Leading Connected Teams

“Relationships move at the speed of trust, but social change moves at the speed of relationships.” – Jennifer Bailey

As a nonprofit leader, you know that your people are one of your greatest assets — yet too often our teams get stuck in cycles of burnout, silos, and disconnection that undercut organizational impact.

High turnover, low collaboration, and mediocre staff engagement don’t just cost you time and money, they slow down the change that your mission seeks to deliver.

If you have team members who:

• are hesitant to ask for help, or to contribute new ideas

• behave like they might be unaware of, or uninterested in, team goals

• feel like they don’t belong

then chances are that not only are some of your people underperforming, your organizational culture is slowing down your impact.

This may also be costing you talent.

Future of Good’s recent report, Thriving Yet Leaving, reveals that in the nonprofit sector:

• loneliness drives turnover more than job dissatisfaction for remote workers

• connection is a stronger predictor of job satisfaction than pay, regardless of whether your team works in person, fully remote, or hybrid.

Two organizations / teams will be selected to access Leading Connected Teams at a 50% DISCOUNT in 2026 in exchange for providing feedback throughout the program. Please book an exploratory call by Thursday April 2, 2026 to be considered!

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

As a nonprofit strategy consultant, I have seen the reality that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’ limit the success of the most clever, collaboratively-built strategic initiatives out there. And, as a leadership coach, I have seen avoidable interpersonal friction disrupt the performance of valuable team members. 

From essential feedback being delivered carelessly (or not at all!) thereby derailing the success of cross-functional initiatives, to an inability to get a clear answer around what “success” looks like in one’s role, problematic relational dynamics can be a major barrier to organizational impact.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Better organizational culture is possible. And it starts with leading more connected teams. 

Leading connected teams

Healthy relationships are a core building block of psychologically safe workplaces, and successful teams. As a leader, you’re not wrong to hope that your people already know how to create and maintain the kinds of relationships that contribute to a healthy organizational culture. The reality is, however, that almost all of us can use some support to improve our relational practices.

Leading Connected Teams is a three-to-four-month leadership development program that equips your team with tools to co-create a relationship-affirming culture leading to a more connected, collaborative, and committed environment where everyone can thrive — and deliver greater impact. 

New tools to co-create a better culture

Innovation, transmission, and selection are key levers in the creation, maintenance, and evolution of culture. Leading Connected Teams taps into innovation, through the introduction of new ways of relating to others: 

• Connection Circles are a practice your team can integrate into ongoing efforts to strengthen relationships, share power, and surface what might otherwise go unsaid. 

• Peer Coaching is a practice your team members can use to share effective feedback and facilitate collaboration among colleagues.

Leading Connected Teams also leverages transmission, through an emphasis on peer-to-peer exchanges. While I will act as your guide, your team will be active co-creators of a more relationship-centred culture reflecting established theories around the role of agency in belonging. 

Are you ready to narrow the gap between your culture and your potential for impact?

Sustain your mission and your people

Whether you are looking to unlock greater impact, navigate a period of change or growth, or deepen your team’s resilience, Leading Connected Teams helps you build the cultural foundation necessary to sustain your mission — and your people — for the long haul.

Program details

What does Leading Connected Teams include?

• A mix of full- and small-group sessions spread across a three-to-four-month program during during which participants learn and practice new ways of relating to each other leveraging the tools of:
  • Connection Circles 
  • Peer Coaching. 

• Two one-on-one coaching sessions with Valery, an ICF-certified coach, for each participant (at the start and end of the engagement). 

• A final report summarizing the culture change we accomplish together, and opportunities to spread this change throughout your organization.

What does Leading Connected Teams deliver?

• A better organizational culture in which relationships are prioritized leading to greater success in:
  • attracting and retaining talent
  • advancing the change your mission seeks to deliver. 

• A more connected, collaborative and committed team able to use new Connection Circle and Peer Coaching tools to strengthen relationships and proactively respond to relational challenges as they arise.

Which nonprofits are a good fit for Leading Connected Teams?

• Organizations / teams who see the potential for better culture to unlock greater impact.

• Organizations / teams open to integrating new relationship-affirming skills through the introduction of Connection Circles and Peer Coaching.

• Organizations / teams able to hold one, or more, of the full group sessions in person at your offices (or a venue of your choosing).

Which nonprofits may not be a good fit for Leading Connected Teams?

• Organizations / teams with leaders disinterested in strengthening relationships.

• Organizations / teams looking for a one-off workshop instead of a three-to-four-month program in which we work together to drive culture change.  

• Organizations / teams navigating serious, unresolved conflict.*

* Please reach out if you know / suspect your organization is navigating serious, unresolved conflict to talk about an appropriate response.

What resource investment does Leading Connected Teams require?

• Each participant will need to commit approximately four to five days to take part in Leading Connected Teams.
  • This includes one in-person, full day session (at your offices or a venue of your choosing), several two-to-three-hour sessions, and some shorter one-on-one activities.
  • Every effort will be made to select the least disruptive dates possible for the sessions and activities, with a month leeway added to the program’s duration to allow for such flexibility.      

• For organizations / teams of up to 20 participants, Leading Connected Teams requires an investment of $14,400 plus applicable taxes. Please reach out for pricing if your team is larger or smaller (<10). 

• Two organizations / teams will be selected to access Leading Connected Teams at a 50% DISCOUNT in 2026 in exchange for providing feedback throughout the program. Please book an exploratory call by Thursday April 2, 2026 to be considered!

Two organizations / teams will be selected to access Leading Connected Teams at a 50% DISCOUNT in 2026 in exchange for providing feedback throughout the program. Please book an exploratory call by Thursday April 2, 2026 to be considered!

Don’t ignore your greatest asset: your people

Lack of investment in your organizational culture can block innovation, drain talent, and limit impact. Most importantly, lack of investment in your organizational culture ignores your greatest asset — your people.

Better culture is possible. Reach out today to explore how Leading Connected Teams can help unlock your nonprofit’s full potential!