Leading From The Middle: Managing Up, Down, and Across

Oct 29, 2025 10:00AM—Apr 29, 2026 12:00PM

Location

Virtual

Cost Early Bird Pricing for Members (Available until October 8) $1,175 members; $995 group-rate 3+; $1,840 non-members

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Leading From The Middle: Managing Up, Down, and Across

SESSION 1: October 29, 2025 | 10:00am - 12:00pm

SESSION 2: November 19, 2025 | 10:00am - 12:00pm

SESSION 3: January 28, 2026 | 10:00am - 12:00pm

SESSION 4: February 25, 2026 | 10:00am - 12:00pm

SESSION 5: April 29, 2026 | 10:00am - 12:00pm

ABOUT THIS ONLINE ONGOING PROGRAM

As a mid-level leader—whether you're a department chair, dean, or program director—you are in a unique and often challenging position. More than simply leading, you are translating vision into action and balancing expectations from senior leadership while supporting and advocating for your team. You manage relationships in all directions, often without clear authority, yet always with immense responsibility. This program is designed for leaders who want to navigate these complexities with greater confidence and clarity—learning with and from a community of practitioners. Together, we’ll tackle the challenges that come with making tough decisions, leading effective meetings, supervising your peers, and giving feedback that builds rather than erodes trust.

Participants will leave with:

  • Clarity and confidence in their leadership identity to navigate their role with purpose
  • Practical strategies to build trust, manage relationships, and lead with influence
  • Tools for communication, decision-making, and feedback that foster collaboration and accountability

AUDIENCE

This program is designed for middle management leaders, such as department chairs, deans, or program directors.

Do you work at an independent school outside of California? Click here for a discount on our non-member registration!

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Eric Hudson, CATDC Facilitator

Eric Hudson is a facilitator and strategic advisor who supports schools in making sense of what’s changing in education. He specializes in learner-centered assessment, human-centered leadership, and strategic program design. Over the course of his career, Eric has designed and facilitated professional learning and strategic retreats for hundreds of schools and learning organizations. Most recently, he spent a decade at Global Online Academy (GOA), first as an instructional coach and ultimately as Chief Program Officer, working with schools around the world to rethink where, when, and how learning happens. Prior to GOA, he spent 12 years in the classroom, where he taught English, Spanish, and journalism to middle school, high school, and college students. Working with students is how he developed his passion for designing empowering learning experiences. Eric serves on the board of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS). With Kawai Lai, he co-founded RE:Collective, a team of skilled facilitators who guide leadership teams through pivotal moments of realignment, renewal, and reinvention. His Substack newsletter “Learning on Purpose” has been featured in The Marshall Memo and The Educator’s Notebook. He has a M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from Cornell University.

Kawai Lai, CATDC Facilitator

Kawai Lai is a designer and facilitator who partners with leaders to navigate complexity and plan for the future. She brings an equity lens, deep education expertise, and agile design principles to every engagement. With Eric Hudson, she co-founded RE:Collective, a team of skilled facilitators who guide leadership teams through pivotal moments of realignment, renewal, and reinvention. In addition to her work with Re:Collective, Kawai reimagines inclusive ways of working with August Public and co-authored The New Team Habits (©2020), a practical guide for building stronger team practices. Previously, Kawai co-founded VizLit to unleash the visual mind of every learner, served as Vice President of Innovation at NAIS, where she launched its strategic planning practice and explored trends shaping the future of education, and helped grow the edtech startup Education Elements. She began her career in change and technology at Deloitte Consulting. Kawai has served as a trustee on the boards of several independent schools and currently serves on the advisory boards of Defy Ventures and TeachAAPI. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from SMU.

Cancellation Policy

Life happens. We understand that there will be times when you cannot attend a workshop that you have registered and paid for. We strive to be as helpful and flexible as possible when things out of your control happen. Please visit our FAQ page for detailed information about our cancellation policy and answers to frequently asked questions about enrollment and membership.