Resource Library

Leadership development does not end when training does. Drawing on 2023–2026 survey data from Leadership Institute graduates, this brief examines how continued employer investment and meaningful opportunities to lead relate to organizational impact. Three out of four graduates receiving support for at least four development activities reported high impact, compared with half receiving less support. Among graduates with strong opportunities to lead, 87% reported high impact, compared with 52% of those with fewer opportunities. The findings identify practical ways disability organizations can extend the value of leadership development.

The September 2026 Leadership Brief digs into curiosity as a tool for building credibility, trust, and engagement. Read the brief to build your team’s resilience and capacity to handle challenges by getting curious.

This research brief examines the relationship between employee participation and human rights in disability service organizations using data from the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI). Findings show strong positive relationships between employee participation and both human-rights priorities and practices. Organizations that give employees a voice in decisions, provide training and support, offer flexibility and development opportunities, recognize contributions, and keep staff informed tend to demonstrate stronger commitments to self-determination, community inclusion, and stakeholder participation. The brief also offers practical steps leaders can take to strengthen employee participation and build more sustainable, person-directed services.

The July/August 2026 Leadership Brief explores the research behind mattering in the workplace and what leaders like you can do to build a culture where team members at all levels feel seen, valued, and needed. Read the brief for practical strategies to strengthen your team and the people who make your organization’s mission possible. 

The LEAD training for frontline leaders, designed to build DSPs’ and frontline supervisors’ leadership strengths and facilitated by the NLCDD, contributes to a stronger IDD service sector, strengthening the quality and sustainability of the disability field workforce across Delaware. Recent findings from an ongoing evaluation of the LEAD program show that participants of the LEAD program report providing better services and feeling more motivation and engagement in their work. Building on previous results that show how LEAD contributes to individual and organizational advancement (see March and May 2026 Research Briefs), these findings highlight how better services and increased engagement foster more coordinated and resilient services statewide.

This research brief examines the relationship between organizational performance and human rights in disability service organizations. Findings from 383 disability professionals show that organizations with stronger leadership, employee participation, and DEI practices also report stronger implementation of self-determination, community inclusion, and stakeholder participation.

The June 2026 Leadership Brief explores how effective leaders move beyond data to inspire real buy-in—using storytelling, emotional connection, and tailored messaging to influence decisions. It breaks down practical strategies for understanding your audience, sharpening your message, and delivering it with clarity and confidence. Whether persuading teams, boards, or stakeholders, this brief equips you with actionable tools to communicate ideas that stick and drive meaningful change.

Developing the leadership strengths and skills of DSPs and frontline leaders improves communication, follow through, and interpersonal skills throughout organizations, resulting in organizational improvements such as better teamwork and higher quality services for people with disabilities they support. Find out more about the organizational impact of our LEAD training on DSPs and frontline leaders in this Research Brief.