Time To Lead

*Participants must represent a verified 501(c)(3) organization.

Excellence in Leadership for Non-Profits is a leadership program geared toward non-profit leaders who desire to build and/or enhance their leadership skills. We realize there are many leadership conferences you could choose to attend. We invite you to learn from our team in a small group setting as our way of giving back to the communities that we serve.

We share openly from our teams' experiences as the strategies, resources, and tools we have developed over the years have made a significant impact on the growth of our people, both as leaders and individuals. Here are some of the topics we cover over:

Leadership Essentials

Start with working through skills that make a difference.

Individual Growth

Dedicated time for personal goal-setting and reflecting on how your personality impacts your leadership style.

Communication

Focus on giving and receiving feedback and leaning into tough conversations.


Session Topics

Learn about yourself, how you respond to conflict, what motivates you, what causes you stress, and how you solve problems.  This session will focus on how you can leverage the information from your personal DISC assessment to develop stronger relationships.

Participants will be invited to complete a DISC assessment prior to the event. Results from your assessment will be shared with you during the DISC Download session. Information and invitations to complete the assessment will follow closer to the event.

Feedback is a key component to great leadership. Learn how to develop trusting feedback relationships to assist, support, confront, and encourage team members.

Some topics can be hard to navigate as a team. Learn about different issue processing models to get yourself traction in conversation and move in the right direction.

In Leadership Essentials, we dig into Leadership vs. Management. Both are important, but understanding when each is necessary is key to being an outstanding leader.

Using the SMART goal format, set goals for yourself to apply the topics discussed in Session One.

Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. We'll discuss this key component to leading your team well and encouraging idea generation.

Learn what the conversation ‘sweet spot’ is and how to get there when confronted with a tough conversation. Delivering corrective feedback is very different than giving/receiving general feedback. We’ll discuss how to navigate these difficult conversations while respecting the working relationship.

Event Participation

We keep cohorts small in size to encourage interaction and idea exchange between attendees. Multiple people from the same organization are welcome to apply, but we typically limit attendance to 1-2 individuals per organization.

Aerial view of people collaborating with laptops.

What People Are Saying

I’ve served in the nonprofit world for my entire working career, and I’m grateful for and encouraged by a company like Interstates who intentionally equips and encourages nonprofits. 

Chuck Jesperson, Lifeline Children’s Services, 2024 Cohort Member

Sometimes we don't invest enough in ourselves. This was a great two days of investing in myself as a leader. Many great takeaways. –

Amy Benda, Sioux Falls Hope Coalition, 2024 Cohort Member

I feel like another one of the strongest things I took away from Interstates was the importance of positive feedback. Every person who spoke during the conference shared with us how when a team member shares positive feedback it boosts motivation and confidence, reminding employees that their efforts are valued and impactful. You all showed how Interstates is a positive environment that is uplifting and inspires the employees to feel as though they are working in an appreciative community.

Sandy Lown, Teddy Bear Den, 2024 Cohort Member

Learn More

2025 cohort dates and locations are being determined. If you're interested in receiving information about future cohorts, please complete the form below.

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