Every leader influences and impacts others. But what is the true impact of our leadership? Studies suggest—and insightful leaders intuit—how we lead can dictate workplace satisfaction and the success or failure of entire teams and organizations.
Seventy percent of the reasons employees leave their jobs are related to factors controllable by their direct supervisor. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge we could be retaining—and it wouldn’t take massive pay raises or benefit overhauls to do it! Plotting Gallup data in a simple chart reflects the difference our leadership can make in our employees’ engagement.
With the cost of turnover in the U.S. estimated at $1 trillion/year, investing in your growth as a leader might be the wisest investment you can make in your organization.
This spring, Rising Sun had the opportunity to come alongside a group of managers, executives, and aspiring leaders who were ready to make that investment. Our sold-out inaugural Influential Leadership Certificate Program (offered in collaboration with Messiah University and the Bridge Center for Continuing Education) convened for six sessions to explore topics including Foundations of Servant Leadership; Change and Transition; Emotional Intelligence; Difficult Conversations (who doesn’t love those?!); Decision-Making and Delegation; and Influence, Persuasion, and Trust.
We walked away incredibly encouraged that the future of servant leadership, and the future of these companies, is in good hands with this impactful group of leaders. Here’s some of the feedback we received on their experience.
“All leaders should take this course! Influential Leadership provides solutions to real-world situations for managers at every level of the organization. Following the guidance provided in this course will make you the leader others want to follow!”
– Tawana Dean, senior manage customer compliance, PA American Water
“I went into the course having previously studied servant leadership at Messiah College, having earned an MBA, and having 25+ years of leadership in the nonprofit educational world. I was excited to sit under Jim’s teaching, hoping to glean nuggets of truth I could benefit from and pass along to others. Jim has not disappointed! I have been recommending it to current and upcoming leaders…Jim mixes academic/scholarly content with real-world examples in an environment that is engaging and collaborative. He’s a masterful teacher. One cannot leave a session without something to ponder and something to apply. Whether you are new to leadership or want to continue to grow in your leadership, this course is well worth your time!”
– Philip Puleo, education consultant and advocate
“Jim does a tremendous job of helping our class understand the amount of responsibility, commitment, and presence it takes for a servant leader to steward their team. Servant leadership is not about ‘checking a box’ on a to-do list, but it’s how we specifically engage our teammates daily.”
– JR Harris, Director of Student Financial Services, Messiah University
If you missed the training, hope is not lost! We couldn’t accommodate all of the interest in our first course offering, so we’re relaunching the Certificate in Influential Leadership this fall. If you’re as excited as we are, you can sign up today while slots are still available! We can’t wait to see you there, but more than that, we can’t wait to see how your organization will change as a result.
Rising Sun is a leadership and organizational consulting firm committed to the development of servant leaders, engaged employees, and healthy organizational cultures. We’re truth-tellers who balance candor and care, and for two decades we’ve been a trusted guide and partner to family-owned companies, multinational firms, and nonprofit organizations alike. Our track record has proven that when leaders invest in people, those people invest in a company’s performance and productivity. Importantly, healthy workforces drive outstanding results for organizations, creating positive ripple effects in our communities.
