Leadership Academy Presented by LWRBA
In Sarasota-Bradenton, where new businesses rise alongside ambitious civic projects and a fast-growing population, leadership is no longer a title reserved for the corner office.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota-Bradenton, where new businesses rise alongside ambitious civic projects and a fast-growing population, leadership is no longer a title reserved for the corner office. It is a daily practice—one that shapes how teams collaborate, how organizations adapt and how the region imagines its future. The Leadership Academy, presented by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in partnership with Game On Nation, approaches that practice with an emphasis on participation, reflection and real-world growth.
Designed for senior leaders, mid-level professionals and emerging talent on a fast track toward greater responsibility, the six-week program offers a chance to sharpen the skills that matter long after a meeting ends: communication, decision-making, accountability and the ability to bring people with you. Its interactive format makes the academy less a traditional seminar than a working laboratory for the challenges leaders encounter in a region as dynamic as Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch.
That regional context matters. Southwest Florida’s business community is evolving at remarkable speed, with new residents, industries and institutions continually changing the way organizations operate. Strong leadership helps translate that momentum into healthy workplaces and durable community relationships. Programs such as this also create connections across sectors, bringing together professionals who may otherwise encounter one another only in passing. The result can be as valuable as the formal curriculum: a broader local network and a clearer sense of how individual leadership contributes to the character of the place.
Nathan Benderson Park provides an apt setting. Known for its world-class rowing course and expansive grounds, the park has become one of the area’s signature gathering places, welcoming athletic competitions, cultural events and community programs. Its open, active environment offers a welcome counterpoint to the usual conference-room setting, suggesting that leadership, like sport, depends on preparation, focus and a willingness to respond in the moment.
The academy meets from 8:30 a.m. to noon across six Fridays: August 14, August 21, August 28, September 11, September 18 and September 25, 2026. For those joining the September 11 session—or considering the full program—the Leadership Academy will be hosted at Nathan Benderson Park, with registration handled through the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.