Event Category: Workshop

Advanced Leadership Development in Higher Education 

Higher education is facing several disruptive trends. As a leader, you need to create substantive—not incremental—change.  If this feels like a difficult task, join us for this one-of-a-kind program that will help you to explore how you can lead for the impact you desire.   In this three-day program, you’ll explore how to overcome the following three barriers that make change daunting:   Our Advanced Leadership Development workshop has strengthened the skills of hundreds of higher ed leaders since 2012, but we’ve redesigned the experience for 2025 to address the enormous challenges that are already here or are on the way. Register now to reserve YOUR spot.   To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is capped at 30 attendees. Optional Executive Coaching: One of the benefits of this workshop is that you’ll walk away with several big ideas that you can implement to drive impact on your campus. Consider adding Executive Coaching—six sessions with a coach who has extensive experience in higher education—so that you have a partner to help you think through how to implement those big ideas after the workshop.  

Essential Leadership Skills for Deans 

The demands placed on Deans in today’s environment only continue to grow. They must find ways to motivate and inspire those above, across from, and below them while simultaneously fostering a positive culture and climate, innovating to keep their academic program offerings competitive and future-ready, navigating near-constant change. All of this requires a strong sense of self and an executive leadership skillset that must evolve over time.   Join us for an in-person workshop to grow your leadership in community with other Deans facing similar challenges across the country. Together, we will participate in hands-on activities and engage in honest, practical discussion around how you can:     To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is capped at 30 attendees. 

From Tension to Teamwork: Cultivating Positive Team Dynamics

Problems in interpersonal interactions, communication patterns, and outcomes can be key indicators of team dysfunction. It’s easy to recognize that a team is dysfunctional when all three of these elements break down completely, but what if only one or two aspects are suffering? Join us in person to learn how to identify dysfunctional team dynamics and to practice strategies to build a more productive and high-performing culture.  At this workshop, you’ll expand your skills in: 

Fostering Growth and Building Strong Teams in Advancement

Sign up for this workshop and receive a free seat to a workshop with us in 2026 to use for yourself or for a team member. Coupons for the free seats will be given at the workshop in November. Advancement work is evolving, and so must your team. Developing future leaders doesn’t just boost performance; it strengthens retention, fosters fulfillment, and builds a thriving workplace culture. But creating leadership pathways and growth programs can be challenging. That’s where the summit for advancement talent and team development leaders comes in!  Join us to learn how to design your leadership program, address individual growth needs, and implement proven strategies for team development. To help preserve a practical and interactive environment, attendance for this program is capped at 30 participants.   

The Fundamentals of Leadership for New or Aspiring Leaders in Higher Education

New leaders often find themselves learning on the go—and often at the expense of intentional reflection of their leadership strengths, journey, or skill development. This leadership workshop, facilitated by experienced higher education leaders, provides you with a set of tools for applying the key tenets of successful and equitable leadership. You’ll practice how to approach difficult and complex conversations through healthy and constructive dialogue so that you can increase trust, motivation, and engagement within your team. You will also gain the confidence and skills needed to become a more effective leader in higher education, rooted in both a deeper awareness of your core purpose as a leader and in your commitment to equity. Highlights of the program include:

From Vision to Action: Strategic Planning for a Lasting Impact

This two-day strategic planning workshop equips higher ed leaders with the tools to create actionable, sustainable strategies aligned with institutional goals. Using design thinking and collaboration, participants will turn broad visions into practical steps for lasting success. You’ll learn to build strategies that inspire buy-in, ensure alignment, and anticipate future challenges. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped to translate their institutional visions into clear, actionable strategies that position them for lasting success.

Unlocking Donor Partnership Through Authentic Dialogue and Storytelling

Successful development officers understand that fostering lasting donor relationships and investment in transformative initiatives championed by your institution hinges on building trust and respect.  In this engaging conference, you will learn how to leverage the full potential of your institution during donor interactions by approaching conversations with curiosity, active listening, and bringing a collaborative spirit to enhance the donor experience. You’ll discover when to educate donors about projects that align with their values and how to amplify impactful stories that illustrate their potential contributions to societal change through your institution.  Through interactive group activities and collaborative sessions, you will practice how to:  By integrating this holistic, values-centered approach with your existing fundraising knowledge, you will elevate your strategic capabilities in donor engagement and reignite your own passion for advancing higher education philanthropy. 

Optimizing Your Fundraising Strategy: A Summit for Presidents and Advancement Vice Presidents

As a president or advancement vice president, you play a critical role in shaping the environment that attracts significant and sustained philanthropic investments. You’re also likely aware of the value of a lifelong donor and the importance of attracting entrepreneurial-minded donors, both of whom want to make a difference to society through your institution.  Join us in Denver for this two-day summit with fellow executive leaders, to learn how a strategic fundraising approach, paired with strong institutional leadership, can cultivate a thriving culture of philanthropy. Specifically, you will:  To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is capped at 30 attendees. 

Fundraising for Deans and Academic Leaders

As a dean or other academic leader, you hold numerous responsibilities, and fundraising is likely a critical part of your portfolio. You’re probably also finding the philanthropic landscape more competitive than ever, as donors are becoming more selective with their giving. To be a successful fundraiser, it is important to understand how to align your interests with those of donors seeking to make significant societal differences.  Join us for this one-and-a-half-day interactive workshop, led by renowned university advancement consultant Jim Langley. Academic leaders and their development counterparts will benefit from this workshop as you:   Join us for this workshop at our office in Denver to unlock new philanthropic strategies within your academic unit! To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is capped at 30 attendees. 

Fundraising for Deans and Academic Leaders

As a dean or other academic leader, you hold numerous responsibilities, and fundraising is likely a critical part of your portfolio. You’re probably also finding the philanthropic landscape more competitive than ever, as donors are becoming more selective with their giving. To be a successful fundraiser, it is important to understand how to align your interests with those of donors seeking to make significant societal differences.  Join us for this one-and-a-half-day interactive workshop, led by renowned university advancement consultant Jim Langley. Academic leaders and their development counterparts will benefit from this workshop as you:  

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