Research and Leadership Briefs

Research shows that when leaders have strong personal and professional networks, they tend to be more engaged, innovative, and effective. This Leadership Brief highlights four key relationships for leaders to prioritize, especially when their leadership roles feel challenging or lonely.

The November research brief on the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI) area of Autonomy, Choice, and Control reveals that while organizations prioritize person-centered approaches and autonomous decision-making, there remains a significant gap between these priorities and actual practices—especially in empowering individuals to control their service plans and budgets. Findings from the OPPI show that although organizations rate autonomy as essential, the implementation often falls short, with a 9% difference on average between priorities and practices. Addressing these gaps could enhance service quality, dignity, and independence for people with disabilities.

The National Leadership Consortium teamed up with CQL to analyze data about the impact of organizational culture on people with disabilities being supported. Results confirmed what we suspected to be true: how organizations treat their employees not only affects the employees, but also impacts the quality of life of people with IDD receiving services. Read more about this study in this research brief.

Discover the latest findings on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our September Research Brief! Using data from the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI), this month’s brief examines key areas such as Workforce Diversity, Anti-Discrimination Policies, and DEI Evaluation, revealing gaps between organizational priorities and the implementation of DEI practices. Read the brief to gain insights into how organizations can better align their practices with their DEI priorities to build more inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Several critical factors for employee engagement center around control and autonomy. When employees have support to make choices about how they work and prioritize their time, it’s likely they are more productive and motivated than their disengaged coworkers. August’s Leadership Brief will outline evidence-based strategies to investigate and reduce your tendencies to assert control in the workplace.

A large part of being a leader is making decisions. Learn about what leaders who come to our Leadership Institute trainings think about their decision-making contributions and power at their organizations in this Research Brief.

Discover the latest trends in promoting inclusive communities for people with disabilities in our July Research Brief! Using data from the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI), this month’s brief explores critical dimensions like Engagement and Participation, Community Inclusion, and Meaningful, Natural Supports, highlighting gaps and opportunities for improvement. Read the brief to discover insights into how organizations nationwide are working to align their practices with the essential principles of Community Living, Employment, and Engagement to foster more robust, more cohesive communities.

At our Leadership Institutes and other trainings, we are constantly hearing from leaders of provider organizations about the barriers to delivering quality, person-centered, community-based services to the people with disabilities they support. To better understand the top obstacles leaders face, we ask them on our surveys about what is needed to provide better services. Read more about the specific barriers leaders face in our June Research Brief.

Discover the heartbeat of disability service organizations nationwide with our May research brief. Delve into critical dimensions of Staff Participation, Value, Impact, and Support, drawing insights from 820 professionals nationwide using the OPPI. Explore trends in organizational priorities and practices shaping employee empowerment, service high quality, and excellence. From employees’ participation in Strategic Planning to their input in Financial Decision-Making, explore the critical areas for improvement to elevate staff engagement, support, and service quality for people with disabilities.

Research shows that coaching can be an extremely beneficial tool for increasing engagement, job satisfaction, and productivity but many leaders never have the opportunity to seek coaching support. Despite this, there are ways to bring about the outcomes of coaching through intentional practices and strategies. Explore two coaching models that leaders can bring to their teams and organizations to aid in employee development and consider ways that you can bring this to your team or organization.