NGO Leadership Workshop in Bratislava

May 27 – 30, 2025

Empowering civil society leaders to drive lasting change

In collaboration with the University of Michigan's Weiser Center for Europe & Eurasia and the William Davidson Institute, we are excited to announce our upcoming NGO Leadership Workshop in Bratislava, Slovakia.

With the complex challenges posed by global instability and ongoing crises affecting not only Central and Eastern Europe but the world as a whole, we remain committed to supporting civil society organizations. Our focus encompasses Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

We help leaders master the skills needed to navigate increasingly volatile environments.

Designed for NGO leaders and activists, this workshop enhances capabilities in adaptive leadership, strategic decision-making, change, and personal resilience. Our four-day program blends interactive live sessions with practical e-learning components, creating a rich environment for fostering deep connections and collaborative opportunities among participants.

4 days

Networking
and partnership building

Exclusive tailor-made content and supplementary
e-learning modules

Distinguished instructors

Certificate upon completion

Learning outcomes

Gain effective leadership strategies for guiding teams through instability, focusing on trust-building, motivation, and communication

Develop the ability to manage stress, maintain focus during challenges, and enhance personal well-being to improve leadership effectiveness

Acquire the skills and tools needed to adapt their strategies and leadership styles to the dynamics of challenging environments

Refine their decision-making abilities to make crucial, long-term choices that steer their organizations toward sustainability and greater societal impact

Learn how to cultivate an organizational culture that embraces and drives change, enhancing adaptability and innovation

More information

Participant selection

The workshop is by invitation only. This approach reflects our commitment to identifying and inviting organizations that are making a meaningful impact and will benefit most from our program. We believe this targeted approach creates a more cohesive and enriching environment, fostering deeper connections and the creation of new relationships based on shared values and purpose.

Costs

Participants will receive the training at no charge. Lodging and meals during the program will be covered. Ground travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Program
outline

Participants will engage in interactive sessions led by seasoned instructors, designed to foster meaningful connections while equipping them with cutting-edge skills and fresh perspectives. Beyond skill-building, the workshop provides a unique opportunity to forge new partnerships and collaborations, offering a platform to network and explore synergies. The program also includes supplementary e-learning modules that participants can explore at their own pace before and after the in-person sessions, further enriching their learning experience.

Recognizing the importance of well-being in sustaining leadership effectiveness, the program includes time for participants to rejuvenate, helping them to return to their organizations recharged and ready to implement their new insights and strategies.

Program kickoff: Evening reception in Bratislava on Monday, May 26

Day 1

Resilient Leadership: Strategies for Stability and Motivation in NGOs

by Julie Felker (WDI at the University of Michigan, USA)

NGO leaders are often called to guide their teams through challenging and unpredictable situations. Internal and external pressures can create an environment of instability, leaving employees looking to their leaders for reassurance, direction, and motivation. This session is designed to equip NGO leaders with the tools and strategies they need to lead with confidence, build trust, and keep employees engaged—even when the future is unclear. Through interactive discussions, shared experiences, and practical exercises, participants will gain insights into maintaining stability while leading through uncertainty, fostering motivation, empowering employees, and communicating effectively in difficult times.

Participants will:

Explore how to build trust and provide stability when employees are looking to them for leadership
Address ways to sustain motivation and morale by reinforcing purpose and engagement
Learn how strategic delegation can strengthen both individual employees and the organization as a whole
Develop their communication skills to deliver clear and honest messages, even when they do not have all the answers

Day 2

Building Personal Sustainability & Resilience in an Uncertain World

by Olivia Hurbanová (HighBrows, Slovakia)

In a world of increasing unpredictability, the ability to adapt is no longer optional—it’s essential. While we often focus on building adaptive organizations, leadership starts with personal sustainability. How to stay resilient under pressure, maintain focus amidst chaos, and navigate uncertainty without burnout?

This session explores the intersection of stress, focus, emotional agility, and change. The participants will gain science-backed insights into:

How our brains and bodies respond to uncertainty—and how to harness this response for resilience
The impact of social stress and emotional contagion in leadership and decision-making
Why suppressing negative emotions makes us less adaptable—and what to do instead
Practical strategies to sustain momentum, increase focus, and enhance well-being in high-stakes environments

Effective leadership in times of change requires more than strategy—it requires the ability to stay agile, grounded, and open to transformation. Join us to explore how leaders can build not only sustainable organizations but also sustainable selves.

Day 3

Adaptive Leadership: Navigating Change in NGO Management

by Frank C. Schultz (University of California, Berkeley, USA)

Leading organizations in stable, predictable environments is relatively easy. Unfortunately, those environments are now extinct. This session will focus on the skills NGO leaders need to effectively and efficiently lead their organizations when change is happening at so many levels – externally, internally and personally. It will examine the powerful tools that NGO executives have at their disposal to adapt their organizations to the ever-present changes.

In this session, the participants will:

Examine the seven available tools executives can use to bring about change and assess how they differ in their ease of use
Consider alternative leadership approaches to mobilizing your organization toward its societal mission

Leaders develop habits and routines which reflect the way they prefer to lead. These approaches have made them and their organizations successful in the past. But as the world changes, it can be prudent to reassess our organizations and our own leadership preferences.

Day 4

Mastering Decision Making: Enhancing NGO Impact in Dynamic Environments

by Frank C. Schultz (University of California, Berkeley, USA)

As a continuation of the previous session, this part will focus on NGO leaders’ strategic decision making in changing environments. These are major decisions that impact the long-term viability of the organization and its societal mission. They are more costly, more complex, and more uncertain than day-to-day tactical decisions – and potentially radically transformational. They can also be very challenging as they require the ability to see both the forest and the trees in which the organization operates.

In this session, the participants will:

Consider how you tend to spend your leadership time–setting a big picture vision or engaging in operational details
Learn actionable approaches you can take to lead transformation change while being alert to implementation challenges
Explore how fostering an organizational culture of changemaking can be the key to better decisions and successful impact

In the turmoil of day-to-day organizational life, it is easy to lose sight of the key decisions you are regularly making – and not making. Yet strategic decision making is at the essence of executive leadership. It is essential to regularly assess your made and unmade decisions and the impact they are having on our organization.

Unlocking Opportunities:
EU Commission
Funding for NGO

This session will feature representatives from the EU Commission who will provide an overview of the funding opportunities available for NGOs.

Our instructors

...bring a blend of deep expertise and genuine passion to every session, fostering a professional yet approachable environment that enriches and empowers our participants.

Julie Felker

Faculty Affiliate, Professor of Human Resource Management

William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan & Zagreb School of Economics and Management

Julie Felker is a Faculty Affiliate at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. She develops and delivers management education and provides organizational development capacity-building expertise in transition and emerging economies to strengthen educational and economic infrastructures and promote positive social change. She has worked on projects around the world, including in Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Philippines, Algeria and Bahrain. Dr. Felker also serves as the Academic Director of the Master in Management Program at the Luxembourg School of Business where she is responsible for strategic and administrative leadership in developing and maintaining educational programs of exceptional quality. She received coaching certification from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

USA

Olívia Hurbanová

Chief Thought Provoker

HighBrows

Slovakia

Olivia Hurbanová is a positive skeptic, lecturer and author of the "Future Skills” concept. She teaches in Slovakia, abroad, and on campus. Her expertise inspires clients such as IBM, Lenovo, Dell, Swiss Re, Allianz, PWC, O2, Henkel, and many others. All her efforts aim to bridge the gap between hard science and soft skills. She takes a more complex approach to understand the complexity of human behavior. In February 2019, she was awarded the Lecturer of the Year title with a record 21 nominations for her extensive effort in the field of education towards inclusive and tolerant society.

Frank C. Schultz

Faculty Member and Distinguished Teaching Fellow

University of California, Berkeley

USA

Frank Schultz is a Faculty Member and Distinguished Teaching Fellow in the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley and a Faculty Affiliate with the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. He has taught courses related to Strategy and Leadership in a number of degree programs including the Masters of Development Practice program funded by the MacArthur Foundation. In addition to his teaching, he has served as the Faculty Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and of the International Business Development program at Berkeley. Prior to Berkeley, he taught in the MBA program at the University of Michigan where he also received his MBA. He has enjoyed teaching courses throughout the world including Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, and numerous countries throughout Europe.

Donors

... with their generous contributions and shared values and insights, play a crucial role in enabling this program.

Organizers

...through their expertise and dedication, join us in shaping a dynamic and impactful program, ensuring every detail reflects our collaborative commitment to excellence.