Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership

🎉 Congratulations to our APA East Tennessee Cohort! 🎉

This week, participants concluded their six-month leadership journey with public speaking presentations and a tour of the Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC).

Throughout the day, participants shared thoughtful presentations on a variety of leadership topics, including emotional intelligence, multigenerational teams, conflict management, building trust, and leading authentically—regardless of title. We are incredibly proud of the growth, dedication, and engagement each participant demonstrated throughout the program.

Month after month, these leaders made the commitment to be present, learn, challenge themselves, and expand their leadership capacity. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and are excited to see the impact they will continue to make in their organizations and communities.

A special thank you to our LEIC colleagues, especially Rhiannon Jones, Tim Schade, and Jeff Lindsey, for providing our group with an inside look at the outstanding programs and academies offered through LEIC.

We are also grateful to the entire LEIC team for serving as such wonderful hosts throughout our six months together. Thank you to Misty Bean, Misty Watts, and Nyoka Weaver for your hospitality and support each month.

Interested in learning more about the Administrative Professionals Academy? Visit: leadership.tennessee.edu/administrative-professionals-academy

Welcome Back Jim!

UT has named an interim vice president who will serve when Vice President Herb Byrd retires in September.
https://www.ips.tennessee.edu/article/university-tennessee-names-interim-vice-president-institute-public-service-launches

🎓 We just wrapped up an incredible week at the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI) 2026!

📈 Participants concluded the week with Study of High-Performing Leaders, led by Alex Miller. Dr. Miller challenged the cohort to think about how effective leaders navigate complexity, make sound decisions in dynamic environments, and position their organizations for long-term success.

💡 Through engaging discussion and research-based insights, participants explored the characteristics and behaviors that distinguish high-performing leaders and learned strategies for leading through uncertainty and change.

🤝 As we close out our first session together, it is exciting to see the relationships being built, the ideas being shared, and the growth already taking place within this outstanding group of leaders from across Tennessee.

🍊 Thank you to everyone who contributed to a fantastic week of learning, leadership, and collaboration. We are looking forward to continuing the journey and seeing everyone in Chattanooga this July!

🍊

🌟 Day 4 of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI) 2026 focused on two critical leadership competencies: accountability and self-awareness.

🎯 The day began with Follow Through: Leadership Lessons from the Field, led by Brandon Elkins. Drawing from his experiences in the field, Brandon shared powerful insights on the importance of follow-through, accountability, and building trust through consistent actions. Great leaders don't just set expectations—they ensure results and hold themselves accountable along the way.

🧠 Participants also explored The Emotionally Effective Leader, led by Trent Clagg. Through a review of their EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessments, cohort members gained a deeper understanding of their leadership strengths, growth opportunities, and how emotional intelligence influences decision-making, communication, and relationships.

💡 Self-awareness and situational adaptability are essential leadership skills. Understanding how we lead, respond to challenges, and interact with others allows us to be more effective leaders for our teams and organizations.

🚀 Day 4 challenged participants to look inward, strengthen their emotional intelligence, and embrace accountability as they continue their leadership journey.

🌟🧠🤝🚀

📚 Day 3 of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI) 2026 was focused on the power of leadership through humility, influence, and service.

🎯 Participants explored Humble Leadership, learning how effective leaders build trust, foster collaboration, and create environments where others can thrive. Leadership isn't about authority—it's about influence, relationships, and empowering those around you.

🎤 We were honored to hear from Jeff Stiles, who shared valuable insights on leadership, persuasion, and leading with purpose. His experiences provided practical lessons that participants can apply in their organizations and communities.

🇺🇸 The day also featured leadership lessons from the Tennessee National Guard, highlighting the importance of service, teamwork, adaptability, and mission-focused leadership.

✈️ One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to tour and learn more about the incredible capabilities of the KC-135 Stratotanker and Black Hawk helicopters. Seeing these aircraft up close provided a unique perspective on the people, training, and teamwork required to support critical missions both at home and abroad.

🚀 Day 1 & Day 2 of the Tennessee Government Executive Institute (TGEI) 2026 are in the books!

📍 Day 1 focused on building connections and laying the foundation for the year ahead. Participants shared their "From Where I Lead" presentations, providing insight into the experiences, values, and motivations that have shaped their leadership journeys. It was a powerful opportunity to learn more about the incredible leaders that make up this cohort.

🤝 Day 2 continued the momentum with Challenge Day, where participants engaged in team-building activities designed to strengthen communication, collaboration, trust, and problem-solving skills. Through shared challenges and experiences, the cohort began developing the relationships that will support their growth throughout the program.

🌟 The energy, engagement, and willingness to learn from one another have already made a lasting impression. We are excited to see how this group of leaders continues to grow and make an impact across Tennessee.

🌟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 🌟

Meet APA participant 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧 with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

For Kay, “𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑑, 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑. 𝐼𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒, 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑛, 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑜𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦! 𝐼 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦, 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦. 𝐼 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑, 𝑚𝑦 𝐿𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 1 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛.
𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑, 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡, 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼’𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚. “𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑, 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑖𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙.” (𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑎 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑢)

👏Thank you, Kay, for reminding us that leadership is about making people feel valued, supported, and empowered to bring their best selves forward.

To learn more about APA, visit https://www.leadership.tennessee.edu/administrative-professionals-academy

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨

Are you passionate about helping others learn, grow, and succeed? The Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership is looking for a motivated and organized Training Coordinator to join our team!

This role is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys:

✔️ Coordinating impactful training programs
✔️ Supporting leadership and professional development
✔️ Working collaboratively with a mission-driven team
✔️ Creating engaging learning experiences

If you’re ready to make a difference through training and development, we’d love to hear from you!

📍 Apply today: Training Coordinator Position Application - https://fa-ewlq-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/8182

Help us spread the word by sharing this post with your network!

IPS Executive Directors Drs. Jennifer Tourville and Macel Ely spoke earlier this week at the 2026 Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (CUPSO) in Anchorage, Alaska on the topic of "Partnerships That Inform Policy." The panel were joined by (L-R) Drs. Greg Forehand (Human Services Research Institute in Cambridge, MA), Rachel Dicke (Institute of Public Policy, University of Missouri), and Kristi Eustice (Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University).

🌟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 🌟

Meet APA participant 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 with the UT System.

For Jana, “𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼 𝑎𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑, ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑙𝑠. 𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠, 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡. “𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓—𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒” ( Robin S. Sharma, The Leader Who Had No Title).

👏Thank you, Jana, for reminding us that leadership is being authentic, consistent, and supportive every day.

To learn more about APA, visit https://www.leadership.tennessee.edu/administrative-professionals-academy

UT System