Leadership Development Team Training

December 5, 2019

We on your UUA Congregational Life Staff want you to spend your leadership development energy on relationship-building and connecting individuals to meaningful service (see the Leadership Development Team Training below), so we offer affordable leadership development courses that your potential and seasoned leaders can take take in parallel, then to meet and learn together.

Online Leadership School

For decades, UUA field staff offered week-long, residential “leadership schools” for congregational leaders, until the time and cost became unsustainable. These two online trainings contain similar content, but in a more economical and convenient format.

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Centered Leadership Part 1: Tending Beloved Community

From LeaderLab

This training is designed for people considering leadership, who are beginning to lead or who have leadership experience in contexts other than UU faith communities.

Centered Leadership Part 1: Tending Beloved Community

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Centered Leadership Part 2: Leading in Systems

From LeaderLab

Learn healthy leadership practices, communication and conflict skills, the importance of being mission-focused and how to communicate across differences.

Centered Leadership Part 2: Leading in Systems

Training for Your Leadership Development Team

Many congregations only think about developing new leaders around the time that the nominating committee is looking for potential board members. Instead, we recommend that congregations see leadership development as part of an arc of faith development that includes not just leadership skills, but also leadership sensibilities and faith development.

Below is a self-guided training that your Leadership Development Team can use to design your own internal program.

Introduction to Leadership Development Teams

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Healthy, wise leadership is essential to the growth and vitality of our congregations, yet leadership development can easily become an afterthought. Here is a brief overview of where we come from and where we are going….
Train Your Leadership Development Team

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Learn the kinds of leadership best practices that you want to instill in the rest of the congregation. Learn about the difference between Leadership and Management (we need both), how Leadership Development is an important part of Faith Formation, and how thinking in terms of teams and not just individuals can make all the difference!
Identifying Potential Leaders for Your Congregation

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Your Leadership Development Team should have several practices and strategies that enable them to identify potential leaders, especially from groups that may be at the margins (young adults, people of color). Places to Look For Potential Leaders Attend newcomer classes….
Inviting Potential Leaders to Discern Their Gifts

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Anxiety about lack of volunteers and leaders can often lead to treating them as human capital. Ironically, this anxiety-fueled approach tend to produce disappointing results. Instead, creating a program based on a relationship of mutuality, generosity and gratitude can create a culture where people desire to serve.
Inform and Equip Your Leaders with Training

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Our living tradition calls us to be lifelong learners, and this is especially true for our leaders. There are many skills and sensibilities that today’s leaders need to help our congregations be ready for the 21st century. The UUA has many training resources to assist you!
Involve People into Roles that Best Match Their Gifts and Calling

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

Every one-to-one recruitment invitation should include these four major components which are based on paying attention to the individual and building authentic relationship.
Inquire: Develop Feedback Loops for Leaders

Renee Ruchotzke

From LeaderLab

All systems need feedback loops and organizations like congregations are no different. Your Leadership Development program will be more responsive if you develop assessments and other tools to help you learn and adjust as needed. Things you might include in your assessments: How is the…
Assessment Tools for Lay Ministry

From LeaderLab

Congregations become “smarter” as systems as they develop feedback loops that enable the system to learn from its past successes and challenges. Here is a tool that you can use to improve your ministry as well as the experience of your volunteers.