Building a Culture of Excellence

RISE Leadership Academy

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OBJECTIVE

To provide a challenging and engaging professional development experience aimed at elevating the culture and performance of people within the organization. 


CHALLENGES ORGANIZATIONS FACE

 Building a team-based culture of trust and excellence is a challenging experience. The challenges are far-reaching, complex, and essential for the success of the organization.


  • Getting all players (board, staff, and volunteers) to work together by effectively empowering people and managing processes across the organization to accelerate commitment, alignment, and results. Building Trust.

  • Collaborating across the organization with all players thinking, communicating, and acting effectively across organizational functions and operations – and helping others to do the same – to create a strong, positive culture.

  • Communicating clear strategy by creating and articulating a vision and providing direction and goals to ensure the vision is realized and results attained.

  • Mastering greater complexity and change. Handling uncertainty, solving multi-dimensional problems, and dealing with interconnected systems.

  • Tackling priorities on all fronts: Leaders seek success in demanding jobs and their personal life.


ACADEMY OUTCOMES


 The Leadership Academy is an interactive, action-learning environment providing RISE team members access to knowledge and the tools required to build an organization-wide culture of excellence. At RISE, we believe that everyone can lead from any position in the organization. Are you interested in growing as a leader? 


Leaders are given the maximum opportunity to gain the experiences and information necessary to raise their organization's performance and to enhance organizational results and sustainability. Leadership Academy outcomes include enhancing participant’s ability to: 



  • Improve effective communication skills and abilities for crucial conversations.

  • Utilize critical thinking skills in addressing challenges in a dynamic and changing environment.

  • Build strong teams. Ability to build trust, respect, and collaboration required to promote strong teams and a healthy organizational culture for maximum team performance.

  • Develop and empower enthusiastic, motivated leaders to grow the organization.

  • Have a deeper self-awareness and understanding of how to apply this intelligence for enhanced team performance.

  • Build tools for self-care against burnout and stress. 


Benefits of the Academy


  • Content is relevant and research-based, with proven methods and interactive learning;

  • Facilitators and coaches have extensive experience working with emerging leaders;

  • Individual development is placed in the context of advancing the organization by building a culture of trust and excellence;

  • Experience is personalized through assessments, dedicated coaching relationships and tailored activities; and

  • Participants will network and learn from comparable real-world experiences and familiar challenges.


Participants must commit to attend twelve (12) four (4) hour sessions over a period of twelve weeks with each session building on the previous session’s content. The sessions will be held in the Omaha office conference room or another designated location.  


PREPARE


 A comprehensive assessment of leadership and team building skills are an important part of the experience. These assessments: 



  • Provide a detailed picture of current leadership skills, behaviors and thinking preferences. Assessments include the DiSC assessment and the Killmann Conflict Mode Instrument.

  • Establish a foundation for significant personal and professional growth.





ENGAGE


 For twelve (12) mornings, participants are immersed in conversation, experiential activities, and skill-building exercises that lead to new insight, learning, and growth. The Academy is a safe – but challenging – environment for learning, practice, reflection, and goal setting. The curriculum includes: 


  • Experiential activities and hands-on exercises, including opportunities to practice skills and deepen learning.

  • Peer learning groups to provide feedback, insight, suggestions, and support.

  • Highly relevant research-based content to expand knowledge and address essential challenges.

  • Personal coaching sessions with a coach to integrate the experience and plan next steps.


Guiding Principles


  • We acknowledge that our work and our time together are valuable.

  • We agree to share our thoughts and feelings – even those we are not used to sharing –honestly and openly 100% of the time.

  • We agree to respect ourselves and one another as well as our similarities and differences at all times.

  • We accept the fact that we are all teachers and students; experts and apprentices.

  • We consistently strive for understanding without judgement.

  • We willingly and thoughtfully honor the confidentiality of the group. 

  • We will remain fully engaged in the process during our time together.


Participants are emerging leaders (any age, background, role type)

  • Application based

  • 6-8 people cohorts

  • Offered 1-2x annually

  • 4 hour block for 12 weeks, Jeremy and Sue Twit facilitating

  • Doesn’t guarantee role advancement 



Topics Include:

Gallup Strengths

Entrepreneurial Operating System

Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care

Creating a professional development plan

Emotional Intelligence

Crucial Conversations

Your Working Genius

Building and maintaining relationships

Creating healthy habits

Communicating and Presenting 

Meeting management and project management

Workplace culture

Decision making

Learning from others' experiences

Discussing successes, challenges, and frustrations

Building lasting friendships with colleagues

And so much more!!