January 30, 2025 —At Kendal, collaboration and communication are at the heart of our success. The Leadership Forum, convening Affiliate Executive Directors and CEOs, Affiliate Board Chairs, and the TKC (The Kendal Corporations’) leadership team, serves as a unifying body for the Kendal System. This structured forum is not a legal entity in and of itself, but a unique example of collaboration designed to support Kendal’s governing structure while fostering understanding, innovation, growth, and alignment.
The Leadership Forum meets twice a year in person. These meetings are pivotal for nurturing relationships, advancing mutual goals, and addressing shared challenges. Most recently, the January gathering reinforced the importance of in-person collaboration, with nearly full attendance from the group.
Here’s what the January Forum accomplished and what’s on the horizon for the Kendal System. (Please note that the meetings will be held in March and September beginning in 2026, instead of January and June.)
Key Highlights from the January Leadership Forum
1. Optimizing System-Wide Peer Groups
Peer groups are essential for sharing expertise across Affiliates and fostering continuous learning. At the forum, participants discussed strategies to enhance these groups, encourage greater Affiliate department director participation and ensure ED/CEOs stay updated on outcomes.
2. Aligning Strategic Plans
Another significant focus was a discussion on how to best align individual Affiliates’ strategic plans with TKC’s new strategic plan. The conversation emphasized how mutual understanding and planning on broad-based initiatives can help all move forward as a connected system in ways that make sense.
3. Collaboration and Honest Feedback
Collaborative engagement and clear communication remains a priority, even when there are conflicting opinions. Participants agreed that TKC site visits to affiliates are most useful when there is defined purpose for a visit and there is some type of verbal and/or written feedback that is shared following the visit, ideally occurring in person with the affiliate ED/CEO prior to departure.
4. Agreed-Upon Metrics and System Dashboards
There was a collective call for standardized metrics and benchmarks across the Kendal to enhance transparency and identify performance improvement opportunities. Dashboards for tracking and comparing progress were widely supported, providing a consistent way to measure success and support evidence-based decision-making.
5. Prioritizing Data Security
Another significant area of agreement was the group’s strong commitment to data security. Leaders agreed on the importance of a unified stance to protect sensitive information, an essential element of maintaining trust and innovation within the Kendal System.
A Foundation of Collaboration and Comradery
The Leadership Forum also encourages conversations on tackling challenges, with leaders constructively addressing both areas of alignment and areas of tension. This results in strengthened relationships and a deeper understanding of shared goals. Peer breakout groups and collaboration with TKC fostered new ideas, closer connections, and a renewed sense of teamwork.
A testament to the connections made, the gathering officially adjourned, but many in attendance stayed on longer to share more ideas, a meal and a goodbye hug (as is the Kendal style).
Moving Forward with Shared Purpose
Looking ahead to the next Leadership Forum, the Kendal System remains focused on enhancing collaboration, practicing collective decision making using a consensus-based approach, aligning strategies, and building stronger connections among Affiliates and TKC. Our work advances when we embrace shared challenges, celebrate progress, and collaborate across the System.