Carolina Leadership Seminars
Serving South Carolina's new nonprofit executive directors.
Program Design
Since 2016, Carolina Leadership Seminars (CLS) has established itself as a trusted, multi-faceted leadership development program designed exclusively for nonprofit executive directors. Over 150 SC executive directors have participated since the program's inception.
Sisters of Charity Foundation of SC provided the initial grant funding, inspiration, and support for the first three years. They continue to host our gatherings and often join to share their insights. We also appreciate the scholarship support provided by Central Carolina Community Foundation, Duke Energy and other partners.
Each cohort is limited to 30 - 40 participants who engage in candid and confidential discussions with peers regarding their organization’s current performance and their personal leadership challenges.
A unique curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of executives participating in every session.
All sessions offer practical tools and actionable insights to improve your leadership, help you effectively steward your organization, and increase your impact.
Focusing on what you need to know - whether it's the challenges of starting a new job, governance concerns, crisis management, or race equity issues - these timely subjects are all a part of this comprehensive learning opportunity.
Our Facilitators
The Weathers Group (TWG) provides creative, interactive learning opportunities for participants to address current organizational and leadership challenges in a confidential, open-dialogue learning environment and brave space.
TWG's Founder, Charles C. Weathers, MBA, is a nationally known speaker, writer, and consultant who is a recognized expert on nonprofit leadership, organizational effectiveness, and performance improvement. The TWG Team has assisted hundreds of South Carolina organizations with developing new strategies for innovative change. Co-Facilitating with Charles are TWG Associates, including executive professionals who are experts in adult learning, management, and leadership development.
Program Details
- 2025 Session Dates: Aug 15, Sept 5, Oct 3, Nov 14 and Dec 5
- Five monthly sessions on Friday from 10 am - 2 pm, including lunch
- Past session topics are listed below.
- Please be sure you can attend all sessions before registering.
- Sessions will take place in Columbia, SC.
- The cost of this opportunity is $500.
- The application period for the 2025 cohort is open.
- Scholarships are available for Midlands nonprofits, provided by Central Carolina Community Foundation.
- If you would like to sponsor your grantees, please reach out to Desmonies@togethersc.org
Past Session Topics
The Board/CEO Relationship: Teamwork From the Top
The relationship between the Board and the CEO can make or break an organization. High trust, understanding, clarity, and accountability are just a few traits that can strengthen this vital relationship. During this session, participants learn to identify approaches that ban nurturing meaningful relationships with their Board, as well as recommendations on repairing a damaged Board/CEO relationship.
Leading Through Effective Communication
People frequently complain about a lack of communication on the job or in relationships and the inability of others to communicate. We have found that there is rarely a LACK of communication but a lack of understanding about the many factors influencing communication. So how do we transform our dysfunctional communication styles into effective and productive interactions with others?
Through this session, participants will be equipped to communicate effectively and pointedly with various individuals and groups and better prepared to maintain composure in challenging situations.
Cultivating a High-Trust Culture
According to Stephen M. R. Covey in his critically acclaimed book, The Speed of Trust, trust is more than an admirable social virtue. It is a quantifiable, hard-edged economic factor that impacts daily decisions and results. This session highlights the value of developing high-trust relationships and the cost of low-trust relationships.
Leaders who cultivate and maintain high-trust relationships are much more likely to experience success in life, both professionally and personally.
Navigating Organizational Change
Organizations that navigate change have a greater chance of remaining relevant, viable, and competitive. Your ability to navigate change will contribute to your success as well as the success of your organization.
This session allows participants to explore approaches they can employ to recognize better and navigate organizational, economic, social, and political changes.
Celebratory Lunch with Board Chairs and Funders
Board chairs and chairs-elect are invited to join participants for a day of shared learning, lunch, and conversations with funding partners.
Get Involved:
Eligibility
- Participation is limited to Executive Directors/Chief Executive Officers, who have generally served in their current position for five years or less.
- Organizations must be Together SC members in good standing unless a Philanthropic Partner chooses to scholarship a participant.
- To build an influential learning cohort, a selection process will ensure class representation of diverse organizational types, backgrounds, and regions served.
- Please carefully review the schedule posted above BEFORE registering for the course. Participants must attend ALL sessions to receive a Certificate of Completion. Attendance will be kept.
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Board Chairs are strongly encouraged to attend the August session with Class Participants. Chair attendance will be coordinated during the selection process.
Cost
- $500 covers lunch, materials, and facilitation costs for five sessions of four hours each.
- Member dollars and support from our generous philanthropic partners help make this program possible. If cost is a concern, please reach out.