Announcing an affordable 12-month leadership development program exclusively for Bloch School alumni.
Registration is accepted on a rolling basis so it is never too late to start!
Registration fee:
$1,400.
After you register, a Bloch Executive Education staff member will reach out to you about next steps including setting up a time for your career assessment and action plan and selecting the four Bloch Executive Series Seminars you would like to take. Below is information on the current seminars to choose from and the Career Assessment and Action Plan facilitator:
April 11, 2025 | 8:30am – 3:30pm This workshop is designed to help anyone understand the entire business process from transactions to financial statements and much more. What You Will Learn During the workshop, the attendees will gain a strong understanding of finance and accounting. They will learn how to use financial information to understand how to evaluate business performance for their own business unit, division, and their customers. About the Instructor For the past 28 years, Mr. Kay has specialized in assisting businesses in the quest to improve performance in the areas of strategic planning, finance and accounting, project management, marketing, sales and sales management, and team building following the accelerated learning model for adult learning. Mr. Kay’s professional experience includes over 20 years as CEO and owner of a major company and, for the past 28 years helping major Fortune 500 companies and Universities with organizational development and training.FINANCE FOR NON-FINANCIAL MANAGERS
In-Person at Bloch Executive Hall
This intensive and fun workshop was created to help people position themselves to understand the numbers, how they work, and how to analyze financial statements, and the importance of asset management.
William R. Kay, MBA, is an adjunct Professor for the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), Bloch School of Management, and owner of W. Kay & Associates is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals enhance their competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance.
May 6, 2025 | 8:30am – 3:30pm Are you struggling to build an environment of trust on your team? Trust can be challenging to establish and easy to lose. Effective leaders and managers understand that trust must be earned and maintained through ongoing efforts. These teams succeed by being open to innovation, admitting mistakes, addressing challenges collectively, and supporting each other when necessary. While most leaders acknowledge that trust is fundamental, fostering it within a team can be challenging. How can you effectively build trust among your team members? There are no straightforward, definitive instructions, and simply stating, “Trust me,” is insufficient. This session will cover the anatomy of trust, its importance, and how to build it within your team. After this session you’ll be able to: About the Instructor In 2021, Liesl released her first book through Morgan James Publishing: Broken, Changed & Rearranged. This self-development book shares her journey of chasing the traditional paths towards success to discover she was woefully unhappy locked inside her 60-hour a week grind. Her inspiring story empowers others to step outside the traditional definitions of success to chase what provides them meaning. Liesl runs on coffee, “to do lists,” and the belief that exit interviews don’t lie-you’re just not listening. She lives in Blue Springs Missouri with her children, Mady and Ethan, and their unruly dog Bear. Melissa loves to help individuals understand and maximize their unique talents in ways that best support their teams and organizations. Melissa enjoys looking beyond the surface level of a business challenge to determine its root cause then aligns both people and strategies to effectively solve issues. She specializes in corporate onboarding, role development and tackling difficult conversations. Melissa lives in Lone Jack, Mo with her husband Joe where she enjoys organic gardening, reading (fiction please!) and spending time with her family.BUILDING TRUST ON YOUR TEAM-HOW EMPATHETIC LEADERSHIP CAN TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM CULTURE
IN-PERSON SESSION – UMKC Bloch Executive Hall, 5108 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri Room 414
Liesl Hays is an author, entrepreneur, and human resources strategist. For over twenty years, Liesl has provided strategic direction to small, medium, and large businesses regarding their human capital needs. Most recently, Liesl was a Human Resources Strategist at one of the largest global Healthcare IT companies in the world. After leaving her corporate job in 2016, she opened her own Human Resources Consulting business called Aligned Talent Consulting. Liesl is a contributing writer for the wildly popular self-development website Lifehack, and you can find her behind the microphone weekly as a host of the Link 2 Lee’s Summit podcast.
Melissa O’Daniel is a skilled and highly intuitive associate development strategist. After more than 18 years leading large Human Resources and Learning teams for a Fortune 500 Healthcare IT company, she left her corporate job in 2018 to open Aligned Talent Consulting and focus on her passion for associate development.
June 4, 2025 | 8:30am-Noon Given nearly every feedback study indicates professionals are happier and perform better when receiving input from colleagues, it is imperative for leaders to cultivate a culture where feedback is expected and appreciated. A company that values transparency invites employees to share input, without fear, across all levels. Doing so normalizes feedback behaviors in formal and informal settings. Both meaningful praise AND honest criticism are vital components of healthy cultures. Organizations encouraging the delivery of both, with positive intent, see improved relationships, higher satisfaction levels, and stronger business results. What You Will Learn About the Instructor Prior to his role at Spotlight, Mike enjoyed over 22 years of healthcare IT leadership experience working at Cerner. His final role there involved leading a group of faculty who developed and delivered advanced education to cohorts of Veterans Administration (VA) clinicians, informaticists, and analytics professionals. He also worked with internal and external leaders on change management and other organizational development initiatives. Previously, Mike held executive responsibilities over Cerner’s client and associate learning organizations. His award-winning teams, many of which were internationally based, provided practical and effective end-to-end learning solutions to Cerner clients and associates around the world. Mike also spent a year as the Vice President of Learning and Development at AMC Theatres where he led a team of learning professionals focused on building, supporting, and retaining talent across multiple guest-facing brands. Mike regularly carries out public speaking engagements and provides coaching to business leaders across the Kansas City metropolitan area. He presents and instructs on diverse topics such as leading through change, emotional intelligence, holding difficult conversations, building a culture of feedback, advanced presentation techniques, cultivating trust, and executive presence. Prior to working in the private sector, Mike was involved in city management for three years. He worked primarily as a management analyst for the city of Kansas City, Mo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Brigham Young University. Mike is married to Amy Allison, a non-profit leader serving as the Executive Director for The Farmer’s House. They have three young adult children (girl, boy, girl). Besides being an avid family man, Mike is passionate about volunteering, seeing the world, hiking, music, disc golf, and all things San Francisco. He was born and raised in the “City by the Bay.”CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH CULTURE
VIRTUAL SESSION via Zoom
In this interactive and multimedia-driven session, leaders will learn how to:
Mike Allison is the Vice President of Talent at Spotlight (Analyst Relations) where he oversees talent acquisition, leadership development, and employee growth/engagement. Spotlight was named Kansas City’s best place to work (medium-sized company) by the Kansas City Business Journal in 2023. Ingram’s magazine also bestowed similar recognition. Mike is also an Adjunct Professor and Bloch Executive Education instructor within the Bloch School at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC).
August 14, 2025 | 8:30am – 3:30pm The only constant in the world is change. Technological advancements, unpredictable business landscapes, and shifting cultural norms are impacting work environments like never before. As such, leaders and the organizations they represent must constantly reinvent themselves or risk becoming obsolete. Doing so is not easy as changing individual behavior is difficult. Changing organizational behaviors that lead to real business results can feel impossible. Today, the vast majority of individual and organizational change efforts fail. And yet, there are leaders who truly make a difference and positively impact their personal and professional surroundings. They often understand the “science” around influencing others. What You Will Learn Key concepts covered in the session include: About the Instructor Prior to his role at Spotlight, Mike enjoyed over 22 years of healthcare IT leadership experience working at Cerner. His final role there involved leading a group of faculty who developed and delivered advanced education to cohorts of Veterans Administration (VA) clinicians, informaticists, and analytics professionals. He also worked with internal and external leaders on change management and other organizational development initiatives. Previously, Mike held executive responsibilities over Cerner’s client and associate learning organizations. His award-winning teams, many of which were internationally based, provided practical and effective end-to-end learning solutions to Cerner clients and associates around the world. Mike also spent a year as the Vice President of Learning and Development at AMC Theatres where he led a team of learning professionals focused on building, supporting, and retaining talent across multiple guest-facing brands. Mike regularly carries out public speaking engagements and provides coaching to business leaders across the Kansas City metropolitan area. He presents and instructs on diverse topics such as leading through change, emotional intelligence, holding difficult conversations, building a culture of feedback, advanced presentation techniques, cultivating trust, and executive presence. Prior to working in the private sector, Mike was involved in city management for three years. He worked primarily as a management analyst for the city of Kansas City, Mo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Brigham Young University. Mike is married to Amy Allison, a non-profit leader serving as the Executive Director for The Farmer’s House. They have three young adult children (girl, boy, girl). Besides being an avid family man, Mike is passionate about volunteering, seeing the world, hiking, music, disc golf, and all things San Francisco. He was born and raised in the “City by the Bay.”LEADING YOURSELVES AND OTHERS THROUGH CHANGE
In-Person at Bloch Executive Hall
Leading Yourself and Others Through Change attendees will explore the concepts of adaptive and technical change and discover why we often default to applying technical solutions to adaptive problems. In a multi-media driven environment, leaders will learn how to better influence others by harnessing proven behavior science techniques and models. They will be challenged to think critically about their organization’s power dynamics and better comprehend what truly inspires those around us to take action. Leaders will consider their own “change challenges” as they learn how to connect personal, social, and structural factors to results.
Mike Allison is the Vice President of Talent at Spotlight (Analyst Relations) where he oversees talent acquisition, leadership development, and employee growth/engagement. Spotlight was named Kansas City’s best place to work (medium-sized company) by the Kansas City Business Journal in 2023. Ingram’s magazine also bestowed similar recognition. Mike is also an Adjunct Professor and Bloch Executive Education instructor within the Bloch School at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC).
September 16, 2025 | 1pm – 4:30pm This workshop emphasizes the importance of leadership alignment and cultural cohesion while focusing on uncovering the shadow culture-the hidden norms that can undermine success. It’s designed to engage leaders in a transformative process of understanding both visible and invisible cultural dynamics. What You Will Learn Understand Your Shadow Culture About the InstructorUNMASKING LEADERSHIP & CULTURE: ALIGNING LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS
VIRTUAL SESSION via Zoom
Subconscious Attitudes – The underlying, often unspoken beliefs that influence behavior.
Hidden Norms – Unofficial rules and expectations that guide behavior but are not formally recognized.
Assumptions – Unquestioned beliefs about how things should work within the organization.
Dissenting Behaviors – Actions that go against the formal culture but are tolerated or ignored.
Overshadowed Values – Core values that are stated but not reflected in everyday actions due to competing priorities.
Workplace Dynamics – The informal relationships and power structures that shape how work gets done.
Dr. Kevin Sansberry II is a behavioral scientist and executive coach whose inspiring work is driven by the need for evidence-based, inclusive, and equitable approaches to urgently and proactively transform and coach leaders, eradicating toxic behaviors that threaten profitability, innovation, and the overall well-being. He is also the creator and host of the Toxic Leadership Podcast which reached as high as the number four nonprofit podcast in the United States in 2021.
September 17, 2025 | 8:30am-Noon What You Will Learn About the InstructorCONTROL: SHAPING PERFORMANCE & OUTCOMES
VIRTUAL SESSION via Zoom
This workshop focuses on optimizing organizational climate, shaping communication, accountability, and leadership quality to drive performance and achieve measurable outcomes like employee engagement and customer satisfaction.
Dr. Kevin Sansberry II is a behavioral scientist and executive coach whose inspiring work is driven by the need for evidence-based, inclusive, and equitable approaches to urgently and proactively transform and coach leaders, eradicating toxic behaviors that threaten profitability, innovation, and the overall well-being. He is also the creator and host of the Toxic Leadership Podcast which reached as high as the number four nonprofit podcast in the United States in 2021.
October 9. 2025 | 8:30am – 3:30pm Every organization strives to improve performance, but surprisingly few understand what high performing organizations actually look like. Not surprisingly, this can lead companies to focus on improving the wrong things, often with the best of intentions. Using a series of examples, we will cover what high performing organizations all have in common, and what practices managers and organizations can adopt to achieve people-driven success. About the Instructor THE HUMAN EDGE: WHAT SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE IN COMMON
In-Person at Bloch Executive Hall 
Bryan Hong, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Entrepreneurship and Management Department. Prior to joining the Bloch School, he was a visiting assistant professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an assistant professor at Ivey Business School in Canada. He completed his PhD in Business Administration at the University of California-Berkeley.
October 14, 2025 | 8:30am – 3:30pm Are you struggling to focus on the work that matters most? Is your notification-heavy environment hindering your productivity? Do you end your day feeling like you accomplished nothing? You are not alone. Did you know the average person checks their e-mail 72 times a day? Frequent interruptions at work break our concentration and often create unnecessary urgency. Successful leaders and managers prioritize important tasks and relentlessly pursue their goals. They identify items that require immediate attention, those that need focused deep work, and strategies to accomplish tasks efficiently. They lead their teams by balancing daily tasks with thoughtful decision-making. During this session, we will help you transform your work routine to prioritize effective time management and decision-making practices. After this session you’ll be able to: About the Instructor In 2021, Liesl released her first book through Morgan James Publishing: Broken, Changed & Rearranged. This self-development book shares her journey of chasing the traditional paths towards success to discover she was woefully unhappy locked inside her 60-hour a week grind. Her inspiring story empowers others to step outside the traditional definitions of success to chase what provides them meaning. Liesl runs on coffee, “to do lists,” and the belief that exit interviews don’t lie-you’re just not listening. She lives in Blue Springs Missouri with her children, Mady and Ethan, and their unruly dog Bear. Melissa loves to help individuals understand and maximize their unique talents in ways that best support their teams and organizations. Melissa enjoys looking beyond the surface level of a business challenge to determine its root cause then aligns both people and strategies to effectively solve issues. She specializes in corporate onboarding, role development and tackling difficult conversations. Melissa lives in Lone Jack, Mo with her husband Joe where she enjoys organic gardening, reading (fiction please!) and spending time with her family.FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS-HOW TIME MANAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU WORK
IN-PERSON SESSION – UMKC Bloch Executive Hall, 5108 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri Room 414
Liesl Hays is an author, entrepreneur, and human resources strategist. For over twenty years, Liesl has provided strategic direction to small, medium, and large businesses regarding their human capital needs. Most recently, Liesl was a Human Resources Strategist at one of the largest global Healthcare IT companies in the world. After leaving her corporate job in 2016, she opened her own Human Resources Consulting business called Aligned Talent Consulting. Liesl is a contributing writer for the wildly popular self-development website Lifehack, and you can find her behind the microphone weekly as a host of the Link 2 Lee’s Summit podcast.Melissa O’Daniel is a skilled and highly intuitive associate development strategist. After more than 18 years leading large Human Resources and Learning teams for a Fortune 500 Healthcare IT company, she left her corporate job in 2018 to open Aligned Talent Consulting and focus on her passion for associate development.
December 5, 2025 | 8:30am-Noon What You Will Learn About the Instructor Prior to his role at Spotlight, Mike enjoyed over 22 years of healthcare IT leadership experience working at Cerner. His final role there involved leading a group of faculty who developed and delivered advanced education to cohorts of Veterans Administration (VA) clinicians, informaticists, and analytics professionals. He also worked with internal and external leaders on change management and other organizational development initiatives. Previously, Mike held executive responsibilities over Cerner’s client and associate learning organizations. His award-winning teams, many of which were internationally based, provided practical and effective end-to-end learning solutions to Cerner clients and associates around the world. Mike also spent a year as the Vice President of Learning and Development at AMC Theatres where he led a team of learning professionals focused on building, supporting, and retaining talent across multiple guest-facing brands. Mike regularly carries out public speaking engagements and provides coaching to business leaders across the Kansas City metropolitan area. He presents and instructs on diverse topics such as leading through change, emotional intelligence, holding difficult conversations, building a culture of feedback, advanced presentation techniques, cultivating trust, and executive presence. Prior to working in the private sector, Mike was involved in city management for three years. He worked primarily as a management analyst for the city of Kansas City, Mo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Brigham Young University. Mike is married to Amy Allison, a non-profit leader serving as the Executive Director for The Farmer’s House. They have three young adult children (girl, boy, girl). Besides being an avid family man, Mike is passionate about volunteering, seeing the world, hiking, music, disc golf, and all things San Francisco. He was born and raised in the “City by the Bay.”HARNESSING THE POWER OF INFLUENCE AND PERSUASION
VIRTUAL SESSION via Zoom
Leaders who move the meter understand the behavior science around influence. They authentically and effectively shape the opinions of peers, stakeholders, clients, and direct reports. Without influence, you cannot be successful in advancing the businesses, organizations, and people you serve. During this interactive session, you will learn how to more effectively persuade others while exploring multiple dimensions of power and political agility. Discussions and activities will include a focus on the state of your internal and external networks. You will leave the session with practical tools for building your influence across your organization.
Those in attendance will learn that in order to influence and persuade others:
Mike Allison is the Vice President of Talent at Spotlight (Analyst Relations) where he oversees talent acquisition, leadership development, and employee growth/engagement. Spotlight was named Kansas City’s best place to work (medium-sized company) by the Kansas City Business Journal in 2023. Ingram’s magazine also bestowed similar recognition. Mike is also an Adjunct Professor and Bloch Executive Education instructor within the Bloch School at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC).
Contact us at umkcexeced@umkc.edu or 816-235-2892 if you have any questions.
By Shannon Peery This Nonprofit Navigation session explores 360-Degree Leadership, including practical tools about how to lead, wherever you are within your organization. It is presented by Dr. Brent Never, ... Read more
