Building Manager Capacity to Navigate Complexity with Clarity

In partnership with Southern California Grantmakers

CONTEXT
SoCal Grantmakers (SCG) engaged Untapped Leaders to equip a cohort of mid-level managers from across philanthropic organizations with tools for leading across difference, complexity, and change.

INTERVENTION
Untapped Leaders delivered a five-session Leadership Essentials for Managers cohort experience as part of SCG’s Evolve series, guiding participants through a progression from self-awareness to systems thinking. Each 3-hour virtual session combined applied frameworks (e.g., T.R.U.S.T., CCC, and the Five Lenses for Inclusive Decision-Making) with real-time reflection and peer dialogue.

IMPACT

• 100% of survey respondents agreed they gained knowledge and skills to enhance their leadership practice.

• Participants reported applying tools like the CCC framework, Strategic Pausing, and the Culture Triangle in performance reviews, team culture-building, and cross-functional collaboration.

• The series helped managers articulate their influence, even without formal authority.
  

PARTICIPANT REFLECTIONS

• “This was so invaluable. I feel resourced—thank you, Jenny and SCG!”

• Participants described leaving “more resourced, hopeful, and confident” in leading through tension and complexity.

• “The training was thoughtful and intentional—balancing reflection, dialogue, and practical tools that I can use right away.”

OUTCOME
The cohort advanced confidence, strategy, and cultural fluency among mid-level leaders.  Organizations seeking to deepen leadership capacity across levels can partner with Untapped Leaders to bring Leadership Essentials for Managers to their own teams or member networks.