Tendrel’s community is not a single, static, one-size-fits-all resource but a vast and integrated network, forever evolving to meet - and anticipate - our members’ changing needs. Whether you’re seeking expertise, face-to-face mentorship, regional networks, or remote support, Tendrel has you covered. Think of us as a Swiss Army Knife for changemakers. Tendrel members currently collaborate with, support, and inspire one-another in myriad ways, both formal and informal, by:
Tendrel’s Peer Advisory Learning Oasis is especially important, as the heart of our mission and our approach. Participating in our unique Peer Advisory Learning Oasis consists of two different forms (further details below):
A. Self-moderated Tendrel Forums of 6-9 trained members
B. Professionally chaired Tendrel Groups of 12-15 members, complete with executive coaching
In addition to our current offerings, Tendrel’s committed architects are always working on new tools and technological solutions to the challenges our members face every day.
A peer advisory learning oasis is a small, intimate group of peers where people can talk openly in confidential settings in order to enhance members’ effectiveness in their personal, professional, and societal spheres. They provide a safe place where people can share their experiences, challenges, and frustrations and get honest feedback. At various times your peers will function as a nurturer, a grounding rod, a truth teller, and a mirror. At their best, the members of your forum or group serve each other as caring coaches and thoughtful mentors.
This oasis helps people grow as human beings and leaders, as they learn to accept themselves and their strengths and weaknesses and gain confidence that others accept them for who they are. Peers provide the feedback that enable people to understand their blind spots, open up hidden areas, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves. They offer unique environments for people to develop self-awareness, self-compassion, and authenticity, and the confidence to navigate difficult situations in their life and work.
1. A self-moderated Forum of six to nine peers where one of the members is trained as the moderator. The moderator role can be permanent, or it can rotate every year to a different member of the forum. Meetings are typically four hours. During forum meetings, members have the opportunity to make a presentation in which to speak about some opportunity, challenge, or unresolved issue with an intimate team of trusted peers. The goal is to enable members to become better leaders, better parents, better spouses, and more balanced individuals to increase well-being, happiness, and impact. Forums are a unique opportunity for members to tap into the collective wisdom and experience of the group. Life-long friendship are often formed as a by-product.
2. A professionally facilitated Group of 12-15 peers with a “Chair” that has extensive experience and proven skills to ensure a safe space for intimate discussions. The chair will keep the group from falling back on surface level discussions to avoid deep sensitive issues. The chair can sense issues between members or in the group, well before members are aware of the issues. They can draw out quieter members and keep others from dominating the group. They will also serve as a coach to members between meetings. Meetings are typically seven hours with expert speakers providing high value workshops to enhance leadership skills and organizational. effectiveness. Topics may include effective fundraising, howto build and scale, strategic planning, board effectiveness, and usingbehavioral analytics to lead high performing teams.
When leaders try to succeed without the help, support and feedback from other people, they are more likely to fail because they are not seeking wise counsel and are subject to being overly influenced by external forces. A Tendrel peer advisory learning oasis provides support in challenging times. By sharing yourself in intimate ways, you learn to trust your group when you may be losing your bearings or deviating from your beliefs and values. Being an effective leader is ultimately not about intelligence, as leadership is more about emotional intelligence (EQ) [2] – being self-aware and building authentic, open relationships. Research on leaders shows that EQ is much more important than characteristics, knowledge, and skills. Effective leadership, sustainable overlong periods of time, must come from an authentic place within.
Want to work with and learn from the world’s most accomplished and inspiring professionals in settings designed for maximum personal growth? Fill out the form below to learn how Tendrel’s changemaker community can help you and your projects reach their fullest potential.
