SEI: Senior Executive Institute

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In the fast-paced world of local government, leaders need to be knowledgeable, agile, and prepared. 

To take our communities confidently into the future, public leaders must adopt a proactive approach—one grounded in basic democratic values and guided by a collective vision of community-building and empowerment.

SEI offers top local government executives and department directors of large localities the strategies and hands-on techniques they need to skillfully navigate the complex and fast-changing world of local government. Our interactive and engaging two-week residential leadership program, taught in person in Charlottesville, Virginia, focuses on educating leaders and preparing them to implement what they have learned as soon as they return home.  

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EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

About

None of the ideas about leadership are really new. Our programs are special because of three things – context, environment, and connection.

The context is exclusively based in the world of local government. Instructors and facilitators are either local government practitioners (still working or recently retired) or subject matter experts that fully understand the world of local government.

There is great effort in deliberately creating a safe learning environment. This is a shared responsibility between participants, instructors, and facilitators. This environment encourages speaking up, asking for help, being candid about mistakes and failures, putting the human first over the employee, and continuous support.

Connection is at the heart of who we are as people and leaders. Work is rarely completed alone and relationships are paramount. In SEI, there is an emphasis on the strong skills needed for building and maintaining relationships. There are often lifelong connections and networks built at SEI. 

What Leaders Face

The world of the public manager and leader is evolving at a speed that challenges even the most robust organizations.

• Local governments are continuously being asked to do more with less.
• Federal and state support is declining.
• Citizens are demanding a more caring, responsive government.
• New technology is revolutionizing public service.
• Dynamics and relationships with elected officials have changed.

To respond to these forces, our local governments must become laboratories for a new style of organization - one grounded in basic democratic values and guided by a collective vision of community-building and empowerment. To take our communities confidently into the future, public leaders and executives must adopt a proactive approach to change both inside the public organization and outside in the community. They must invest the time and resources required to create and maintain a continuously improving, learning organization.

Program Design

The SEI program is a dynamic week long residential leadership program for local government executives and department directors of large localities. SEI programs consist of 35-40 participants. All classes are sponsored by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and take place in-person at the Darden School of Business in Charlottesville, Virginia.

What SEI Offers

SEI programs provide local government leaders essential skills they can directly apply in their organizations to make positive change. In every SEI program, participants will

• Examine, discuss and apply the most relevant and powerful leadership practices, with focused discussions on the distinct and complex experiences of local government leaders
• Develop interpersonal skills and community and organizational leadership skills
• Leave the SEI session with a clear roadmap of the concepts learned and how they can be applied to their organizations immediately
• Develop a deeper understanding of inclusive leadership through sessions specifically focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Build essential skills and awareness through team engagement. Participants will:
  • reflect on key experiences, role models, and lessons learned that have shaped their leadership styles
  • learn coaching techniques
  • create more self-awareness and empathy by attentively listening to others' experiences and viewpoints
  • explore personal values and their relationship to organizational values
• Experience a learning environment that is
  • highly interactive (less than 20% lecture), engaged, and application-based, with every session including a concept to learn, a local government example, and an application exercise
  • safe, supportive and built on trust and vulnerability, which allows for a nonjudgmental, open exchange of ideas and experiences

Ideal Participant 

Primary Responsibility: Stewardship of the organization and public trust

SEI is curated for senior managers and previous LEAD participants ready for the next level of development – Chief Administrative Officers (CAO’s), Deputy or Assistant CAO’s and senior department heads. These leaders have responsibility for the organization, and the community including elected officials. The curriculum meets the unique challenges of the complex roles that translate policy into operations. These leaders are often responsible for critical decision-making, managing organizational and community priorities, navigating multiple layers of change, and fostering healthy, productive work environments.

Key Details, Fees & Cancellation Policy 

The next SEI program is July 18 –  23, 2027. SEI programs enroll 35-40 participants, and all classes take place at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. The fee is $6,000, which includes instruction, lodging, most meals, and materials. A 10% discount is available for Virginia Institute of Government members. Payment in full is due July 1, 2027. Please contact Shirley Hamblet at smh2dr@virginia.edu, if you need to make alternate payment arrangements. 

Shortly after you get your SEI welcome email, we will send you:

• Materials to help you plan your visit, including hotel and parking information; advice on getting to Charlottesville by plane, train, bus or car; and recommendations for places to visit while you are here.
• Program schedule that includes meeting times and places.
• Additional information about meals, required evening activities, and other details, like meeting etiquette, attire, as well as  recommendations for getting the most out of the SEI experience.
• Pre-work to do in advance to better prepare for your experience. 

Cancellation or Rescheduled Dates Policy

From the time that your participation has been confirmed via email, if you cancel more than two weeks in advance of the program start date, you will forfeit half of the tuition cost. Transferring to an alternate date does not release you from this obligation. However, to avoid any penalties, acceptable substitutions may be made with our advance approval. No refunds can be made within two weeks of the start date. We greatly appreciate notification ASAP of any need to cancel.

Course Description 

Challenges for Local Government Leadership

Description:
This session prepares leaders to navigate the complex, fast-changing landscape facing local government by examining the major disruptions shaping today’s environment. Participants will explore how modern challenges cross sectors, disciplines, and jurisdictions, while grappling with the tension between political realities and operational sustainability. Emphasis is placed on strengthening the connection between organizational purpose and daily leadership behavior, and on building the skills needed to align diverse perspectives, stakeholders, and systems. Leaders will also develop practical strategies to bridge the gap between elected officials and professional management, positioning local government as an effective convener, integrator, and problem solver in addressing community challenges.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Identify major 21st-century disruptions affecting local government (demographics, polarization, social media, globalism vs nationalism)
• Describe why today’s challenges are multi-sector, multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional, and intergovernmental
• Recognize the inherent tension between political acceptability and operational sustainability
• Apply strategies for bridging the gap between elected officials and professional management including using data effectively while translating it into accessible language
• Connect organizational purpose to daily leadership behaviors
• Describe the characteristics of high-performing, mission-driven organizations
• Develop “symphonic skills” to integrate multiple perspectives and disciplines
• Define the evolving role of local government as convener, integrator, motivator, and problem solver

Working Genius

Description:

This program introduces the Working Genius framework as a tool for improving personal effectiveness, team collaboration, and organizational results. Participants identify their own Working Genius profile and explore how the six types of genius contribute to the stages of work—ideation, activation, and implementation. The session helps leaders better align talent, delegate effectively, structure meetings, and engage complementary strengths across teams to improve productivity and collaboration. 

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Identify and articulate their Working Genius profile, distinguishing areas of natural energy, competency, and frustration to improve personal effectiveness.
• Apply the three stages of work — ideation, activation, and implementation — to improve team productivity and project outcomes.
• Recognize how Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity contribute differently to organizational success, and leverage diverse strengths across teams.
• Lead teams and meetings at the appropriate “altitude,” aligning leadership behaviors with the needs of ideation, decision-making, or execution.
• Build more effective collaboration by intentionally borrowing or engaging complementary genius from others to close gaps in team performance.
• Translate Working Genius insights into practical leadership actions, including delegation, meeting design, talent utilization, and team communication.

Psychological Safe Culture Assessment

Molly Harlow, VIG Assistant Director – Leadership Development

Description:

This program explores the role of psychological safety in building healthy, high-performing organizations. Participants learn what psychological safety is, why it matters for individual well-being and team effectiveness, and how trust, respect, and accountability contribute to a positive work culture. The session also examines the four stages of psychological safety, helps leaders recognize warning signs of low safety, and equips them with strategies to build and sustain psychologically safe workplaces across their organizations.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Define psychological safety and explain why it is critical to individual well-being, team effectiveness, and organizational performance.
• Describe the relationship between psychological safety and a positive work culture, including how trust, respect, and accountability reinforce one another.
• Identify the costs of low psychological safety (e.g., silence, disengagement, errors, turnover) and the benefits of high psychological safety (e.g., learning, innovation, performance).
• Explain the Four Stages of Psychological Safety and how they build progressively within teams and organizations.
• Describe the purpose and characteristics of each stage:
  • Inclusion Safety
  • Learner Safety
  • Contributor Safety
  • Challenger Safety
• Identify specific behaviors that support each stage of psychological safety, recognizing how leadership actions and team norms influence safety levels.
• Select and prioritize behaviors that can create or strengthen each stage of psychological safety within their own team or work environment.
• Develop an implementation plan to apply chosen behaviors in the workplace, including practical next steps and accountability considerations.

Beyond Operations: The Strategic Work Only Leaders Can do

Description:

This session helps leaders transition from operational management to enterprise-level strategic leadership by focusing on the work that most directly drives organizational impact. Participants will examine the challenges of shifting time and attention toward strategy, while exploring practical structures that enable leaders and teams to engage in strategic work. Through real-world examples, leaders will assess how executive behaviors shape culture and reinforce—or hinder—strategic direction. The session culminates in identifying a key organizational shift to strengthen performance and developing a personal leadership plan with targeted actions to lead more strategically and effectively.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between operational management and enterprise-level strategic leadership responsibilities.
• Explore the challenges and benefits of spending more time on the strategic work of leadership.
• Learn alternative structures for engaging others to do the strategic work of leadership, using real-world examples from other local governments.
• Analyze how executive behaviors reinforce or undermine strategic direction and organizational culture.
• Prioritize one structural, cultural, or talent shift required to strengthen enterprise performance.
• Develop a personal leadership plan, identifying specific strategic actions to strengthen leadership effectiveness.

Managing Change

Description:

This program explores how change affects individuals and organizations in the public sector and equips leaders with tools to navigate it effectively. Participants examine different types of change, when they are most appropriate, and how they address organizational challenges. The session also introduces key stages of successful change models, helping leaders better understand how to guide teams through change with clarity and effectiveness.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Understand the impacts of change on individuals and organizations in the public sector.
• Distinguish between types of change and evaluate their applicably in addressing various organizational challenges.
• Demonstrate understanding of the stages of successful change models.

Focusing on Performance through Strategic Alignment

Description:

Managing change is one of the most challenging areas for leaders. Explore the model from Albemarle County learning from their failures and successes, so you can improve your ability and your organization’s ability to manage change. Expect to learn to broaden the understanding of organizational change and determine how organizations can accomplish their strategic goals. Review the challenges and progress the PMO has taken in a case study, create a “greenhouse” for building the productive capacity of organizations, explore how organizations know their strategic goals, and apply a proven model to your high-performance change work.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Align organizational vision, strategy, culture, talent, and operational systems to advance high performance and sustainable results.
• Prioritize mission-critical work and discretionary effort, ensuring organizational time and resources are directed toward strategic outcomes.
• Balance organizational, departmental, and individual needs (O-D-I) when making leadership decisions that impact performance and service delivery.
• Diagnose organizational strain and barriers to performance, including trust deficits, competing priorities, communication breakdowns, and capability gaps.
• Strengthen employee performance management practices through clear expectations, coaching, accountability, and continuous feedback loops.
• Lead organizational change intentionally, aligning culture, systems, and people to achieve measurable improvement and long-term organizational effectiveness.

Trauma, Stress, and Organizational Responsibility

Description:

This workshop equips government leaders with a practical framework for recognizing how stress and unresolved trauma influence workplace culture, decision making, and team performance. In high responsibility environments, unaddressed stress can lead to burnout, breakdowns in trust, and diminished mission effectiveness. Using the STOP model, leaders learn to identify stress signals, recognize trauma responses within individuals and teams, understand their broader organizational impact, and implement intentional strategies for repair. The course emphasizes restoring trust, strengthening resilience, and cultivating psychologically healthy workplaces so leaders can sustain both their people and the mission.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Recognize the signs of stress and trauma in individuals, teams, and organizational systems within high-responsibility government environments.
• Explain how unresolved stress and trauma influence decision-making, workplace culture, trust, and mission effectiveness.
• Apply the STOP model to identify stress signals, understand trauma responses, and assess their impact on team dynamics and organizational performance.
• Implement leadership practices that support psychological safety, resilience, and healthy workplace culture.
• Use practical strategies to repair trust and relationships following periods of stress, disruption, or organizational strain.
• Develop an action plan to strengthen resilience and sustain team performance while maintaining mission focus.

Leadership in Times of Crisis

Description:

This session uses a real-world leadership crisis as a case study to examine how leaders respond under pressure and what drives effective action when it matters most. Participants will explore critical lessons around trust, transparency, partnership, and the role of emotional intelligence and psychological safety in high-stakes environments. Through a structured review of key moments in the crisis, leaders will identify where gaps in clarity, coordination, and situational awareness created challenges—and how those gaps could have been addressed. The session emphasizes practical actions to strengthen readiness, including clarifying roles and responsibilities, building trust across jurisdictions and teams, and developing the self-awareness needed to lead decisively in times of crisis.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Assess a real-life leadership crisis for lessons learned
• Understand that critical leadership moments can occur at any time
• Understand the importance of building trust with jurisdictional partners
• Understand the importance of building trust and psychological safety with colleagues
• Reflect on personal values and what drives you as a leader
• Understand the important role emotional intelligence plays for leaders in key moments

A Study in Leadership, Co-Leadership and Power Partnerships

Description:

This workshop engages participants in a learning program that promotes their understanding related to developing effective power partnerships, and to have them apply this information to power partnerships within their own organizations. Participants will evaluate a musical performance by Scuffletown in relationship to the concepts associated with Power Partnerships. Discussion of the collaborative roles of Leader/Co-leader in Power Partnerships. Gain an understanding of the use of the 4 Complementary Power Skills in leadership partnerships. Apply the information discussed in the program to the leader/co-leaderships within your organizations.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Articulate the concepts associated with Power Partnerships.
• Demonstrate the collaborative roles of Leader/Co-leader in Power Partnerships
• Apply the 4 Complementary Power Skills in leadership partnerships.
• Identify opportunities to apply the lessons of the session to leader/co-leaderships within their organization.

Teams 

Description:

Teams will provide participants with a safe space to integrate what they learn and practice during the team experience and the classroom to integrate leadership skills and behaviors to prepare and support leaders to be effective in their roles as both leaders within the organization and as members of a larger organization.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

• Gain more insight into self and others to develop a plan for implementing what is learned to enhance performance as managers
• Provide opportunities for reflection through life experiences, challenges, and learning opportunities
• Improve their ability to lead and manage individuals, returning to their organization with specific “behavior” 
• Develop a support network during the program and after graduation utilizing other LEAD participants
• Practice giving and receiving feedback in a constructive environment