Leadership in high-performing organizations is not confined to those with positional authority but is instead distributed throughout all levels. Effective leadership involves engaging employees, fostering innovation, and ensuring accountability across departments. Participants will explore the differences between traditional hierarchical leadership and consultative models, understanding how leadership philosophy shapes decision-making and organizational effectiveness. They will also examine the importance of stewardship over hierarchy, recognizing that leadership is about enabling others to contribute meaningfully rather than simply exercising control. 

A well-defined vision serves as a guiding force for high-performance organizations, aligning employees, stakeholders, and resources toward shared goals. Participants will learn how to articulate a compelling vision that resonates across all levels of government. The program emphasizes the importance of nesting vision statements within departments and teams, ensuring cohesion and alignment between leadership priorities and day-to-day operations. 

Values serve as the foundation for ethical leadership and effective governance, shaping behaviors, interactions, and service delivery within government. By examining the role of values in building organizational integrity, trust, and transparency, participants learn how to embed them into operational policies and daily management practices. The program will guide participants through methods for aligning decisions and actions with core values, ensuring that government operations remain ethically sound and publicly accountable. Leaders will also explore how to cultivate a workplace culture that reinforces ethical behavior, employee engagement, and community trust, setting the stage for sustainable, high-performance governance.

Strategic planning is essential for ensuring that resources, people, and initiatives are effectively aligned with long-term goals and community needs. Participants will explore strategic value analysis as a tool to assess what high performance means for their organization and identify opportunities for improvement. By applying the seven key diagnostic questions, they will learn to critically evaluate their organization's current performance, define meaningful success metrics, and make data-driven decisions that enhance service delivery. The program also introduces future-planning and scenario analysis techniques, enabling participants to anticipate and navigate emerging challenges with agility and confidence.

Rigid hierarchical structures often hinder innovation and performance, making it essential for government leaders to adopt more flexible, interconnected organizational designs. Participants will explore strategies for breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across departments, ensuring that services and initiatives are seamlessly integrated. The program introduces the concept of suprasystem integration, where different units align their efforts to achieve a common vision. Additionally, participants will learn about parallel structures—dedicated spaces for strategic thinking and problem-solving that operate outside the constraints of daily production work. These insights will help leaders design structures that support high performance while maintaining operational efficiency.

Sustainable systems are the backbone of high-performing organizations, ensuring that policies, workflows, and accountability mechanisms are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness. Participants will learn how to implement performance measurement tools that provide real-time insights into operational success, allowing for proactive decision-making. The program emphasizes financial stewardship and resource sustainability, teaching participants how to align budgets with strategic priorities while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Additionally, leaders will explore data-driven decision-making techniques that support continuous improvement, ensuring that government services remain responsive, adaptive, and community-focused over time.

The cost for the Leading EDGE program is $3,750. The fee covers breakfast, lunch, and some dinners over the 7 days, includes all materials, and an end-of-session graduation.

Disclaimer

If your state, municipality, or agency is funding your participation in a Public Management Center program, please make sure that your participation complies with the specific funding requirements set by your organization.

The Leading EDGE program runs three times per year at the University of Kansas Campus in Lawrence, Kansas or at locations adjacent to Lawrence. The current dates and locations are below:

• October 18 - 25, 2024 - Kanas City, Missouri & Lawrence, Kansas
• March 21 -28, 2025 - Lawrence, Kansas
• July 18-25, 2025 - Lawrence, Kansas