The Marsellus Next Generation Leadership Development Program

As a talented nonprofit professional, you display dedication, skill and passion for your work. You and your peers have the skill and dedication to become executive directors, finance or senior program directors and successfully lead our community’s mission-driven organizations. Marsellus LeadUp (Formerly known as LeadUP CNY) is designed to help emerging leaders like you prepare for your future responsibilities through the development of personal and professional leadership skills.

While this program is sponsored by the Community Foundation, it is facilitated by a third-party consulting firm. As such, personal and professional information shared by participants with the consultants and members of the cohort is kept confidential.

  • Current employees of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations serving residents of Onondaga or Madison counties
  • Employee must have three years of experience in the nonprofit sector
  • Program management and/or supervisory responsibility required
  • Priority will be given to applicants from small- or mid-sized organizations that often have limited professional development resources.

Additional Information about the Program

  • Identification of strengths and areas of opportunity for growth with tools for professional skill development and effective self-reflection
  • Growth in communication skills (Conflict Resolution, Effective Feedback and Listening, Collaboration, Managing Relationships, and Presentation Skills)
  • A defined Individualized Development Plan (IDP) and demonstrated growth toward their individual goals
  • A defined peer network
  • Exposure to current leaders in the community

Individualized Development Plan (IDP)

Each participant will work with the two program coaches to develop a comprehensive IDP.

Program Content

All learning sessions will be experiential and participatory. Participants will deepen their skills and competencies through presentations, experiential learning sessions and assignments. Panel discussions made up of key leaders in the community from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors will expose participants to different perspectives of leadership and community needs. This is also an opportunity to introduce the next generation of leaders to current community leaders.

  • Each cohort is comprised of 10-12 participants
  • The curriculum consists of five half-day large group learning sessions with speaker panels on specific topics, skill building activities and assignments. Dates will be selected once participant cohort is finalized.
  • The curriculum also includes five individual coaching meetings:
  • At least one networking/social event with peer group(s) from similar programs.
  • Each participant should be willing to dedicate another four to eight hours of additional time each month to work on IDP and prepare for learning sessions.

Testimonials

“The LeadUp CNY (Marsellus LeadUp) program taught me to be an active participant in my leadership journey and helped me to realize that leadership isn’t as simple as being born a strong leader, but it is something that we are responsible for nurturing and growing. It pushed me to accept myself for both my strengths and shortcomings and to make short term goals that were measurable and achievable to help me reach more long term goals. I learned that the things we do behind the scenes and the investments that we make in ourselves are the ones that turn up in our leadership style with others, and my biggest take away from the program was learning that becoming a great leader isn’t a destination but an ongoing process that really never ends.”

“The LeadUp (Marsellus LeadUp) program gave me more than I expected. In addition to the guidance and content on leadership and management, I was delighted to find friends and colleagues across industries. The greatest benefit still continues in the connections I made with some pretty fantastic and brilliant people!”

“LeadUp gave me the opportunity to take the goals I’ve had in my head, get them down on paper in an achievable format and finally execute on them! The networking with other local, like-minded leaders was so valuable. That coupled with the individual coaching sessions made for one of the best professional development opportunities I’ve had the pleasure to take part in. I would recommend this to anyone looking to grow their networks, achieve new goals and sharpen their leadership skills!”

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