Governance and Leadership
Sets the mission and establishes strategies necessary for a relevant and thriving organization; empowers, motivates, and fosters a
pipeline of talent for the future.
Level 1:
Foundational
Competency Theme
Effectively executes
governance and
leadership
responsibilities

Understands the roles and
responsibilities of core team
leadership positions as well as the
specific duties and legal obligations
conferred on governance.
Level 2:
Mobilizing & Power Building

Builds teamwork and consensus
among leaders on governance
activities and strategic objectives.
Level 3:
Agenda Driving

Executes plans, policies, and
strategies to accomplish the short
and long term objectives of the
association.
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Level sessions will be offered
sessions that will expose them to the
basic governing principles of duty,
care and loyalty; deepen
understanding of the essential
elements of governing and leading
in non-profit and union
environments. Foundational levels
will also have opportunities to learn
about how to exert influence without
necessarily having authority and
tapping into personal power. All will
utilize current context and
contemporary issues that are of
greatest importance to today’s
leaders.
Level sessions will have the
opportunity to learn facilitation
skills to enable them to successfully
navigate difficult conversations and
successful meetings as well as learn
about situational leadership. All will
utilize current context and
contemporary issues that are of
greatest importance to today’s
leaders.
Level sessions will understand the
levers of influence, as well as
servant leadership and succession
planning. Learn the fundamentals of
developing and leading high
performing teams and how to set
priorities and make decisions under
pressure. All will utilize current
context and contemporary issues
that are of greatest importance to
today’s leaders.
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Level 1:
Foundational
Competency Theme
Establishes and
maintains collaborative,
effective relationships

Establishes purposeful
relationships to foster
collaboration.
Level 2:
Mobilizing & Power Building

Builds and maintains productive
internal and external alliances.
Level 3:
Agenda Driving

Leverages internal and external
relationships to accomplish
strategic objectives.
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Level sessions will help participants
understand how to establish
purposeful relationships to foster
collaboration. Participants will
answer the following essential
questions: Why collaborate? What
motivates or compels us to work
together, across traditional lines, as a
team of educators, administrators,
union leaders, community partners,
and other allies supporting student
learning? How do we establish and
maintain collaborative relationships?
Participants will begin to identify
strategies for engaging key
stakeholders to establish a
meaningful and sustainable
relationship to foster collaboration
as a tool for systems change.
Level sessions will explore how to
build and maintain productive
internal and external alliances.
Building on the group’s knowledge
of collaboration, participants will
identify key internal and external
alliances (stakeholders) and explore
strategies on how best to establish
and maintain them with the goal of
supporting and strengthening
teaching and learning.
Level sessions will explore how to
leverage internal and external
relationships to accomplish strategic
objectives. Utilizing established
internal and external relationships
(stakeholders) participants will:
Identify potential concrete changes
in structures, policies, or practices in
their context that would, in their
judgment, directly or indirectly help
accomplish strategic objectives and
Consider and choose from the
identified change options, and begin
to outline an implementation plan.
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Level 1:
Foundational
Competency Theme
Advances the
organization by
internalizing its mission,
vision, and core values
Sets strategic objectives
to guide long-term goals

Uses the purpose, culture, and
history of the organization, as well
as educational/union trends to
influence the direction of our work.
Level 2:
Mobilizing & Power Building

Empowers others and promotes a
culture that appeals to the different
motivations of members while
recognizing the contributions of all.
Level 3:
Agenda Driving

Implements strategies that move
people to act and uses the mission,
vision and core values to drive our
work and culture.
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Level sessions will examine NEA’s
mission, vision, and core values as
they relate to the organization’s
purpose, culture, and history by
exploring key drivers that led to
adaption and change concerning
strategy, leadership, and goal
setting. Participants will enhance
their understanding of the
importance of the importance of
organizational commitments (e.g.,
mission, vision, and core values).
Level sessions will help to empower
others by broadening their
understanding of NEA’s mission,
vision, and core values by deepening
their leadership skills through
activities that build mobilizing and
power building cultures. Sessions
will focus on assessing strategies
used to successfully deploy
organizational commitments (e.g.,
mission, vision, and core values) at
the local, state, and national levels.
Level sessions will explore how
successful implementation practices
of NEA’s mission, vision, and core
values have resulted positive
organizational outcomes through
agenda driving actions. Participants
will assess their ability to advance
strategy for long-term organizational
goals and priority setting at the
local, state, and national levels.



Understands the implications of the
organization's strategy for own
actions and tactics.
Curriculum Outline
Educate others on association
strategies and tactics to advance
organizational long-term goals and
priorities.
Creates value for members
through clear and compelling longterm goals and priorities.
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Level sessions will allow
participants to explore the
implications of the organization’s
strategy in the context of their
individual actions and tactics. These
foundational level sessions will
provide participants with an
Level sessions are meant to focus on
helping leaders educate others on
association strategies and tactics to
advance organizational long-term
goals and priorities. Sessions at this
level will help give current leaders a
Level sessions help experienced
leaders understand how to create
value for members through clear and
compelling long term goals and
priorities. Sessions at this level
allow leaders to explore and
understand how to develop
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Develops self and others
as leaders
understanding of organizational
history as well as educational history
domestically and abroad, thereby
providing a foundation for current
events and strategies being
employed at various levels of the
organization; participants will be
exposed to SWOT analyses and
planning technics that make up the
fundamental elements used to
determine strategy; other sessions
will help leaders understand the
importance of prioritization and
time management for leaders at all
levels and understanding the
importance of working at the
strategy level versus the tactical
level for leaders.
deeper understanding of how to
design, execute and communicate
strategy and differentiate between
strategic thinking versus tactical
behaviors as well as important
leadership mental models that
provide leaders with tools to better
understand and evaluate problems;
sessions might also focus on
successful recruitment campaign
case studies; and relationship
building techniques that help leaders
build influence and power.
organizational mission statements
and lead organizational change;
these sessions will help leaders
effectively lead and manage change;
explore case studies of
transformational leaders and
leadership; and understand the
importance of generative thinking
and thinking beyond the current and
obvious strategies, towards
visionary leadership and culture
change throughout and organization.



Identifies own leadership strengths
and weaknesses and works to
improve them.
Builds a diverse group of leaders to
take on greater roles and
responsibilities in the association.
Develops succession strategies
that ensure a smooth transition in
leadership and sustain the
association’s vision over time.
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Curriculum Outline
Level sessions will help participants
understand the knowledge skills and
attributes of effective leadership.
Participants will explore the various
components of what it takes to
become the type of leader that
people want to follow including
understanding the heart, mind and
actions of a leader and their
Level sessions will explore what
takes to help others reach their full
potential as a leader in the
association. Participants will
understand the importance of
identifying, growing, developing
and partnering with individuals from
diverse backgrounds of thought, age,
race, gender, ethnicity, job category,
Level session will explore
organizational development in
knowledge and in practice.
Participants will gain a greater
understanding of the importance of
aligning individual and
organizational goals at the local,
state and national levels for
enhanced and sustained individual
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followers. Participants will
understand who they are and are
becoming as a leader.
etc. including the importance
relationships and relationship
building techniques in helping
others reach their potential.
and organizational performance.
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