Leadership Academy Toolbox

The Missouri Leadership Academy is part of the Missouri Leadership Development system (MLDS) with cultivates effective school leaders who engage with school and community; serve as catalysts for meaningful and productive change; recognize and develop excellent instruction; and create and sustain a culture of continuous learning. Leadership Academy is a transformational year of learning, networking, exploring, and reflecting. From the Kickoff in June until Graduation the following June, Leadership Academy principals will have the opportunity to engage fully in professional learning.

For more than four decades, Missouri leaders have taken time from their demanding schedules to engage in personal and professional growth—not as a retreat from the responsibilities of leadership, but in recognition that truly effective leadership, in service to others, demands continuous learning, action, and reflection. This commitment to the idea that effective leadership can be developed has served as a guiding principle for both the Missouri Leadership Development System and the Missouri Leadership Academy.

Leadership Academy begain over 40 years ago and since then has transformed the professional lives of school leaders affecting the lives of generations of Missouri students and teachers! While the speakers, facilitators, and locations have changed over the years, the singular focus on supporting leaders through transformational experiences has not.

Here is our latest MLDS Missouri Leadership Academy Info Flyer.

Leadership Academy learning experiences are intentionally structured around three foundational themes—known as the Pillars. These Pillars serve as guiding lenses for your reflection, growth, and leadership development throughout the Academy. As a participant, you will be asked to revisit and reflect on your learning journey through each of these three core areas: 

1. Instructional Leadership

This pillar focuses on your ability to lead the core business of schools: teaching and learning. Instructional leadership involves setting a clear vision for learning, supporting teacher development, using data to inform decisions, and creating a school culture where every student is challenged and supported. You will explore how to build instructional capacity within your school and how to prioritize time, feedback, and resources to improve outcomes for all learners.

Key areas of focus include:

• Supporting and developing effective teaching

• Leading data-informed decision-making

• Creating systems for continuous instructional improvement

2. Becoming an Agent of Change

Effective leaders don’t just manage the status quo—they challenge it thoughtfully and strategically. This pillar emphasizes your role in initiating and sustaining positive change. You will examine how to lead innovation, manage resistance, and foster a growth-oriented culture. It’s about learning to influence systems, inspire your teams, and create meaningful progress in your school or district.

Key areas of focus include:

• Navigating change processes

• Cultivating shared ownership for improvement

• Building resilience and adaptability as a leader
  
  

3. Knowledge of Self and Others

Great leadership starts with self-awareness. This pillar centers on your emotional intelligence, identity, and interpersonal skills. You will reflect on your values, communication style, and leadership approach, and how those elements influence your relationships and effectiveness. This pillar also includes understanding and responding to the needs, motivations, and perspectives of others—staff, students, families, and the broader community.

Key areas of focus include:

• Developing self-awareness and reflective practices

• Building trust and effective communication

• Leading with empathy and relational intelligence
  
  

Together, these three Pillars form a comprehensive framework for your growth as a transformational leader—equipping you not only to manage a school but to lead a learning community with clarity, courage, and purpose.

The Outdoor Leadership Experience (OLE) is an integral part of the Missouri Leadership Academy journey.
Over the Academy’s 40-year history, OLE has often been described as “the most significant leadership experience of my career.”

This profound impact—often referred to as the "OLE effect"—emerges from a powerful blend of thought-provoking initiatives, a challenge-by-choice mindset, and opportunities for deep personal connection and reflection. Each experience is guided by seasoned school leaders who are deeply committed to the kind of professional learning that enables educators not just to grow, but to thrive.

Held in late October, the Outdoor Leadership Experience (OLE) offers school leaders a unique opportunity to step away from their day-to-day responsibilities and engage in meaningful, collaborative problem-solving with a diverse cohort of peers. Participants are organized into teams with whom they share the experience. Through camaraderie and challenge, each group develops its own identity and work ethic. Guided by expert facilitators, teams confront real-world problems of practice that mirror the complexities school leaders face every day. For many, OLE becomes a turning point—building not just leadership skills, but lasting connections. The bonds formed often continue long after the experience ends, becoming a vital part of each leader’s professional network for years to come.

Many participants wonder just how much of the Outdoor Leadership Experience (OLE) takes place outdoors. The answer: as much as possible. Rain or shine, our experienced facilitation team is well-trained in engagement, motivation, and—most importantly—safety. While many activities are outdoors, participants will stay in modern, climate-controlled dormitories and enjoy meals in a full-service cafeteria. To help you prepare for this transformational experience, each participant will receive clear guidance, including a detailed packing list. Expect to receive prompts and preparation materials in early October. Be sure to review the list carefully—it’s designed to support your learning, comfort, and safety throughout the experience.

Over the years, the Outdoor Leadership Experience (OLE) has been held at various scenic locations across Missouri, including Camp Rising Sun at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. In recent years, OLE participants have become familiar with Camp Lakewood, a beautiful facility owned by the Gateway Region YMCA. Nestled in the St. Francois Mountains of Missouri’s historic Lead Belt, Camp Lakewood offers a serene and inspiring backdrop for deep learning and connection.  Located just a short drive from Potosi, Missouri, this hidden gem provides the perfect setting for reflection, challenge, and growth.

If you are a fact-finder, you may already be wondering what you might need to bring along to OLE.  Here is the 2026 version of the OLE Packing List. 

Your MLDS specialists or facilitators can answer any questions you might have related to OLE.

The 41st  Outdoor Leadership Experience will be held Wednesday, November 4-7, 2026.

There are two pathways to Leadership Academy participation. Which pathway is right for you? Contact your Central Region MLDS Specialists for more information. See the schedule below for your specific cohort.

Pathway 1 -  Full Participation

• Registration for both the Statewide components and the Central Regional components

• Cost: $500 billed by the RPDC directly to your school district. This cost encompasses all state and regional sessions including the Outdoor Leadership Experience. Related costs like travel, accommodations at Kickoff, Winter Meeting, and Graduation are up to you or your district.

  • Statewide sessions include: (see cohort schedule below for specific date and location information)

    • MOLA Kickoff:  Held in early June with national presenters in Columbia, MO.

    • Outdoor Leadership Experience: Held in early November at Camp Lakewood, Potosi, MO (4 days - Wednesday through Saturday.

    • MOLA Winter Meeting:  Two days in mid-to late January in Columbia, MO. National presenters.

    • MOLA Graduation: Two days in early June in Columbia, MO. National presenters.

  • Central Regional day-long sessions include (MLDS 3):

    • Regional Session #1: Held in mid-September on the UCM Campus,  8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

    • Regional Session #2:  Held in early October on the UCM Campus. 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

    • Coaching Lab: Held in early December hosted by a regional school - Location TBA

    • Regional Session #3: Held in late February or early March on the UCM Campus. 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

    • In the Central Regional sessions, we continue our work with the MLDS content diving more deeply into theme explored in the first two years of MLDS using the MLDS Developing Participant Guide. In this, the third year of MLDS, we focus on application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned in MLDS 1 and MLDS 2.  Additionally, we set aside time for examination of timely problems of practice through specific solution-focused lenses. Also embedded in MLDS 3 is a book study featuring contemporary authors and topics.

  • Register here for the Statewide components for 2026-2027

  • Register here for the Central Regional components for 2026-2027

• Allows for the greatest benefit and exposure to the full treatment of transformational experiences

Pathyway 2 - Regional Participation Only:  For the leaders that wants to continue their MLDS learning experience without the extra time involved in the statewide activities

• Registration for only the Regional components

• Central Regional day-long sessions include: (see cohort schedule below for specific date and location information)

  • Regional Session #1: Held in mid-September on the UCM Campus,  8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

  • Regional Session #2:  Held in early October on the UCM Campus. 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

  • Coaching Lab: Held in early December hosted by a regional school - Location TBA

  • Regional Session #3: Held in late February or early March on the UCM Campus. 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

  • In the Central Regional sessions, we continue our work with the MLDS content diving more deeply into theme explored in the first two years of MLDS using the MLDS Developing Participant Guide. In this, the third year of MLDS, we focus on application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned in MLDS 1 and MLDS 2.  Additionally, we set aside time for examination of timely problems of practice through specific solution-focused lenses. Also embedded in MLDS 3 is a book study featuring contemporary authors and topics.

• Register here for the Central Regional components for 2026-2027

Cohort 41 (2026-2027)

MOLA Cohort 41 Kickoff: Monday, June 8 - Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Wyndham Executive Center, Columbia, MO.

Central Regional Session #1: Tuesday, September 15, 2026. UCM Campus - RPDC Classroom, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

MOLA Outdoor Leadership Experience: Wednesday, November 4 - Saturday, November 7, 2026. Camp Lakewood YMCA, Potosi, MO.

Central Regional Session #2: Thursday, October 8, 2026. UCM Campus - RPDC Classroom, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

Central Regional Coaching Lab: Wednesday, Decembrer 2, 2026.  Location TBA.

MOLA Cohort 41 Winter Meeting: Thursday, January 21-Friday, January 22, 2027.  Wyndham Executive Center, Columbia, MO.

Central Regional Session #3: Tuessday, February 23, 2027. UCM Campus - RPDC Classroom, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

MOLA Cohort 41 Graduation: Wedneday, June 9 - Thursday, June 10, 2027. Wyndham Executive Center, Columbia, MO.