Event Category: Workshop

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

New leaders often find themselves learning on the go at the expense of intentional reflection on their leadership strengths, journey, or skill development. Join us for this leadership workshop, facilitated by experienced higher education leaders, to apply 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: 

Supervision in Advancement: Focused Strategies for Effective Leadership

Advancement supervisors are more critical than ever for building high-performing, collaborative teams that drive robust donor and constituent relationships. Join us for this workshop, where you’ll learn to adapt your leadership style using the Five Paths to Leadership® framework, empowering you to navigate both every day and high-pressure supervisory situations with greater clarity and purpose. We’ll emphasize the critical role of intentional supervision in shaping internal culture and enhancing external impact. Through advancement-specific scenarios and practical tools, you’ll explore how to lead effective meetings, conduct purposeful one-on-ones, and provide meaningful feedback that fosters team growth. Overall, you’ll leave with a deep understanding of a relationship-centered approach to supervision that strengthens both team dynamics and advancement outcomes.

Transformational Gifts: Attaining the Gift of a Lifetime

Transformational gifts are often the result of decades of strategic cultivation and stewardship efforts, culminating in a commitment that positively impacts the institution’s trajectory. However, understanding what motivates and compels donors to make a transformational gift is a key aspect that is missing in many organizations. To advance the vision of your institution, you must learn to successfully navigate both the internal and external complexities of high-level donors and gifts.   In this workshop, our expert panel of speakers will share valuable strategies for cultivating and soliciting your top donors in ways that strongly align with the future of your institution. You will learn how to:   You’ll also have the chance to share best practices and network with advancement professionals from across the country who are inspired to transform higher education and society through philanthropy. If you want to engage in honest conversations about the challenges and triumphs of transformational gift work and leave with an action plan to strengthen your relationships with high-level donors, join us in Austin for this practical and interactive experience. 

Managing Difficult Faculty and Staff

As a supervisor or leader, responding to difficult faculty or staff is some of the most stressful but rewarding work you can do—if you can do it right. Addressing difficult behavior in those who work for you can transform your team from closed off and avoidant to effective and collaborative. But how do you do this work?  Join us for an in-person workshop to learn how to effectively manage difficult behaviors on your team while still leading with empathy. This unique experience will allow you to:    It can take years to perfect the art of managing difficult faculty or staff when you’re doing it on your own. Come to this workshop and jump-start the process to give yourself a leg up on the most taxing part of your job.   

Building an In-House Leadership Development Program in Higher Education

Academic Impressions has helped more institutions to develop in-house leadership programs than any other organization in higher education, and in this flagship two-day event, we’ll share what we’ve learned over 15 years of developing leaders and supporting in-house programs. Whether you are simply dipping your toe into the leadership space for the first time, or you’ve run a successful cohort-based program for years, we’ll share a wealth of resources, methods, and approaches that you can implement right away to develop the next generation of leaders at your institution.  Our Approach   Adaptable: We have intentionally designed our program to explore multiple ways to develop leaders. Whether this is accomplished via one-off programs, cohort programs, or something in between, we’ll show you how our frameworks, models, and content can be adapted to fit your needs.  Human-centered: In addition to sharing proven leadership resources, special attention will be paid to ensuring that your programs center inclusivity and develop innovative and forward-thinking leaders.  Hands-on and Experiential: To help guide you in making critical decisions, we’ll share a workbook we’ve built through 15 years of working with institutions to develop their leadership programs. You’ll also experience firsthand a variety of tools and activities you can integrate into […]

Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment Facilitation Certification Training

Thousands of faculty and staff across North America have benefited from The Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment because it’s an intuitive and powerful tool that helps them to better understand their natural leadership style and how it changes under stress. By growing their self-awareness, they become more adaptive and responsive leaders, which positions them well for current or future leadership roles, whether in the classroom, in committees, or at the department/unit level.   In addition, insights gained through the Five Paths to Leadership® Self-Assessment can be used to improve interpersonal and team dynamics. For instance, the Five Paths model can you help you and your teams to:   Register early—space is limited to 30 attendees to preserve an intimate and productive experience for all.  Please note that certification enables you to facilitate Five Paths workshops for as many audiences as you’d like, at the organization of your current employment. Facilitation of the Five Paths to Leadership® workshops outside of your organization is expressly prohibited.  Earn Your Certificate Earn a certificate after attending this event. Here’s the process: 

From Vision to Action: Strategic Planning for a Lasting Impact 

This 2-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.   To preserve an intimate and productive experience, this workshop is capped at 30 attendees.

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: