Irene Salter, PhD -- Encouraging the light within rising leaders to shine brighter
Collective Wisdom Mastermind
Make work feel like play.
Does leadership
ever feel like this?
Or maybe this?
What if leadership could
be like this instead?
There's a different
way to do this.
Leadership can be lonely... it doesn't have to be. Each year, I hold space for one mastermind team of eight exceptional, passionate, visionary leaders. We will sustain you, celebrate your wins, and fail forward with you so that the work of leadership can feel like play. Before I go into details, let's make sure this is for you...
Once upon a time, you fell in love with your work.
It felt passionate, creative, energizing, and meaningful,
as if THIS was what you were meant to be doing.
BUT somewhere along the way, the spark dimmed.
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Maybe you climbed the ladder, yet success wasn't quite what you thought it would be, OR
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Maybe impostor syndrome leaves you wondering if you even belong, OR
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Maybe work-life balance seems impossible to find, OR
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Maybe you feel like you have to always be brave, positive, responsible, and strong for everyone else, but there's nobody there for you, OR
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Maybe the work changed so that 80% of what you do each day sucks the life out of you, OR
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Maybe YOU changed and the work feels small, stale, stagnant, AND
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ALWAYS you’re drowning with too much to do and too little time.
If leadership feels like WORK, when you wish it could feel like play -- joyful, purposeful, and enriching -- then you're in the right place. Welcome.
Outcomes
Members of Collective Wisdom will gain:
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VISION: Live into your purpose and calling. Clarify your values. Make progress towards a professional goal that matters most to you.
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SKILLS: Learn the skills required for exceptional servant leadership such as navigating risk, uncertainty, change, difficult conversations, and conflict.
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STRATEGY: Align your goals with strategy and action so that they become reality. Identify and harness the greatest strengths of everyone on your team so that your organization can do shining, impossible things.
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CONFIDENCE: Overcome the inner critics and monsters that stand in your way. Find your voice so that you can inspire and motivate your team. With confidence you can better influence your boss, your board, and those you serve.
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CAPACITY: You can't pour from an empty cup. Create healthy boundaries. Develop stress resilience. Manage your energy, not your time. With capacity comes inner peace and spaciousness.
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SUPPORT: With a mastermind group at your back, leadership doesn't have to feel lonely. Here, you will be valued, seen, supported, and embraced for the messy miracle of a human you are.
One prospective member put it this way:
“I want an authentic, deep community, where I really feel heard and seen.
I want to be with other global minded change makers.
I want open ended inquiry and support on my biggest challenges and wishes,
in a group full of appreciation and affirmation.”
That's what the Collective Wisdom Mastermind offers.
Eight visionary leaders.
One like minded team.
Support for your greatest challenge or wish.
Testimonials
Nuts and Bolts
This curated group of four to eight experienced leaders will meet for 90 minutes on Zoom every other week for six months. The first month is more intensive (with three meetings instead of two) in order to clarify our purpose, goals, vision, and what's getting in the way. After that, the bulk of the time will be devoted to learning from one another's collective wisdom.
What's collective wisdom? Glad you asked!
Each session begins with a brief centering practice to welcome you into the space. Then, one by one, we'll check in and share whatever wish or challenge is most present right now, and whether or not you want the group’s support on it. (Sometimes, sharing it aloud and feeling heard is enough.) Those who want support either receive coaching in the moment or wisdom from one another. In the current mastermind cohort we've recently tackled issues including:
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Cultivating relationships with potential donors.
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Giving and receiving feedback.
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Juggling an overwhelming to do list.
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Carving out time for creativity, loved ones, and self-care.
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Articulating a fuzzy vision into words that inspire.
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Managing emotions personally and professionally.
There’s hundreds of years of professional and personal experience in the room. What couldn’t we solve if we simply put our brilliant minds together?
That’s collective wisdom. That's the heart and soul of this mastermind.
But there's more...
One of the most powerful features of a truly supportive group is how well they can inspire and motivate us. Often, when it's hard to take action on our own, having a team around you makes the impossible possible. We want your greatest wish to actually come true. We want you to overcome that professional challenge that has been in the way your whole life. Thus, you will be assigned another mastermind member to be your secret admirer (aka accountability partner) to support you every day of your journey. Five days a week, you'll share an update and receive observations, appreciation, and support in return. In this way, you'll get exactly the support you need in the moment both from me, and from someone in the group.
These 5-10 minutes a day sharing and receiving will result in a greater return on investment than you can possibly imagine. Think of it as your commitment to get 1% better as a mission and service driven leader every day. $1,000 invested with 1% interest compounded daily over 6 months leaves you with $6,115 in the bank. What might your leadership look like if you were six times more successful, or six times more confident, or six times more balanced.
Bonus! You'll receive lots of special surprises: a welcome gift, free books, 20 minute leadership videos every week, office hours, guest speakers, and a really special closing session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a group or individual program?
This is a curated, small group program for up to eight exceptional leaders. Those enrolled in Collective Wisdom can add on six individual coaching sessions to be used within the year for a rate well below what I charge my one-on-one clients.
Where and when do you meet?
We meet on Zoom 90 minutes every other week, for a total of 6 months. Since everyone is a busy leader, our meeting times will be determined based on the schedules of those selected to be in the group. Typically, meeting times will be early morning or late afternoon Pacific Time so the majority of the work day is free to support your organization and your team.
What happens during each group call?
Think of it as your very own think tank of powerful leaders. We'll begin with a centering practice and brief check in. Then for those individuals that request support that week, the collective wisdom in the group will come to your aid. If there's an obvious theme across individuals (e.g. crushing workloads, personnel conflict, navigating change and uncertainty, impostor syndrome), Irene will facilitate a group discussion to share ideas and brainstorm solutions or do some spot coaching. Always, the goal is to help one another overcome obstacles, grow ourselves as leaders, support our teams, and build our dreams.
Is there any structured content?
The first month is more intensive with three more structured sessions in a row to create a container for the group. We will get to know one another, refine our values, set clear goals for the next six months, and explore the obstacles in our way.
The last session contains a celebratory surprise.
In addition, every member of Synergy gets free access to Leadership Boot Camp, an online course with 20 minutes of video content that drops into your email every Monday. There, you will learn the leadership skills that most admin programs don't teach you: survival skills like how to manage your overflowing to do lists and email inboxes, and advanced training to nourish your mind, body, and soul.
When does it start?
The official launch is estimated to be March 1, 2023. Participants who have paid in full receive 1 hour bonus sessions every other week until the group formally begins.
Do I have to attend every session?
We're all busy leaders, and things will come up that make it impossible to attend. We get it. All sessions will be recorded and made available to watch later. However, the power of a mastermind is in the collective. The expectation is that you will give just as much as you get, maybe more. We will make every effort to schedule meetings for times that are convenient for you. In return, please hold our meeting times sacred to the best of your ability and be fully present and engaged while you are there.
Is there support between meetings?
Absolutely! You will have access to Irene and the mastermind group via email, text, and/or phone in between meetings. There are office hours and integration sessions on off weeks. We will have a folder in Google Drive to share resources.
What about summer vacation?
Time off to rest and restore is essential to exceptional leadership. Once the group is assembled, we will compare notes about summer vacation plans and work around it. If we choose to take a month-long break in summer, then we will extend by a month at the end.
How much does it cost?
I am not going to lie. This mastermind group will represent an investment of money, time, and energy comparable to attending two out of town conferences (with associated registration, travel, hotel, and meal costs). Most conferences offer a ton of industry specific wisdom, but lack leadership development. What is self-confidence worth to you? What's the value of truly belonging to a team of inspiring leaders? What price would you pay for actually creating work-life balance? How much would you invest if the outcome was seeing your dream of a new program or nonprofit come to fruition? If this kind of support is what you need as a leader right now, please apply. Hopefully, your organization will invest in your development. If not, let's put our brains together, get creative, and explore the possibilities.
Hell yes! How do I join?
Apply below. The group is carefully curated to ensure that each person is a perfect fit.