Leadership Academy (LA)

The Leadership Academy is APPA's flagship leadership program for facilities professionals who want to lead with purpose, build high-performing teams, and shape the future of educational facilities. It goes beyond technical expertise to focus on people, culture, and long-term institutional impact.

At a glance

• Who it’s for: Facilities professionals who lead, or are on a clear path to senior leadership, and want to grow as leaders of people and organizations
• Structure: Four progressive levels, completed in sequence over time
• Length: Each level is 3 days
• Format: In-person, led by peer facilitators who are educational facilities leaders. Levels I–III are also available virtually; Level IV is in-person only
• How to attend: Offered at APPAU and available to host through APPA On Campus, by individual level
• Credit: 21 PDHs for each level completed 

Who it's for

The Leadership Academy is for facilities professionals who already lead or want to grow as leaders of people and organizations rather than only as technical experts. Because it is progressive, it serves a wide range. An emerging leader can begin at Level I and grow into the later levels over time, while an experienced leader can place themselves at the right starting point.

What sets the Academy apart is who teaches it. Every level is led by peer facilitators, working and retired educational facilities leaders who deliver proven leadership content and then bring it to life with real experience from the field. Their mentorship extends well beyond the classroom.

What you'll learn

The Academy follows a deliberate arc: you learn to lead yourself, then to lead others, then to lead an organization. Each level builds on the one before it.

Level I: Individual Effectiveness

Leadership starts with self-awareness. Level I helps you understand how you think, decide, and react, and how that shapes the people around you. You build the habits of personal accountability, learn to focus your time and energy on what matters most, and ground your leadership in a clear set of principles and ethics. You leave knowing yourself as a leader before you set out to lead anyone else.

Level II: Interpersonal Effectiveness

Leadership is built one relationship at a time. Level II strengthens how you communicate, collaborate, and work through conflict. You learn how trust is established, spent, and rebuilt; how to understand what motivates the people you work with; and how to lead with empathy without losing accountability. The result is the ability to bring people together and lead teams that actually work as teams.

Level III: Managerial Effectiveness

Leading a team is its own discipline. Level III sharpens the core moves of a manager: making sound decisions, setting and communicating a clear direction, guiding people through change, and coaching others to perform and grow. You learn to connect your team's day-to-day work to the larger goals of your institution, so effort turns into results.

Level IV: Organizational Effectiveness

At the top of the arc, you lead beyond your own team. Level IV broadens your view to the whole organization: how culture forms and shifts, how to draw the best from the strengths of individuals and teams, and how to set vision and exercise influence across the institution. You leave equipped to play a more strategic role, improve the student experience, and help your organization grow.

What you’ll gain

• A clearer understanding of your own leadership style, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and accountability
• Collaboration, conflict resolution, and change-management skills to lead in a dynamic environment
• The ability to shape culture and influence institutional direction with vision and strategy
• A network of facilities leaders and peer mentors that lasts well beyond the program
• 21 PDHs for each level completed, which you can report to the certification or continuing-education body of your choice

When and where

All four levels are offered at every APPAU event, so you can start your progression or pick up the next level at any APPAU, no matter where you are in the sequence. Levels can also be brought to your campus, region, or chapter through APPA On Campus, level by level. Levels I–III can be delivered virtually; Level IV is offered in person only.

For current dates and registration, see the Leadership Academy events list or Leadership Academy at APPAU St. Louis, or contact APPA's Professional Development team at professionaldevelopment@appa.org.

Great leadership is learned. The Leadership Academy develops the leaders who set the standard for the field and mentor those who follow.