Leadership Academy Presented by LWRBA
In Sarasota-Bradenton, where new businesses, cultural institutions and ambitious civic projects seem to appear by the season, leadership is less a title than a daily practice.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota-Bradenton, where new businesses, cultural institutions and ambitious civic projects seem to appear by the season, leadership is less a title than a daily practice. The Leadership Academy, presented by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in partnership with Game On Nation, offers a focused setting for professionals ready to sharpen that practice—and to consider what kind of leaders their organizations and communities need next.
Held at Nathan Benderson Park, the six-week program is designed for a broad but purposeful audience: senior leaders, mid-level professionals and emerging talent moving quickly toward greater responsibility. Its interactive format recognizes that leadership is not learned exclusively from a lectern. It is tested in conversations, decisions, collaborations and the occasional high-pressure moment when a team needs clarity more than charisma.
That emphasis feels particularly relevant in a region experiencing sustained growth. Lakewood Ranch and the greater Sarasota area have become magnets for entrepreneurs, families, institutions and companies, bringing fresh energy as well as the familiar challenges of expansion: building strong teams, communicating across generations and sectors, and preserving a sense of community while everything changes around it. Programs that connect professionals across those lines can help turn growth into something more intentional.
The partnership with Game On Nation adds an experiential dimension to the academy. Known for using sports-inspired methods to explore teamwork, accountability and performance, the organization brings a practical vocabulary to questions that can otherwise feel abstract. Participants can expect a setting built around engagement rather than passive instruction, with room to examine individual leadership styles and the habits that shape organizational culture.
Nathan Benderson Park is a fitting host. The 600-acre park is best known as an international rowing and paddling destination, but its broad grounds and event facilities have made it an increasingly versatile gathering place for the region. There, the language of leadership meets a landscape associated with discipline, coordination and shared momentum—qualities as useful in a boardroom as they are on the water.
The Leadership Academy begins August 14 and continues August 21, August 28, September 11, September 18 and September 25, with sessions from 8:30 a.m. to noon. For Sarasota-area professionals looking to strengthen their leadership skills in an energetic, locally connected setting, the September 18 session will take place at Nathan Benderson Park as part of the academy presented by LWRBA and Game On Nation.