CRE's 25 years of experience working with community-based organizations has shown that leadership is a defining issue for our clients, and is central to their effectiveness and success. In light of this belief, and informed by our deep experience with CBOs, CRE launched the Leadership Caucus in 2004.

The fifth Leadership Caucus is currently underway. Applications for the sixth annual Leadership Caucus will be available soon. For more information contact Melinda Rodriguez by email or by phone at 212-894-3391.

The Leadership Caucus is a robust 9-month leadership development program whose goals are to:

• Create a stimulating forum to discuss the most challenging leadership and management issues in today's environment of increased accountability requirements and constant change,
• Explore the implications of current thinking in the leadership and management field on the continued effectiveness and sustainability of your organization, and
• Discover creative ways of applying best practices in leadership and management in your organization.

Here are some comments from graduates of CRE's Leadership Caucus:

"As a result of this experience, I have had the time to examine closely some of the reasons I have not been able to create an executive team in the way I deemed fit for the agency."
 
"Excellent. An opportunity to hear from others, and to feel that some of the concerns and issues that we were having were similar to those of others, to hear about other alternatives…the "I'm not crazy" experience…to be able to interact and exchange ideas."
 
"…it was good to hear that other people were having similar battles, and that there were other ways to handle it. Finding champions, finding creative ways to expand the Board, get more people on who had a different world view…We have started the process."

What Participants Experience:

• Issue-based discussions of leadership topics identified by participants as high-priority
• Action learning sessions in small teams focusing on participant’s change initiatives
• 360 feedback and coaching in an individualized setting to discuss leadership practices
• Management simulation in which participants lead and manage a day in the life of a CBO
• Measuring Impact Study of organizational changes resulting from participation in the caucus
• Peer exchange is a key feature of the Leadership Caucus.

What Participants Take Away:
Participants leave the caucus with deeper insights about vital leadership issues and a change plan. The insights come to life from discussions on:

• Leading Organizational Transformation
  • Moving beyond Managing to Leading
  • Managing Change and Transitions
• Creating and Strengthening Alliances
  • Partnering with the Board
  • Building Your Talent Bench
• Building Your Talent Bench
  • Measuring Outcomes
  • Leadership and Ethics

At the last session, participants share their Personal Leadership Statements which capture their key insights and change plans.

The Participants:
Participants interact and network with up to 21 Early Career Executive Directors who have been in their current position for not much more than 3 years. Participants' organizations are relatively comparable in organizational size and budget. The resulting circle of peers is diverse in many ways, making for an enriching learning experience.

For More Information:
Please contact Melinda Rodriguez by email or by phone at 212-894-3391.