Leadership Academy | Small Giants Community

Purpose, Vision & Values

Discover your personal purpose and values, and learn how they shape your leadership. While most companies have these articulated for an organization, we’ll look at how your own purpose can tie into your identity as a leader and add value to the organization as a whole.
Mindful Awareness

Addressing mental health in the workplace is necessary and unavoidable for a people-focused culture. We’ll explore practical tools and strategies to create an environment that will prioritize awareness and wellness for yourself and your team.
Culture of Mattering

Build a culture where vulnerability, learning, and innovation thrive. You’ll discover how to create and maintain a psychologically safe workplace, plus how it benefits healthy, successful organizations in the long-term.
The Life Cycle of Teams

Understand the ebbs and flows of teams, from hiring, onboarding, development, and transitions in and out of the company. We’ll share best practices for how to master key stages of an employee’s life cycle, including how to handle tough decisions at both ends of an employee’s tenure with clarity and empathy.

Tough Conversations

No matter how many years of experience you have, tough conversations are never easy, and procrastination or avoidance around these topics can undermine a whole company culture. Develop the skills to give and receive feedback with clarity, empathy, and confidence.
Connection & Identity

Get ready to learn more about yourself and your own leadership identity. Gain a clearer understanding of how you can also support more inclusive and intentional connections on your team and in your day-to-day work.
Accountability

Learn how to balance a fun, tight-knit environment with clear accountability and performance measurement. We’ll share specific methods to inspire high performance, build feedback systems, and track and communicate progress.
Impact & Influence

In our reflective session wrap-up, we’ll review how to integrate the Small Giants philosophy into your leadership style, drive meaningful change and action, influence decision-making through storytelling and communication, and leave a lasting impact on your company's culture.

January–April

Monthly Online Meetings

April–May

In-Person Leadership Academy session + Small Giants Summit

June–August

Monthly Online Meetings

September

In-Person Graduation

Purpose Driven Facilitators
Learn from experienced practitioners and seasoned leaders from Small Giants companies.
Virtual Learning Sessions
Connect with your cohort through monthly 2-hour video calls to swap stories and develop the toolbox you’ll use as purpose-driven leaders.
Expand Your Network
Form connections with a cohort of like-minded, purpose-driven leaders from a wide range of industries.
Online Learning Hub
Access an extensive library of leadership development materials to take back to your organization.

"The Leadership Academy changed me as a leader. Now I understand more of the importance of bringing up leaders and allowing them to lead on their own. I've realized that I need to take a step back, be quiet in meetings, and let my team get there on their own. That's what leadership is: creating a culture of multiple leaders within the organization."

Leslie DeMent

Executive Director, McKinney
"Small Giants Leadership Academy has provided me with a clear framework for growing a company that balances profit with purpose. I've learned best practices on how to build a people-centric, purpose-driven business that not only thrives but also does good in the world. It has been transformative."

Dan Grech

Founder/CEO of BizHack Academy
"Small Giants Leadership Academy came at the perfect time in my professional career. I learned how to develop my company into a purpose-driven organization, which has led to fruitful growth in our team, culture, and customer base."

Anthony Maione

President, Core America
"The Leadership Academy showed me practical ways to weave our values into our everyday work."

Torey Carter-Conneen

CEO, American Society of Landscape Architects
"We have touched on so many topics this year, and I am able to bring back fresh ideas to my leadership team to have more powerful conversations. I recommend this to anyone that wants to step up their game."

Karolyn Hampton

Director of HR & Recruiting
"I feel like the Small Giants Leadership Academy has empowered me as a leader. It has given me tools and a path forward to help strengthen our culture. Everyone on the team has benefited from this."

Brenda McCombs

Chief Compliance Officer, Cordant Wealth Partners
"Personally, I've grown so much from this program. I'm being intentional about adopting the traits of an inspiring leader. Every month, I host a monthly training that passes along what I'm learning to the rest of the group — from emotional intelligence to visioning and more."

Katie Spika

CEO of Spika Design & Manufacturing
"The Leadership Academy has been truly life-changing for one of our leaders. I am so thankful he had the opportunity to learn and grow in such a positive environment."

Elizabeth Glasbrenner

CEO, Smiley Technologies Inc.
"As President, the organization needed to have confidence in me as a leader. This experience has given me validation that I’m a better leader than I think. As my team saw me build my confidence, it helped them have confidence in me, too."

Roy Hernandez

President, Geil Enterprises
"In order to value people over profits, it’s imperative that, in business, we are willing to embody transparency. The Leadership Academy gave me the tools to implement open-book management for our organization. So far, it has been overwhelmingly positive."

Brandy Hall

Founder/CEO, Shades of Green Permaculture
"I credit much of our success to Small Giants. The leaders we’ve put through the Leadership Academy have grown in incredible ways, gained confidence, and transformed their way of thinking. The Leadership Academy is now a formal part of our next level leadership plan."

Deanna Walker

CEO, Venturity

Who’s an ideal candidate for the Small Giants Leadership Academy?

While we welcome founders and CEOs, this leadership development program is perfect for emerging, Next Gen Leaders—those who are ready to step up and shape the future of their company. Think leadership team members, COOs, and those who influence of culture, people, and operations. Most importantly, participants should have the support and autonomy to implement the leadership development practices they gain from the program.
Is Small Giants Leadership Leadership Academy a paid program?

Yes, Small Giants Leadership Academy comes with a “tuition fee.” Contact us to learn more about the Small Giants Leadership Academy cost and how the investment can benefit your business and career.
Is my company a good fit for the Small Giants Leadership Academy?
Aligning with the values and philosophies of the Small Giants Community is key. Explore our website and talk to our team to see if it's the right fit for you. Founders and CEOs often find the Leadership Academy is the perfect solution when:
- Your leaders are great, but they need a boost of confidence.
- You're clear on the company's purpose, vision, and values, but you're not sure everyone else is.
- You'd love to start thinking about succession planning, but no one seems ready to step up.
- Your leaders are great at running their departments, but you wish they'd think bigger picture.
- You have a great strategy for people and culture development, but you’re not sure how to get it going.
What is the time commitment for this program?

The time commitment averages 4-5 hours per month for the interactive virtual sessions, including a two-hour Zoom workshop, pre-work, post-work, and time with a buddy. Plus, there are two in-person meetups (totaling 5 days) throughout the year.
What are the benefits of the Small Giants Leadership Academy?

From a leadership perspective, you'll gain confidence, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the ability to lead with empathy and compassion. From an organizational standpoint, you'll gain systems, tools, and resources around culture, performance, transparency, accountability, and impact to take back and apply in your organization. Check out our curriculum above for more details!
What does a successful program participant look like?

You’ve created the space and are ready to actively participate in the monthly calls and in-person meetups, complete the pre- and post-work, and are willing to share openly and honestly about your successes and challenges. That's where the magic of a supportive cohort truly shines!
What are the timelines for the Small Giants Leadership Academy?

We accept applications from June through November.

The program starts with onboarding in November or December and then kicks off officially in January, running through September with two in-person meetups: one in April at the Small Giants Summit and one in September for the graduation trip.

What is Small Giants Leadership Academy?

Small Giants Leadership
Development Curriculum