Explore what makes a story truly resonate — how to connect logic with emotion, foster collaboration, and inspire action using our model for effectively influencing others using appeals to the “Head, Heart, and Hands.” You’ll gain tools to craft stories that move people, align teams, and amplify your leadership voice.

We’ll also unpack how storytelling drives influence and connection in today’s organizations, featuring real-world examples and insights from social sector leaders.

Watch this webinar to hear fascinating stories, spark dialogue, and discover how authentic storytelling can transform leadership, advance purpose-driven organizations, and build brighter futures — together.

What You’ll Learn

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• How storytelling can increase influence and improve leader communication
• The purpose of storytelling in leadership
• The structure of an effective story

The post How Storytelling Can Influence Action appeared first on CCL.

Together, they’re helping local nonprofit leaders grow and achieving results none could reach alone, demonstrating the power of a unified approach.

“The nonprofit work in our community is very rich, and as we look to expand its scale and sustainability, we recognize that it starts with the leaders,” says Ashley Douglas, Vice President of Southern Dallas Thrives, an initiative led by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “This partnership is investing not only financially but also in the success of nonprofit leaders, their organizations, and the lasting impact they create.”

Building Leadership Capacity To Strengthen Impact

Southern Dallas faces challenges like limited access to quality education, economic opportunity, and healthcare — barriers shared by cities across the country and felt acutely here. Southern Dallas Thrives addresses these issues by delivering new programs, resources, capacity building, and partnerships to create real community impact.

Their Southern Dallas Roundtable brings together about 35 foundations from corporate, community, and family sectors to promote strategic, collaborative investment. Organizers help the roundtable focus on what to fund, how to fund it, and why it matters for both immediate and long-term results.

In recent years, Southern Dallas Thrives has also been asking local nonprofit executives about their challenges and examining existing capacity-building programs to look for gaps. An important theme emerged — community changemakers need more support for leadership development to keep making strong, lasting changes.

“Everything came back to giving our leaders the skills to be effective with funders and build relationships with other nonprofits,” Douglas says. “If leaders don’t feel confident in their skills to sustain and grow their work, that says a lot about the organization’s direction and potential to grow.”

Says Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew, a consultant who has worked in Southern Dallas for decades: “We wanted a program that could help leaders on the front lines do the work that they do even better.”

Although nonprofits recognized the need for leadership development, most lacked the budget to support it. That’s where a funder from the roundtable suggested the Center for Creative Leadership. We’re a nonprofit too — and as part of our mission, we provide leadership development opportunities that strengthen community and nonprofit leaders worldwide.

Featured Solutions

Foundations & Philanthropic Leadership

Learn more about how we're partnering with foundations for philanthropic leadership to drive change by offering professional development to build leadership capacity.

Leadership for Social Change

We strive to strengthen education, community, and nonprofit leadership. Learn more about our work to advance leadership and social change.

A Data-Driven Response to Leadership Needs

CCL joined a Southern Dallas Roundtable meeting where we discussed how to collaboratively identify the community’s leadership strengths and gaps, and how this would help us create a program tailored to those needs.

From these talks, we initiated a Leadership Explorer for the Nonprofit Sector (LENS) report focused on Southern Dallas. LENS is a free tool that helps funders and corporate social responsibility teams make data-based decisions about leadership development needs for their grantees or staff.  We received 49 anonymous responses from Southern Dallas nonprofit leaders, revealing which skills, competencies, and capabilities matter most  for success.

The report confirmed what funders and organizers had heard — nonprofit leaders want leadership development that closes capability gaps in areas such as data-driven decision making and change management, and helps them put skills into practice. It clarified the program’s vision by highlighting the specific growth priorities and preferred formats for learning.

“The report helped us make the case for why a leadership program mattered here,” Douglas says. “The LENS report’s data and detailed insights from so many organizations made CCL’s approach stand out.”

Discussions with funders emphasized how leadership development for nonprofit executive directors creates a ripple effect — strengthening organizations, residents, neighborhoods, and the broader community — and how funders can link this impact to their investments when presenting to their boards.

Importantly, 4 funders in the Southern Dallas Roundtable came together to pool their resources and get the program started.

A Custom Leadership Program Takes Shape

Working with the partner foundations and Southern Dallas Thrives, CCL developed the Southern Dallas Executive Leadership Institute — a 9-month journey shaped by the LENS report and tailored to the needs of nonprofit leaders from many different backgrounds.

The first cohort includes 8 participants representing a range of nonprofits — from large organizations with multimillion-dollar budgets to smaller grassroots groups. This diversity was intentional to encourage sharing and learning among participants beyond the formal lessons. Douglas and Booker-Drew aimed for a more intimate experience than the traditional capacity-building programs in the area, which often included 50 or more people.

“Participants found a space, made specifically for them, where they could be vulnerable much earlier than expected,” Douglas says.

The journey combines assessments and 1:1 executive coaching with in-person learning sessions on topics such as Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC), influential leadership, Better Conversations Every Day, decision making, strategic thinking, and collaboration in funding.

There are leadership circles for honest reflection and sessions with funders and participants to share the program’s impact. These moments are helping to deepen learning and relationships, and to strengthen the work being done across Southern Dallas.

“Participants are gaining a supportive community that will help them sustain transformation after the program,” Booker-Drew says. “Funders are given an opportunity to walk alongside us during the program. Even funders who didn’t pay for this cohort have been showing up to hear first-hand about its impact.”

Douglas praises CCL’s authentic and flexible approach, which allowed the program to be tailored for Southern Dallas.

“Together, we curated a program specific to this community and moment,” she says. “There’s magic in that.”

Organizers Say

The post How Philanthropic Partnerships Are Strengthening Nonprofit Leadership in Southern Dallas appeared first on CCL.

Amplify: Heighten Your Impact

Based on over 50 years of leadership research and experience, Amplify is a flexible online nonprofit leadership program that positions participants to learn new skills to advance their missions and apply insights within their organizations — improving outcomes, increasing sustainability, and heightening impact. It offers engaging online learning, frameworks, and tools tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by nonprofit professionals.

Amplify participants learn to navigate complex challenges, inspire teams, and adapt to an ever-evolving social sector landscape. The learning journey equips nonprofit professionals with the mindsets and skillsets needed to elevate their impact, cultivate resources to build momentum, and achieve outcomes aligned with their purpose.

The program focuses on expanding vital leadership and evaluation capabilities, including:

• Learning Agility: Developing an evaluative mindset
• Theory of Change: Staying focused and evaluating the programs in service of the mission
• Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC): Approaching leadership as a social process and engaging all stakeholders
• Social Identity & Emotional Intelligence: Understanding yourself to help inform strategic decisions
• Evaluation Design & Data Collection: Measuring impact and alignment to organizational mission
• Storytelling & Influence: Communicating your story for greater impact

It also features practical applications that participants can develop into actionable insights in real time, applying learnings directly to their work and throughout their organizations.

“Amplify is more than a course — it’s a catalyst for transformation,” said Marie Leonard, Digital Learning Product Manager at CCL. “We’re helping nonprofit leaders build the skills and confidence to lead with purpose, measure their impact, and create lasting change.”

The Amplify initiative was made possible through generous support from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, whose grant and PropelNext program design has enabled CCL to expand access to high-impact leadership development for mission-driven organizations.

The program has also been shaped by our philanthropic partners such as the Scattergood Foundation, which played a vital role in developing its evaluation framework. Their collaboration has helped to ensure Amplify is grounded in real-world impact measurement and aligned with the needs of nonprofit leaders working in behavioral health and social services.

“We believe in Amplify … because this nonprofit professional development program will better equip leaders to evaluate and improve their work and ultimately deliver on their missions,” said Joe Pyle, President of the Scattergood Foundation.

Early program participants are reporting increased confidence in leading teams, evaluating programs, and communicating their missions effectively.

The Amplify program may be offered as part of a larger leadership journey or as a custom program for social sector organizations. Learn more about our nonprofit leadership development expertise or the Amplify nonprofit leadership online course.

The post CCL Launches Online Professional Development for Nonprofits — Amplify: Heighten Your Impact™ appeared first on CCL.

As social sector organizations face increased change and uncertainty, leaders often find themselves pulled in many different directions. It can be challenging to find the time and attention to focus on wellbeing — or anything — yet wellbeing is critical to sustain individuals, teams, your organization, and the communities you serve. Whether or not you’re in a formal position managing others, you can make a difference in the wellbeing of leaders at your organization and, in turn, the continued impact of your mission.

Join us to explore strategies for increased wellbeing at work in this interactive session designed specifically for those working in the social sector at nonprofit, education, and public health organizations.

What You’ll Learn

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• The impact of disruption on team and leader wellbeing
• The 6 research-based components of wellbeing for leaders of others
• Tips for how to apply these components in your role and organization
• How supporting wellbeing can support your mission and impact

The post Wellbeing for Leaders in the Social Sector appeared first on CCL.

Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders are at the forefront of navigating leadership in uncertainty, especially in today’s world flooded with often conflicting and bewildering news. Amidst this uncertainty, the call for leadership is louder than ever. Traditional responses might have us turn to our positional leaders, expecting heroic actions. However, this dependent leadership approach may fall short when our goal is to create sustained, impactful change in our communities and the world.

Join us in this engaging webinar where we delve into our Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC) model. This model is a powerful tool that can guide teams, organizations, and communities through the unpredictable waves of change. We’ll demonstrate how this framework fosters essential dialogue for enduring leadership during uncertainty — instead of banking on a single hero.

What You’ll Learn

In this webinar, you’ll learn about leadership during uncertainty:

• The essence of the DAC framework and its relevance in today’s context
• Practical ways to implement the DAC model in your organization
• The significance of embracing a process for leadership in uncertainty for better outcomes

The post Leadership During Uncertainty: A Proven Approach for Uncertain Times appeared first on CCL.

What’s your current relationship status with burnout? Do you wish you could break up for good? You’re not alone.

Across the globe, individuals, organizations, and communities are experiencing increased stress and uncertainty — and as a result, employees are dealing with burnout at unprecedented levels.

The impact is staggering. A recent study from Mental Health America reports that 75% of workers are struggling with overcoming burnout, leaders at all types of organizations are being pulled in multiple directions in the face of physical, mental, social, and economic upheaval. With long hours and less funding, many nonprofit and health leaders, especially, are dealing with burnout themselves, and so may not feel equipped to offer their teams strategies to become more resilient and effective.

Leaders approaching or experiencing burnout may feel physical symptoms, cynicism about work, emotional exhaustion, and reduced performance.

Sound familiar? Remember, it’s not you. It’s burnout.

In the face of perpetual crisis, leaders must adapt, not just react. Explore our guide to Leadership in Disruption to learn how leading with culture, vision, and collective agility helps organizations thrive through complexity.

Get the Guide

How Organizations Can Support Their People in Overcoming Burnout

What can organizational leaders do to support their workers in dealing with burnout, and in tandem, address turnover rates? Senior leaders can bring intention and attention to creating the conditions for everyone to bring their best selves to work and foster an environment that supports their people and the communities they serve.

For the nonprofit and public health sectors in particular, philanthropic organizations and foundations can play several essential roles. First, grantmakers, executive directors, and senior leaders can consider their own personal and professional practices and how those are contributing to how they show up for their constituents. Second, they can stop doing anything that doesn’t support creating and cultivating the conditions for nonprofit teams and organizations to flourish.

Whatever your industry, if you’re a leader, you can build your own resilience by stopping and starting these 6 things to help create the conditions for colleagues to overcome burnout and “burn bright” instead.

Advice for Dealing With Burnout

6 Tips for Leaders: What to Stop & Start Doing

1. Stop repeating the same things. Start trying something new.

Do you feel like you’re living the same day over and over, like your own personal Groundhog Day movie? In addition to fostering boredom, unexamined routines can also diminish energy and focus. Consider how much you might be mindlessly defaulting to behaviors reinforced by burnout, and what you might do differently today to shake things up.

Our brains actually thrive, and we feel happier, when we have novel experiences. Brain research has found that a rush of dopamine comes with any new experience. And it doesn’t have to be big to be effective — even small changes can help to create an immediate shift in energy and focus.

Make a commitment to trying new things as a way of helping you and your colleagues with overcoming burnout. It could be as simple as trying a new route on a morning walk. How might you encourage others to try something novel? Perhaps add “sharing new things tried” to your one-on-one check-ins or an upcoming team meeting and start creating space for colleagues dealing with burnout to share ideas with one another.

2. Stop holding your breath. Start an intentional breathing practice.

You might not even notice that you hold your breath or take very shallow breaths during the day, especially when you feel pressure. The moment we get anxious or stressed, we can assume some control and agency by breathing properly. Even less than a minute of intentional breathing can make a big difference. The research is clear: if we breathe shallow and fast, it causes our nervous system to up-regulate, and we feel even more tense and anxious. But if we breathe slowly, taking a deep breath with a focus on our exhale, it turns on our body’s anti-stress response. Breathing is convenient, free, and a fast way to ground into a state of calm.

One simple practice for dealing with burnout is to anchor intentional deep breathing to something you do every day — maybe just before joining another online meeting, or as you transition from work to home tasks. You might experiment with expanding this practice to include everyone participating in a meeting you’re leading. Simply invite team members to breathe fully for one minute at the start, or take a pause for a “breathing break” in the middle.

3. Stop sending generic messages of thanks. Start personalizing gratitude.

Have you ever received a generic, “reply-all” thank you message that fell a little flat? You’re not alone. While the intent is positive and it’s better than no gratitude, it can lack sincerity and reduce the overall impact. Giving thanks will actually make you a better leader and personal notes that include specific details about the value of an individual’s contribution are far more effective than mass communications, research finds. Just 5–12 formal, individualized, sincere gestures of thanks per year can significantly cut an employee’s propensity to leave and help with overcoming burnout.

Take a couple of minutes and write a brief note (even just 2–3 sentences) to a person you’ve been meaning to thank at work. By doing so, you’ll not only share gratitude with the individual you’re sending the note to, but you’ll also be modeling this behavior for other leaders in your organization. Make it your practice to send your team members a brief but personalized thank-you note on a consistent basis.

4. Stop holding meetings by default. Start building an intentional meeting culture.

Meetings are a constant presence in our lives, and with the rise of the remote and hybrid workforce, they’re more prevalent than ever. Yet, meetings can be draining, feel like a waste of time, and force after-hours work. They can even feel isolating when there’s not an opportunity to connect. Meetings are critical to getting our work done, however, so take some time to really examine and update your organization’s meeting culture.

The next time you’re about to schedule a meeting, ask yourself the question, Is this meeting really necessary, or are we simply defaulting to a meeting because that’s how we’ve always done it? Consider whether you can handle the agenda via email or in a real-time messaging app, or explore shortening the allotted time. This allows people to avoid attending back-to-back meetings all day.

Lighten “Zoom fatigue” by making some virtual meetings audio-only when being on camera isn’t really necessary. Or, if it’s an option, suggest team members take the call while walking outdoors to incorporate some movement and fresh air. Bonus points if a walk-and-talk meeting can be done together in person. Meetings are a prime opportunity for connection, so make them count and use them to improve your organization’s virtual collaboration and communication practices.

5. Stop perpetuating a 24/7 work week. Start encouraging boundaries.

How have your boundaries around work and home shifted over the last few years? For many of us operating in a hybrid workplace context, we no longer “work from home” as much as we “live at work.” A boundaryless experience like this can take a serious toll on our health and contribute to burnout. Because of this shift, you may want to consider how you might be unintentionally creating expectations of working longer hours, including evenings and late nights, when your employees typically have been untethered from work.

If you or your colleagues are dealing with burnout, notice the communication patterns that have emerged for yourself and your team recently. If you find yourself often catching up on emails after hours or on weekends, reflect on this habit. How might you create or influence new expectations that support recharging and disconnecting from work? How can you actively support both a work ethic and a “rest ethic”? And what rituals can you start that signal to yourself that you’re “clocking out”?

Consider closing the laptop and leaving it in a designated workspace, collecting virtual or physical files and putting them away, or sending your team a friendly “I’m out and you should be, too” email at the end of the day or week, or when leaving on vacation. This will help your employees manage their work-life conflicts and increase their ability to unplug from work when the day is over or when they’re taking some much-needed time to rest and recharge.

6. Stop the early morning phone scroll and caffeine hit. Start your morning with intentional, mindful movement.

Do you check your phone before your feet hit the floor in the morning? Is making coffee or tea your next step after that? These behaviors, while very common, may be eroding your energy before your day even begins. Checking your email, social media, and texts as soon as your eyelids open quickly hijacks your attention and emotions, often triggering anxiety before you’ve even gotten out of bed. You’ve probably already heard the advice not to keep your smartphone in your bedroom — but turning off notifications, curbing social media use, and removing as many apps off your phone as possible are all helpful, too.

As for your unexamined caffeine routine, simply delay it a bit. When you wake up, the energizing hormone cortisol is at its peak — adding caffeine on top of that is like throwing a match on a fire that’s already crackling. You’ll experience a greater caffeine boost by waiting an hour or 2 if you can.

Replace that immediate screen time and caffeine jolt with a little movement — a quick walk, some yoga, or even just stretching — and then something mindful like journaling, reading, or listening to music for a few minutes. Then, hydrate with water before you caffeinate. Give it a try for a few days and see if your energy improves and if these practices help with overcoming burnout.

When you assess personal habits and default organizational practices that may be aggravating stress and burnout, you can start building a culture that values resilience and gives employees permission to take care of themselves. Be mindful about recharging and modeling those behaviors for your team, and say goodbye to dealing with burnout for good.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

As a nonprofit ourselves, we’re guided by purpose and fueled by passion, and we understand the need for strong, resilient leaders who are able to support themselves and their teams in dealing with burnout. Create the conditions for employees to bring their best selves to work with our resilience-building solutions, or partner with our nonprofit leadership experts to help build a more resilient organization for your people, your mission, and the communities you serve.

The post It’s Time to Break Up With Burnout. Here’s How. appeared first on CCL.