LZF Institutes
Lenny Zakim Fund Institutes are free day-long conferences that we offer to all current and former grant recipients. Topics are selected with input from grant recipients. Information about the most recent Institute is below. For more information, please contact Melissa Eng-Wong (m.eng-wong@thelennyzakimfund.org or 617-406-5935).
Registration is now closed.
The workshop will focus on the opportunities provided by leadership transitions, which represents great inflection points in the lives of organizations. There is the opportunity to 1) assess the current organization, its resources and deficits, opportunities and threats; 2) review strategic mandates—the new leader should be hired to implement those mandates; 3) review the organizational structure and culture—the new leader needs to be aligned with them; 4) assess and refresh the board’s capacity for leadership, because its leadership and management will be crucial during the transition period; 5) hire a wonderful new leader; 6) position that leader to succeed.
The workshop emphasis will be practical and forward looking. Barry will provide a model that participants can take home. During the workshop, we will ask for immediate application, by asking:
- What would happen if your leader left abruptly
- Who should manage during the transition period and how should they do so
- What are the goals of the transition in your organization
Barry will ask you to develop preliminary plans, a sketch, for managing leadership transitions in your organization. His hope is that participants will take the sketch home for further discussion. Be prepared to work.
Are you currently in a position where you either have a boss or are someone else's boss? Would you like to work more collaboratively with your peers? Would you like to improve the performance of your team and get the most out of your professional relationships? Most likely the answer to these questions is yes and it is crucial that you are able to effectively leverage these relationships not only to maintain your sanity, but ultimately to effectively meet the organization's goals. The Lenny Zakim Fund's workshop on Managing Up, Down and Across will take an interactive approach in identifying key Do's and Don'ts for managing each of these relationships. We will cover the business case for diversity and inclusion and take an introspective look at intrapsychic forces that influence our decision making. This workshop will give you practical strategies that you can begin to implement the moment you return to the office to help you in maximizing everyone's contribution towards organizational goals.
Shaheer Mustafa, LICSW, CCDP is currently the Area Clinical Manager for the Department of Children and Families Coastal Area Office. In this role he is responsible for managing the area staff and oversees all clinical operations and investigations of child abuse and neglect. Prior to this, he had been the Director of the Knight Children’s Center a program of the Home for Little Wanderers. KCC is a therapeutic day school and residential program for latency aged children with significant mental health and behavioral difficulties. Shaheer has significant management and clinical experience in both child welfare and behavioral health settings and has a passion for issues related to diversity and inclusion. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Boston College as well as his Master’s in Clinical Social Work. He also completed Boston University’s Institute for Non-Profit Leadership and Management and is certified as a Diversity Practitioner from Cornell’s school of Industrial Labor Relations.
