Thrive 2026 Signature Experience 1
Influence and Impact: Core Skills for Mid-Level Leaders
Overview and Purpose
Mid-level leaders serve many different roles in independent schools—administrative leader, logistics manager, coach, evaluator, liaison to senior leadership—all performed amid the myriad other responsibilities they juggle. Mid-level leaders are pivotal people who affect how teams function, how teachers teach, how growth and evaluation happen, and how initiatives move forward intentionally.
During this two-day signature experience, mid-level leaders learn the skills connected to growth, evaluation, and change management.
On Thursday, explore three dispositions for leaders related to growth and evaluation:
- Facilitator of growth
- Collaborative partner
- Warm demander
Explore the purpose of each modality, identify the related factors, and engage with key tools, including facilitating growth goals, collaborating on a problem of practice, and providing evaluative feedback as a warm demander. Come away with a deeper understanding of who you need to be as a leader and what factors support your practice.
On Friday, engage in a guided design sprint to support your change ideas for the year ahead. Bring an upcoming initiative and use research-informed tools to explore your problem of practice deliberately. Come away with a clear plan of action, measures of progress, and a greater sense of purpose for the work you want to implement.
Intended Outcomes
Explore three key leadership dispositions and the circumstances related to each one.
- Engage with tools for growth and feedback.
- Design a change idea for the year ahead.
- Connect with colleagues in similar roles.
Presenter
Lori Cohen
Lori Cohen has worked in education for over 25 years, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, site leader, professional development facilitator, and published author. While working in schools, she developed a Teaching Fellows program for new teachers, in-house professional development tailored to the needs of the staff, and instructional coaching programs. Cohen also served as dean of faculty, overseeing the overhaul of teacher growth and evaluation. She has supported new teachers across California as they developed their skills as early-career educators. Additionally, she has served on independent school boards and as board chair.
In 2019, Cohen began working as an independent consultant, helping clients around the globe. She works as an associate with the Eastern Education Resource Collaborative (East Ed) and as the developer of people and programs for Bright Morning Consulting. Cohen is a contributing author of The Art of Coaching Workbook (2020), co-author (with Elena Aguilar) of The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (2022), and co-author (with Elizabeth Denevi) of Integrating Educator Well-Being, Growth, and Evaluation: Four Foundations for Leaders (2025). She is currently working on a book on transformative lesson planning, due out in 2026.
Click here to view the full Thrive 2026 Signature Experience lineup.