Research and Leadership Briefs

The Leadership Institute of the National Leadership Consortium focuses on strengthening Authentic Leadership skills through its content and activities, so we checked in on past graduates’ perspectives of their Authentic Leadership skills in our 2023 and 2024 Annual Survey. We asked participants of the survey to rate their Authentic Leadership skills: Being fair minded, Aligned moral behavior, Transparency, and Self awareness.

This month’s Leadership Brief effectively highlights the importance of Data-Informed Strategic Leadership, emphasizing the role of data in enhancing organizational success and sustainability. It begins by acknowledging common challenges faced by leaders in strategic planning, such as time constraints, and underscores the significance of incorporating strategic thinking into daily schedules. The brief introduces the concept of using data to inform strategic decisions, citing research from MIT Sloan that supports this approach. It offers three actionable recommendations for implementing data-driven strategies, including building a data-driven culture, utilizing quality data, and establishing strategic data priorities. Read some practical insights encouraging leaders to leverage data for informed decision-making and improved organizational outcomes in this month’s brief!

The March Research brief highlights field trends in practices related to Stakeholder Input in Organizational Governance from the responses of 820 professionals in disability organizations nationwide on the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI). The findings underscore the pivotal role of stakeholder input in shaping organizational practices and ensuring alignment with evidence-based approaches and disability rights. Find out the about practices trends related to Stakeholder Input in the March Research Brief!

At our Leadership Institute training we help organizations work toward providing progressive, evidence-based services and supports for people with disabilities. This brief illustrates commonalities about how leaders define “progressive” in word cloud and also shares how progressive Leadership Institute graduates think their organizations are. Read about what progressive means to leaders in the field in this February 2024 Research Brief — How Progressive are Service Providers?

Whether our organizations are fully virtual, hybrid, or back to the office full time, we all have to interact with our colleagues and organizational stakeholders via Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Webex or another virtual platform. And even though we’ve tried so hard to encourage meaningful virtual connection, online meetings make informal or spontaneous check ins and reading body language or emotional reactions more challenging. Even though we don’t want to, it’s likely that, at least occasionally, we need to give tough or corrective feedback in online meetings. Read about strategies for giving effective feedback in this January 2024 Leadership Brief – Giving Tough Feedback Virtually

Organizations providing services for people with disabilities play a transformative role in enhancing the quality of life for their stakeholders. Central to their success are leaders who act as catalysts, driving organizational well-being through the implementation of effective practices. This research brief presents data from 820 respondents from disabilities organizations across the United States on the Leadership Strength and Development practices from the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI). The brief presents data on seven key elements of leadership: Ethical Leadership, Compelling Leadership, Leadership Development, Internal Leadership Succession, Team Leadership, and Resourceful Leadership. Previous research has highlighted the importance and impact of these elements in organizational performance. Read the trends we have found on the January Research Brief!

Feedback can be an impactful catalyst for growth and development and can even build trust in relationships and teams. It is a critical component of creating a growth and learning culture in teams and organizations. Despite the benefits, feedback is often relegated to yearly performance reviews and, with this structure, offers very little opportunity for actual growth. Leaders can change this by looking for frequent opportunities and situations to give feedback. Read about strategies for giving effective feedback in this December 2023 Leadership Brief – Feedback: A Powerful Tool for Growth.

What Do We Know About Organizational Practices in the Disabilities Field? This month we provide insights into this query. We use data from the Organizational Priorities and Practices Inventory (OPPI) a comprehensive tool designed by the National Leadership Consortium to measure the alignment of organizational priorities and performance with evidence-informed practices. It integrates principles such as person- directed services, self-determination, participatory management, diversity, equity and inclusion, organizational governance, and effective and transparent leadership with daily workplace practices. We have collected responses from more than 800 professionals in the field with different roles and organizations in the disabilities system. Check out the trends we have found in the November Research Brief!

Giving meaningful thanks, not just this time of year but throughout the year, is good for you. It improves wellbeing, reduces stress, builds resilience, and can make you more patient. Gratitude has also been shown to help increase organizational and individual performance. As we look to 2024, here are some ways you can promote gratitude in your teams and organization throughout the year. Read about strategies for cultivating year-round gratitude in your teams and organizations in this November 2023 Leadership Brief – Gratitude: Giving Thanks Now and Throughout the Year.

A lifelong learning mindset is a key to success for leaders in our field. Focusing on constant growth allows us to become better, more agile, flexible leaders. Becoming a lifelong learner requires a shift in mindset and practices; and in a day when our time and resources are very precious and very limited, it’s important to be intentional in how we invest in our growth. Read about strategies for practicing and prioritizing lifelong learning in this October 2023 Leadership Brief: Become a Lifelong Learner.