This summer, we're shining a light on alumni of Leading Executives. Designed for the senior-most leaders of their organizations, Leading Executives offers a transformative experience rooted in dynamic learning, personalized feedback, and peer support. Participants gain tools to lead more effectively, build self-awareness, and navigate the complexities of leadership with greater clarity, confidence, and resilience.

Meet Alon Friedman, Founding Director at ENTER: The Jewish Peoplehood Alliance. Alon brings insight, humor, and candor to his leadership in the Jewish nonprofit sector. In this spotlight, he shares what it takes to lead through change, how his experience with Leading Executives reshaped his perspective, and the importance of both agility and authenticity in today’s leadership landscape.

Alumni Spotlight conversations may be edited and condensed.

What do you think are the most critical leadership qualities needed to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities within Jewish nonprofit organizations right now?

Finger on the pulse, agility, and a spine. Our reality changes so quickly; yesterday's extreme is today's norm. As leaders, first and foremost, we have to know how to stay connected and read the changes so that we can identify the new needs those changes bring. But, we also need agility. Flexibility of the mind that will allow us to adjust our language, rephrase our message, and re-package what we deliver. But with agility, holding a solid spine is critical, so that we don't lose contact with our organization's vision and our meta-goals. If we're too flexible (whether for the sake of satisfying our constituency or aligning with the criteria of a potential donor), we may forsake our mission, spread too thin, or simply under-deliver.

What inspired you to step into a leadership role in the Jewish nonprofit sector?

Other than the big bucks that is? :) The answer is the role models I observed while making my first strides as a junior in the field. Dazzling speakers, inspiring donors, and dozens of seasoned professionals who genuinely loved their job because they felt that they were making a change. I wanted to be like them.

How do you see the future of Jewish nonprofit leadership evolving? How has your Leading Edge program experience influenced your perspective on this?

My participation in Leading Executives (LX2) came after a good few years of executive work absent professional training. Other than some new lingo, new tools, and new tips that training programs usually provide, LX2 made me realize that my challenges were not exclusively mine, that my problems have names, that my experience is a huge asset, and that when putting all things together, I'm actually doing a pretty good job. We were presented with a rare opportunity to put our real issues on the table, and to dissect them with a team of people who were close enough to understand where we come from, but also far enough to not be confined by our own biased point of view. This was priceless.

How has something you learned in the Leading Edge program helped make a real difference at your organization? Share an example.

Due to its nature of group conversations and teamwork, the program pushed me to "air out" lots of thoughts and assumptions that up until then were mostly rolling inside my head. The experience that the program "imposed" on me — of speaking my thoughts — made me realize that things look and sound different when they exit from our mind onto the public sphere. It's a tool I took home with me, and today, many of my cards are constantly on the table.

What’s one practical leadership tip you would share with a new Jewish nonprofit leader stepping into their role?

With both your board above and staff below — share what you DON'T know as generously as you share what you DO know. 

What’s one piece of advice you would offer to someone who is considering joining a Leading Edge leadership program?

Go. It carries a real potential to shed light on some old blind spots we all carry around. And worst case scenario — you'll eat well and get a break from your regular echo-chamber...