September 10, 2026 | 1:00pm ET

Most people who lead social impact inside companies didn’t arrive with a playbook for how to do it. You may have started with a big goal, a small budget, and a lot of figuring things out as you went. You’ve learned how to get people excited about an idea, build relationships across teams, make a case for work that isn’t always easy to measure, develop volunteer leaders, create experiences people want to come back to, and keep things moving even when you don’t have formal authority over anyone involved.

We tend to call all of that “running a social impact program.” But you’re also practicing leadership skills that show up in some of the best-run teams and organizations.

In this RealTalk, we’ll put language around some of those skills and explore how you can practice them more intentionally — not only to build stronger social impact programs, but to become a stronger leader in the process. Whether you’re a team of one, leading a global function, or somewhere in between, this conversation is an opportunity to step out of the day-to-day for a moment and see the value of work you’re already doing with fresh eyes.

You will learn:

• How to cast a vision. Learn how entrepreneurs turn an idea into a vision other people can understand, believe in, and see themselves as part of — and how that same skill can strengthen your social impact work.
• How to build something that lasts. Explore ways to notice potential, share meaningful ownership, and develop employees and volunteer leaders who can move the work forward and keep it going if you step away.
• How to cultivate culture. Learn to look beyond the process steps — communications, training, recognition, registration — and think more intentionally about the experience you’re creating for the people involved.
• How to adapt with agility. Explore simpler ways to use data, feedback, and observation to understand what’s working, spot problems earlier, and make better decisions faster.
• How to recognize and talk about the skills you’re developing. Put language around the leadership capabilities social impact work requires, so you can practice them more intentionally, advocate for the value of your function, and carry those skills into the rest of your career.