The Midwest Leadership Institute is the premier institute for local government organizational leaders. Successful outcomes in local government require a deep understanding of interpersonal leadership. The ability to understand individual and organizational behavior and diagnose why people act the way they do is crucial. The courage and discipline to admit when you do not know what you do not know, which requires you to know yourself and your emotions, is important for an organizational leader.
The Midwest Leadership Institute is pleased to announce that registrants for the Spring Seminar can participate in a leadership analytics assessment using a tool called AJIL® - Assessing Judgment and Insight in Leadership.
The cost is $475 and you may sign-up for the assessment during your seminar registration.
| Date: | April 26 – 30, 2027 |
| Location: | NIU Naperville Campus, 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL |
| Cost: | 1 – 3 people - $3,400/participant 4 – 6 people - $3,000/participant max from any one organization is 6 people |
Who Should Attend?
Local government organizational leaders including chief administrative officers, assistants, department heads and others who are interested in leadership education focused on the theoretical and practical.
Join a network of organizational leaders who have participated in the Midwest Leadership Institute and who continue to assist one another with workplace and personal challenges and celebrate successes. Participants also receive ongoing educational materials through the “members only” section of the MLI website and receive invitations to participant only events.
Curriculum
The Institute is an intensive 4.5-day program with both an internal self-focus and an external organizational focus. The Institute consists of ten learning pods including lectures, exercises, and team discussions. The ten learning pods are as follows:
- The State of Today and the Effect on the State of Tomorrow
- Fundamental Concepts for Leading People
- Judgment – The Foundation of Successful Leadership
- Emotions – When Working with People Gets Tough
- Power, Authority, Motivation, and Influence
- Change: Resistance, Motivation, and Performance
- The Relentless Pursuit of an Ethical Culture
- Aligning Goals, Tasks, and Relationships
- The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership
- Balancing Work, Family and Self
MLI Team
A cross-disciplinary team of leading local government practitioners and experts in executive coaching and leadership development create and present the program:
- Daven Morrison, M.D.
- David M. Limardi, Limardi Consulting LLC, MPA, ICMA-CM
- Robert Kiely, MPA, ICMA-CM
- Dawn S. Peters, MPA
Logistics
Each program is limited to 40 participants to ensure time for one-on-one individualized coaching as well as small group and all-participant events. Tuition for the entire 4.5-day Institute is $3,400 which includes course materials, daily continental breakfast and lunch for four days.
Organizations that send 4-6 participants are eligible for tuition discounts ($3,000/participant). We ask that no more than 6 people per organization attend the same Institute. Payment must be made by January 31, 2027. Payments not received by that date will result in forfeited seat(s).
Check Payment Policy: Please note that payments made by check must be received within 45 days of registration. MLI does not accept registrations with "TBD" participants; all attendee names must be provided to complete the registration. If participant names are not submitted within 45 days of registration, the registration will be forfeited.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be received by Midwest Leadership Institute three weeks in advance of the Spring MLI for a full refund or to be transferred to the next year's Institute. You may cancel by e-mail to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 815-753-0923. Cancellations received after the three-week window and no-shows are responsible for the full registration cost. The hosting organization reserves the right to modify the agenda and/or speakers, cancel the training due to low enrollment, or to close registration if full.
