Leading from the Middle Academy

Purpose of the LFM Academy

Middle leaders play a critical role in translating vision into practice, yet their leadership development is often left to chance. The LFM Academy provides intentional, structured support that helps colleges invest in the people who already hold the insight, relationships, and influence to move change forward.

The LFM Academy Journey

Leadership development is designed as a sustained journey, not a series of isolated events.

The LFM Academy is a 15-month leadership development journey for cross-functional college teams working on a real campus priority. The project is the vehicle, but the deeper purpose is building shared leadership capacity. 

The journey begins with connection and orientation, helping teams clarify purpose and reflect on their leadership identity. The first in-person convening focuses on building trust and shared purpose. The second strengthens strategy, supporting teams to navigate complexity and move from intention to aligned action. The third centers on sustaining momentum so the work continues beyond early wins. 

Throughout the experience, coaching supports both the project and the growth of individual and collective leadership. The Academy concludes with sustainability planning and a celebration of learning, reinforcing that leadership development does not end when the formal program does.

What Makes the LFM Academy Distinct

For more than 13 years, the LFM Academy has focused on developing the leadership capacity of middle leaders across California community colleges. It is the only leadership development program in the system that centers practitioners who lead from the middle, where influence is shared, authority is often informal, and change depends on collaboration across roles.

The LFM Academy is a project-based leadership experience grounded in real campus work. Participants learn alongside peers from across the system while applying new insights directly to a college-based initiative aligned with institutional and statewide priorities.

The following features are the heart of the LFM Academy:

• Cross-functional teams that reflect the complexity of college systems
• Leadership identity development, especially for practitioners whose leadership is often informal or unrecognized
• Equity-centered practice grounded in reflection, dialogue, and evidence
• Systems thinking to navigate culture, power, and resistance
• Coaching and relationships that support growth over time

Who Should Participate

The LFM Academy is designed for cross-functional college teams that may include academic and counseling faculty, classified professionals, researchers, directors, and mid-level administrators.

This mix of roles reflects how change happens in practice and strengthens teams’ ability to collaborate, influence across divisions, and move initiatives forward.

What Participants Gain

What Colleges Gain

Participating in the LFM Academy is an investment in a college’s internal leadership capacity. Colleges will gain

• Stronger cross-functional leadership teams equipped to navigate complexity and lead change together;
• Increased alignment between institutional priorities, equity goals, and day-to-day practice;
• Greater capacity to use data and evidence to inform decisions and engage difficult conversations;
• Progress on a college-based initiative that advances student success and equity; and
• Leadership continuity, even through transitions in senior roles.

What Teams Leave With

By the end of the Academy, teams leave with a clearer sense of leadership identity and shared purpose, stronger cross-functional relationships, practical tools for navigating complexity and resistance, tangible progress on a college-based initiative, and lasting connections with a statewide network of peers.

Explore the LFM Academy