Post Covid, global disruptions continue and contemporary leadership rules have changed. There is less acceptance of a command and control approach and a greater demand for leadership that has emotional intelligence, uses increased communication, has effective decision making and supports greater collaboration.

 

The future of long term care is about creating inclusive communities, building capacity for all key stakeholders. At the forefront are authentic, compassionate leaders. Having a purpose driven leadership approach creates and fosters deep, meaningful relationships with all team members. Knowing ourselves is a hallmark of effective leadership. Creating effective teams means also knowing them. Education is a key component for success and as leaders, we should start with ourselves first.

 

This Masterclass session invites participants to move beyond traditional management approaches and step into their full potential as authentic leaders.

 

Through the lens of True North leadership, attendees will explore how to align daily actions with their own mission, vision, and values—and how to lead with greater self-awareness, vulnerability, and purpose. This experience is designed to spark personal growth, challenging participants to reflect deeply on their leadership identity and move from simply directing others to an inspiring and empowering with lasting impact.

 

The session will also highlight the role of data-driven leadership, showing how metrics and feedback can guide leaders in measuring alignment, tracking cultural progress, and making informed, values-based decisions.

 

Grounded in the Seven Domains of Well-Being—Identity, Connectedness, Security, Autonomy, Meaning, Growth, and Joy—participants will discover how to lead in ways that support holistic well-being, create human-centered environments, and drive meaningful culture transformation.

 

This Masterclass will demonstrate the importance of knowing, understanding and practicing authenticity and accountability in our everyday leadership relationships with colleagues, elders, families and the wider community.

 

In understanding ourselves as leaders, we are better able to support policy and practice change that says “Yebo / Yes!” to building human capital, engaging local stakeholders, and strengthening education and training systems that promote culturally competent practices.

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 3 hour session participants will

• Explore the core principles of authentic leadership and it’s significance in the ever-changing world of healthcare.

• Identify and align personal and professional values with organisational values and discuss practical strategies for integrating core values into their own daily leadership practice

• Learn how to apply the Eden Alternative Seven Domains of Wellbeing firstly to their own lives and then their communities.

• Understand the importance of data in leadership, by exploring a return on investment case study and how to apply this in their own setting

• Develop a tangible leadership roadmap for future personal growth

 

Content and format

This masterclass is a combination of lecture, group discussion and interactive exercises that aims to foster greater knowledge sharing, a deeper understanding of our personal strengths and creating a vision for change in the future. Learning from each other and understanding the importance of authentic leadership is a key outcome.

 

Activities and Engagement Strategies

• Knowing ourselves: Self Assessment on leadership style

• Developing relationships: using the Eden Domains of Wellbeing document

• Case Study: Analysing real-life examples of the importance of data, using the Eden Alternative Return on Investment (2024) document.

• Action Mapping: Committing to creating a personal leadership roadmap

 

Expected outcomes

Our audience has the opportunity for personal / professional development in this session. Attendees will leave with:

• Practical tools to navigate adaptive challenges, empower others, and stay grounded in purpose

• Understand the importance of data driven leadership to drive meaningful and measurable impact

• Strengthen the individual’s self knowledge and awareness as a leader

• Be inspired to lead culture change initiatives grounded in a wellbeing framework

• Foster a culture of authenticity in their communities and better align personal and organisational values to promote purpose and resilience which improves overall workplace culture.

• Understand the importance of education for all stakeholders.

Speaker 1 – Sally Hopkins

 

Sally Hopkins, MBA, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Eden Alternative® in Australia and New Zealand and South East Asia, a non-profit organisation, based in Australia. She plays an active role in advancing The Eden Alternative model of person directed care across the region including South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

With extensive leadership experience in the aged care sector, Ms. Hopkins is dedicated to fostering environments that prioritise dignity, autonomy, and meaningful engagement for older adults. Her work champions the transformation of traditional models of care into person-directed, life-affirming communities. She is the recipient of the Nancy Fox Leadership Award.

 

With more than 25 years experience in Aged Care, and the past 15 years at the helm of the global Eden Alternative® in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, Sally educates and guides organisations to challenge the status quo, to review and revise their corporate strategic direction and to de-institutionalise their buildings, people, policies, procedures and clinical practice.

 

Through the Eden Alternative, many organisations innovate and create thriving communities. They encourage the development and sustainability of meaningful relationships and change their environments. With a “person first” emphasis, the outcome is improved wellbeing for all.

 

Through her efforts, The Eden Alternative continues to expand its impact, promoting culture change and enhancing the quality of life for elders and care partners alike. The Eden Alternative continues to inspire innovation in the aged and community care sector across the Asia Pacific region.

 

Speaker 2 – Michelle Daniel

Michelle Daniel, NHA, MHA, CFRE is the President and CEO of the Eden Alternative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of Elders and their care partners by transforming the communities in which they live and work.

 

She has worked in the Long-Term Care field since 1995 and has experience in skilled nursing homes, assisted living centers and ICF-IDD campuses in Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Health Administration. Michelle is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and has served as a Preceptor for four Administrators in Training.

 

Michelle has led her peers in Long Term Care in exploring culture change and is an Eden Alternative® Educator (2008), Eden Alternative® Mentor (2014) and Eden Path to Mastery Guide (2020). She has spoken to many groups regarding culture change in healthcare and person-directed care, including five Eden Alternative International Conferences, Pioneer Network Conferences, Green House Project Conferences, Texas Coalition for Culture Change Conferences, multiple Mississippi Department of Mental Health/IDD Joint Conferences, multiple Aging and Adult Services Conferences (for Mississippi), National Consumer Voice (Washington, D.C.), IQH, Signature Healthcare, United Methodist Association and many local civic groups. She currently serves on the United Methodist Association Board.

 

Michelle most recently served as a Vice President for Methodist Senior Services. She began in October of 2015 as their Vice President of Philanthropy and Strategic Implementation.

 

Michelle has spoken to many groups regarding culture change in healthcare and person-directed care, including five Eden Alternative International Conferences, Pioneer Network Conferences, Green House Project Conferences, Texas Coalition for Culture Change Conferences, multiple Mississippi Department of Mental Health/IDD Joint Conferences, multiple Aging and Adult Services Conferences (for Mississippi), National Consumer Voice (Washington, D.C.), IQH, Signature Healthcare, United Methodist Association and many local civic groups.

 

Speaker 3 – Angie McAllister

Angie McAllister, Eden Alternative Board Chair, has over 30 years’ experience transforming skilled nursing homes from institutional settings to vibrant communities.

 

She has had the opportunity to create and launch several innovative approaches that facilitate meaning and purpose in the lives of Elders including Wendy’s Neverland (a groundbreaking arts-based performance project), intergenerational summer camps, vacation experiences for individuals living in skilled nursing homes, working alongside Dr. Bill Thomas to create an athletic league in senior living (Spark Performance League), online art competitions and much more.

 

Additionally, Angie published a 5-year study demonstrating the positive impact of person-centered care on the lives of Elders living in skilled nursing communities. Angie is also a Long-Term Care Administrator, Eden Alternative Educator, TimeSlips Facilitator and Six Sigma Green Belt certified.