The NFPA Executive Leadership Program is an in-depth and interactive program that helps emerging leaders in the fluid power industry develop their network and advance their management and leadership skills through tailored content. Its sessions are presented in collaboration with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, with Kellogg faculty helping to curate interactions among program participations.
A third cohort of scholars are now engaging in this program, concluding with their sixth in-person session in June 2025 at Kellogg on the campus of Northwestern University. The session’s focus was on Leading Under Pressure, with the participants engaging in lecture, discussion, and case study explorations.
Leading in a VUCA World – Professor Richard Jolly
Our world is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The capacity to keep calm and carry on is essential for those entrusted with the welfare of a business, its people, and its customers in this turbulent context. During the session, we will explore the fundamental changes redefining what it means to be an effective leader – we are at a tipping point in the evolution of organizations and leadership. Having ways to frame, manage, communicate, and engage followers in chaos becomes a distinguishing quality for distinguished leaders.
In this highly interactive session, program participants:
- Understood the way the VUCA environment necessitates a new leadership
- Identified how this environment affects them at a personal level
- Gained tools and strategies for steering their crew through turbulent waters
Thriving in Challenge – Professor Fred Harburg
The ability to prepare for, recover from, flourish, and grow stronger physically, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically amidst demanding challenges and setbacks separates the most effective and fulfilled from the merely competent. Having evidence-based approaches to boosting energy and thriving in the face of significant challenges is the lifeline we all need to deal with the difficulties of challenging times. The lessons from performance psychology, nutrition, exercise physiology, and neuroscience provide a playbook for times when the rules are constantly in flux. In this experiential session, program participants:
- Understood the science of resilience and human energy
- Identified current resilience position and opportunities for growth
- Personalized personal resilience routines in all four dimensions
This is a high-impact leadership development program, where each participant is using a customized leadership competency assessment to guide their progress through each session, and paired up with a learning partner to help ensure accountability and action between each set of sessions.
Plans are already underway for a fourth cohort – scheduled to begin in February 2026. Now is the time to reserve a spot for your up-and-coming professional in this unique and impactful program. Contact Eric Lanke at elanke@nfpa.com for more information.