2025 New & Aspiring Leaders Institute
The Elyton Hotel
1928 1st Avenue NorthBirmingham, AL 35203
Whether you’ve been newly appointed to a leadership role or you’re looking for a refresher on how to best lead others, the New & Aspiring Leaders Institute provides a strong foundation for developing your leadership style.
With a four-pronged approach, attendees will learn
- how to lead, using a focused predictive index and analysis, followed by action planning;
- how to lead others and build effective teams;
- how to lead your school community and dialogue across differences;
- and how to lead for the future by developing a growth plan.
This powerful institute is sure to leave participants with practical, actionable steps for making a meaningful impact in your leadership role.
This program will be particularly helpful for
- newly appointed administrative leaders,
- newly appointed heads,
- aspiring heads of school,
- those looking for a refresher.
Registration
|
SAIS Member |
School: Non-Member |
|
|
Through Feb 7 |
$675 |
$809 |
|
Feb 8-March 28 |
$775 |
$909 |
|
After March 28 |
$875 |
$1,009 |
dialSunday, April 6, 2025
4:30-5:30 PM – Welcome & Opening Address
5:30-6:30 PM – Reception
Monday, April 7, 2025
8:00-8:30 AM – Breakfast
8:30-11:30 AM – Leading Self: Empowering Your Leadership Journey
Self-Awareness Assessment (Predictive Index)Action Planning
11:30-12:30 PM – Lunch
12:15-4:15 PM – Leading Team and Others: Building Effective Teams
Speaker: Marsha Little
School leaders often spend much of their day participating in and leading meetings. Let’s design gatherings that feel purposeful, delightful, joyful, and productive. Meetings can add value and energy to your day rather than leave you drained.
In this session, we will talk through the basics of structuring meetings consistent with the principles of adult learning, share tools for fostering emotional safety for participants, and think about how to leverage the unique strengths of your colleagues. Drawing on the work of Elena Aguilar and Priya Parker, in addition to my own experience as a school leader, leadership coach, and team coach, I will share practical tools that you can implement immediately. This will be a highly participatory session and should prove useful for any educator who wants to make the most of their time with the adults they lead.
Art of Coaching
Art of Managing Polarity
Art of Decision-Making
5:00 PM – Reception
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
8:00-830 AM – Breakfast
8:30-12:30 PM – Leading Community: Fostering Connection & Collaboration
Morning Reflection
Community Engagement Panel
Speakers: Moderated Panel Moderated Featuring Scott Schamberger, Cecil Stodghill, and Kavita Vasil
Join experienced independent school leaders for an insightful discussion on building inclusive school communities. This moderated panel explores the essential elements of effective community leadership, from nurturing authentic relationships to creating spaces where diverse perspectives thrive. Our distinguished panelists will share practical strategies and lessons learned from their leadership journeys, addressing
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- Building trust and meaningful engagement across their community,
- Cultivating a collaborative culture that empowers faculty and staff,
- Navigating challenging conversations and decisions with empathy, and
- Creating sustainable structures for community involvement and feedback.
Speakers: Trish Bogdanchik and Stacey Lee
Learn how to foster meaningful dialogue and navigate challenging conversations in your school community through the Dialogue Across Difference Framework. This interactive workshop demonstrates practical strategies for creating spaces where diverse perspectives can be shared respectfully and productively. Drawing from The Mount Vernon School's implementation, participants will explore concrete tools for
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- Establishing shared vocabulary and ground rules for difficult dialogue;
- Building trust and psychological safety among stakeholders;
- Moving beyond polarization to find common ground;
- Empowering student, faculty, and parent voices in community conversations.
This session provides immediately applicable approaches to strengthen your school's capacity for authentic dialogue and inclusive community-building.
12:30-1:30 PM – Lunch
1:30-3:00 PM – Leading Forward: Developing Your Growth Plan
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Plausible Futures
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Define Your Learning Agenda
Event Policies & Acknowledgments
- For questions about event registration or special accommodations, contact learn@sais.org.
- For questions about speakers and sessions, contact elizabeth@sais.org.