What does it truly mean to be an inclusive leader?

Is it about welcoming diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration, or creating spaces where everyone feels valued? The answer is all of the above—and more. This interactive roundtable discussion invites emerging and experienced leaders to explore the meaning and impact of inclusive leadership development in their own leadership journeys.

Rather than focusing on prescriptive solutions, this session will encourage open dialogue, shared experiences, and thought-provoking questions that challenge us to reflect on how we lead. Together, we will examine how inclusivity shapes leadership, how to foster meaningful engagement, and what it takes to create environments where all voices are valued.

NOTE: This is a FREE Community Event. All are welcome to attend; registration is required for lunch.                                    

Discussion Topics may include

• • What does it mean to actively welcome diverse perspectives?
  • How can collaboration create more inclusive decision-making?
  • What challenges do leaders face in implementing inclusivity, and how can we navigate them?

About Our Facilitator

Bobby D. Steele, Ed.D. is the Director of the Center for Student Connections and Opportunity at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Bobby earned a bachelor’s in business and marketing from BGSU, a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State University (MSU), and a doctorate in higher education from Ball State University (BSU) with a research focus on cultural capital and non-deficit approaches in supporting Black first-generation college students. Bobby has worked in various functional areas within higher education including residence life and identity-based resource centers. Prior to his current role, Bobby was an assistant clinical professor of higher education at BSU.

Practicing Positivity

Positivity is a mindset, just as much or maybe even more than an emotional experience. It’s a skill that can be developed. And because our emotions and attitudes are contagious, it’s important that everyone take time to practice and develop these skills.

Practicing positivity is more than feeling good and being nice. It means being able to see what is working, to celebrate success, to offer up encouragement, and to do all of this in the face of an honest assessment of the challenges individuals and organizations are facing.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the difference between positive feelings and a mindset of positivity
2. Explore ways to expand your vocabulary around positive mindsets
3. Break down the negativity bias and the impact self-protection plays in limiting positive emotions and experiences
4. Build a practical plan for authentic positivity that impacts your work, relationships, and stress management

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $80 non-member. $60 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Adam Bouse founded Optimistic Coaching to help people overcome challenges, navigate emotions, and live with greater intentionality. He’s an International Coaching Federation-certified coach with more than 15 years of leadership experience and over 1000 hours of coaching experience. With training in emotional intelligence and brain-based coaching, Adam empowers clients to achieve their goals while fostering greater resilience and satisfaction. Optimistic Coaching specializes in coaching and training for emotional intelligence, empathy, difficult conversations, mindfulness, resilience, and, of course, optimism.

Led by: Michele Owen

The professional world is full of written and unwritten rules to success.

The professional world is full of written and unwritten rules to success. In this workshop, we will cover the basic skills for thriving in the workforce, as well as the not-so-obvious practices for managing your workload, finding work-life balance, and bringing value to your team.

• Understand and practice the basic expectations for professionalism
• Understand your personal goals for promotion, leadership, and ideal workload
• Uncover how to negotiate and ask for what you want

Eastern Indiana Works provides these sessions, in partnership with Shafer Leadership Academy, as a free service to our clients.

Workshops are designed to enhance your marketability and improve your skill-set. 
Please register within 24 hours of workshop time. LUNCH will be served at this session. 

Led by: Tisha Gierhart

Your thoughts and concerns are valuable.

We will discuss how can you effectively share your perspective, be acknowledged, and receive beneficial feedback from others in the workplace. Together we will learn about the power of active listening.

Eastern Indiana Works provides these sessions, in partnership with Shafer Leadership Academy, as a free service to our clients.

Workshops are designed to enhance your marketability and improve your skill-set. 
Please register within 24 hours of workshop time. LUNCH will be served at this session. 

Boundaries are not about pushing people away; they are about honoring yourself. 

Do boundaries feel harsh or foreign to you? Do you struggle to set them, unsure where to begin? Perhaps the word boundary stirs discomfort, either within yourself or in your relationships. But what if boundaries didn’t have to feel rigid or isolating? What if they could feel deeply authentic to you?  Through life’s experiences—beliefs, teachings, and external pressures—we often lose sight of our own needs. Yet, we hold the power to decide who we allow into our lives, who we keep close, and who we release with love. Join me on a journey from uncertainty to clarity, from fear to empowerment. This session blends mindful movement to shift stagnant energy, personal reflection to uncover limiting patterns, and practical tools to establish and maintain boundaries that align with your truth.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the purpose and impact of authentic boundaries.
2. Identify where you need boundaries in your life.
3. Learn tools and techniques to set and sustain healthy boundaries.
4. Cultivate self-trust and confidence in holding your boundaries.

About Our Facilitator

Nichole Linebaugh is an Empowerment Coach, 500-hour yoga teacher, and founder of Nurturing Rose Yoga and The Yoga Bin. After over a decade in corporate safety, health, and HR, she left to fully step into her purpose—guiding individuals to reduce stress, reclaim their power, and live in alignment with their true selves. With a deep passion for holistic well-being, Nichole combines mindfulness, movement, and personal empowerment to help clients set healthy boundaries, navigate life’s transitions, and break through limiting beliefs. Through yoga, breathwork, coaching, and leadership development, she provides tools to support mental, emotional, and physical well-being. At The Yoga Bin, a unique space dedicated to healing and community, Nichole offers workshops, retreats, and coaching sessions that help individuals reconnect with themselves and create lives filled with softness, grace, and purpose. She lives in Union City, IN, where she enjoys spending time with family, being in nature, and continuing her own journey of self-growth. ✨ “You are worthy of a life that feels truly aligned.” ✨

In-person Lunch & Learn

Many leaders report that communication among their team members is strained by unspoken disagreements. This session will explore a dignity and empathy-based approach to help our teams leverage their different perspectives as a way to support and enrich our workplaces and communities. Participants will learn ways to disagree with dignity and break the “cycle of contempt” that prevents teams from coming together productively.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain greater familiarity with the “Dignity Index” as a tool for collaboration.
2. Be able to identify ways to bring greater dignity to the discourse of their organization and community.
3. Practice the application of the dignity and empathy model with real world scenarios.
4. Reflect on the “cycles of contempt” that negatively impact their workplace and community collaborations.

About Our Facilitator

Melinda Messineo, PhD is a professor of Sociology and the Distinguished Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence and Community Engagement at Ball State University. She is a nationally recognized award-winning teacher and workshop facilitator. Her research explores representations of individuals in the media and the impact that all media forms have on our understanding of people different from ourselves.

In-Person 3 Hour Session

Learning Objectives

Participants will leave with: 

1. 1. A reset button for their daily mindset—to shift from grind to gain without sacrificing performance.
   2. A personal playbook for refueling that doesn’t require a two-week vacation or quitting your job.
   3. A fresh filter for success that balances achievement with meaning, so you can lead with purpose and results.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Erika Bayh stands at the helm of “The Extraordinary In You,” an organization that provides vibrant partnerships and facilitated experiences designed to ignite and unleash the extraordinary in individuals, teams, and projects. She is a master facilitator, inspirational coach, growth trainer, curriculum designer, and strategic partner with over thirty years of expertise in igniting the personal and professional growth in individuals and organizations. Erika recently left her decades-long stead with the NYC-based Leadership Program, where she was responsible for overseeing the programmatic growth of one of the city’s largest afterschool programs, designed ongoing professional development trainings for staff of the NYC DOE as well as educators around the country, and spearheaded the creation of leadership curricula honored by CASEL, OJJDP, SAMHSA, and more.

Erika is also an adjunct professor, currently instructing students at Ball State University in Indiana on an undergraduate course she created, “An Introduction to Youth Work,” designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the diverse realm of youth work. She is the author of the interactive personal growth journal, “On Wings & Whimsy: Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary,” as well as the deck of cards, “52 Ways to Connect,” designed for leaders to strengthen their team time.

In-person Lunch & Learn

Today, we are living in a world where disagreement reigns and people are divided. A chasm is widening between us and them, where everyone picks a side and tries to win at the expense of others. Why is this happening? Too many leaders are taking the low road with others. They do what serves themselves best. They take from others without giving anything back. This workshop will guide you how to avoid the low and middle roads and take the high road in your leadership.

1. Recognize and affirm the value of all people
2. Learn how to develop humble appreciation for yourself
3. Discover how to strengthen your emotional leadership capacity

About Our Facilitator

Casey Ash is a leadership development trainer with 12 years of experience leading team and personal development workshops. She is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team member and Certified Working Genius Facilitator who uses workshops to help people and teams discover their gifts and reach their potential. She also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University. Personal development has been life-changing for her, and she is passionate about sharing this with others.