance of Staff Development
This session will center on the role that staff and leader development have within the organization. We will brainstorm how to create meaningful connection between the staff member’s role and the mission of the organization. Additionally, the importance of connection among team members will be addressed, including an exploration of how mentorship and other forms of connection between staff and leaders may support staff development goals.

Module 4: An Effective Approach to Reviews, Recognition & Rewards
This session will allow participants to consider their respective organization’s approach to staff reviews and feedback, as well as non-monetary recognition/reward programs. There will be a focus on giving and receiving feedback and how to best build this skill among all staff and leaders. Finally, there will be guidance shared regarding how to approach career path planning with staff members.

Public speaking is often cited as people’s #1 fear, no matter their title or experience level.

In Speaking as a Leader, participants are guided to improve their ability and strengthen their confidence when speaking with or presenting to others. They begin by taking a self-assessment to identify areas of strengths and opportunities for improvement. Specific skills involved in high-performance communication are taught including: developing engaging content, delivering with powerful presence, and tailoring messages for a specific audience.

In a safe and supportive environment, participants have the opportunity to practice speaking and presenting at each session while also receiving constructive feedback from peers and the coach facilitator.

Key skills covered in Speaking as a Leader include:

• Effective warm-up techniques for body, face, and voice
• Recognizing and addressing ineffective habits such as the use of ‘filler words’ or excessive hand/body movement
• Creating a compelling ‘story’ that engages the audience and delivers a powerful message
• Strategically using a podium and stage (even when seated) or video screen to provide optimal connection with an audience
• Addressing limiting beliefs that may negatively impact delivery
• Cultivating a powerful presence that captivates the audience’s attention and encourages engagement

The Leadership Experience™ (TLE) is a dynamic professional development program designed to support managers/supervisors in exploring the essence of ‘being’ and ‘doing’ as a leader by expanding self-awareness and teaching practical, immediately applicable skills.

The program provides opportunities to explore key leadership topics such as confidence, healthy boundaries, decision-making, and building trust. It is designed for new or more experienced leaders who are interested in continuing to develop their leadership skills for both current and future roles.  Participants are guided by certified coach trainers and supported by peer learners in a highly interactive and experiential learning environment.