ICL's Story

• ICL's coaching, training, books and public speaking has been helping progressive public leaders build and lead effective collaborations since 1992.

Trainers, coaches and researchers have turned to ICL to define and help develop a science of collaboration and collaborative leadership. And - while we're confident we all have a way to go before learned societies and academic degrees start cropping up in the field of Collaborative Leadership - together, we’ve made significant contributions by developing a Conceptual Framework, tools, vocabulary and rational models to guide research, assessment, planning, interventions and training.

• ICL is a mission-driven organization, dedicated to strengthening progressive public leaders and collaborations.

Here's our Mission Statement: the Institute for Collaborative Leadership (ICL) was founded as a public charity dedicated to strengthening progressive public sector collaborations by advancing knowledge, skills and effective practice of collaborative leadership in all sectors through research, training, advocacy and best practice. Today, ICL retains this mission as a private thinktank, coaching and training corporation.

Launched in Chicago's Loop with an extraordinary national board of directors, ICL inaugurated operations in Washington DC several years later in order to introduce our work and offer our focus and resources to national partners. Today, ICL is based on the Genesee River in Rochester NY with programs and resources supporting nonprofit, civic, government, preK-12 and higher education clients around the world.

ICL is dedicated to improving the capacity of civic, nonprofit, education and government leaders to build, manage, encourage and support successful collaborations. The progressive principles of social justice, anti-hate and antiracism are proud features of the work of ICL. 

Here’s a sampling of what we bring to your table:

• Leadership Coaching (Individual & Group Coaching): Sometimes Coaching is all that’s needed and exactly what’s called for; quiet counsel, a sounding board, an experienced and objective perspective that introduces the tools, rigors, and benefits of Collaborative Leadership into the reflection, planning and action of leaders and leadership teams.
• Professional Development/Training Workshops: Tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, ICL PD Workshops are comprised of one or more brief, fun and intense sessions that can cover the range from a baseline introduction to common knowledge, vocabulary, skills, and understanding of the power and limitations of collaboration through more sophisticated strategic and tactical skills of collaborative leadership.  ICL Workshops include

                             HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST LEADER

                       BEING a COLLABORATIVE LEADER: “Lead for a change!"

                       PROGRESSIVE FEMALE LEADERSHIP 

                       BUILDING, DIAGNOSING, REPAIRING & STRENGTHENING YOUR COLLABORATION

                       HOW CAN WE DO THIS BETTER?

                       COLLABORATION vs NETWORKING: ARE WE STRUCTURED THE RIGHT WAY WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO GET THE RIGHT WORK DONE?

                       and more ...

• Collaboration Retreats: ICL Retreats engage collaborative partners (participants in new or existing collaborations) in developing or strengthening their collaboration(s). Generally, Retreats entail no less than an inaugural session of one or two full days plus at least one subsequent full-day session some 6-10 weeks later. They employ our Audit and Assessment (plus other tools and exercises including Constellations of Relationships***). There are two types of Collaboration Retreats:
  • Retreats to Launch New Collaborations [Working with individuals and groups at the very beginning: ICL helps new partners do it right, right from the start.]
  • Retreats to Renew Existing Collaborations [ICL works with partners and stakeholders within existing collaborations to assess, strengthen and renew their collaboration’s productive capacity.]

                                All ICL Retreats begin with a focus on mission: What are the important purposes of the collaboration?

In addition, ICL has developed several distinctive training, coaching and planning tools and models used by us (and others!) in the coaching, training and retreats we offer, including:

• ICL's Collaboration Audit: Based on Collaboration’s Life Cycle, ICL’s Collaboration Audit is an assessment and planning tool for existing collaborations and a design and planning tool for new collaborations. [A process tool that guides the development of new – and helps to pinpoint where and how to intervene to strengthen existing – collaborations.] 
• Self-Assessment for Collaborative Leadership: Based on the Dimensions of Collaborative Leadership, ICL’s Self-Assessment helps leaders evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as collaborative leaders and develop professional development strategies. [A People tool to help guide recruitment and professional development of collaborative partners and reflection on the skills, values and climate that contribute to effective Collaborative Leadership.]

When you choose to work with ICL, we invest in you. Whether you're a team of professionals trying to strengthen your collaboration, a group of students hoping to be inspired, or an individual wanting to expand upon your leadership abilities, we can get you where you want to be.

ICL always strives to keep costs modest to conform to our mission and reflect the economic environment of schools, nonprofits and public agencies.