Cary, N.C., May 8, 2009 – Daniel Pryfogle, principal of Signal Hill and a proponent of unconventional leadership, will offer his alternative perspective next fall for Duke University’s Nonprofit Management Program.

"Practicing Plenty," a two-day workshop, will explore the theory and practice of leading from abundance.

While leadership is defined by the dominant culture as "solving problems" or "making things happen," true leadership is the capacity to work with what’s already working, Pryfogle says.

"Our language reveals an alternative view of leadership. We talk about the coach who 'brings out the best' in his team, the teacher who helps a singer 'find her voice,' and the parent who won't give up on a child because she knows 'what he is capable of,'" Pryfogle says.  "We understand this intuitively yet we struggle to lead this way, for our culture pushes another definition of leadership – that it's about fixing what’s broken and producing what's missing."

"Practicing Plenty," scheduled for Oct. 20 and Nov. 17 at the Glenwood Library in Greensboro, N.C, will engage leaders in a set of practices that draw upon spiritual disciplines and entrepreneurial habits to reframe leadership as participating in plenty.  The two-day structure, with four weeks in between sessions, will give leaders an opportunity to practice the practices and return for group reflection.

As leaders struggle to guide their organizations through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the capacity to identify and leverage resources is all the more critical, Pryfogle says.

"To speak of abundance is not to ignore reality but rather to pay attention to more reality: the assets already present in our lives and organizations," he says.  "But it takes practice to pay attention to what's already present, especially when we are under such pressure to find solutions to fix what’s broken.  That pressure always compels us to look outside ourselves and our organizations for answers.  We have to cultivate new habits that focus us on our strengths rather than problems.  We need practices that get us in touch with potential and ground us in the good work that is already underway in our organizations."

Registration details will be released by Duke this summer.  Learn more about the Nonprofit Management Program here.

ABOUT SIGNAL HILL

The Signal Hill Company, a leadership and communications consultancy, serves nonprofits, churches and social enterprises throughout the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 1999, Signal Hill uses narrative-based practices to help leaders draw upon the power of their stories and multi-media approaches to get the stories out.  Learn more about Signal Hill at www.signalhillspot.com.