Breakthrough Social Enterprise

Story into Strategy: A Masterclass in Meaningful Leadership

Sobanan Narenthiran

CEO @ Breakthrough Social Enterprise

A clear, actionable roadmap to translate your lived experiences into a credible message, brand, or business

Craft a Purpose-Driven Personal Brand with Depth

Build messaging that’s raw, real, and rooted in your truth — and still strategic enough to scale.

Design a Mission-Aligned Message That Moves People

Write and shape your core story to use in talks, bios, brand content, or social posts.

A Signature Story You Can Share Anywhere

- Transitioning to a New Leadership Role: Sometimes, moving from being a senior manager to a strategic leader can feel like stepping into uncharted territory. This course shows you how to make that transition smoothly and effectively. - Thinking Big Picture: Strategic leaders need to think beyond the day-to-day tasks and see the bigger picture. If you've struggled with this, if you've heard someone say to you: "You need to be more strategic." This masterclass shows you have to be and act strategically! - Setting a Compelling Direction: Crafting an inspiring vision for your team and setting clear goals can be tough. In this course, we'll show you how to create a vision that excites your team and break down those goals into achievable steps. - Mastering Communication: Effective communication is essential, but dealing with tough conversations or getting your message across can be tricky. We'll help you build strong communication skills and handle difficult discussions with confidence. I will share with you the best tips I share with Uber, Cisco, HPE leaders I coach! - Leading Change and Innovation: Leading change and fostering innovation within your organization can be challenging. Our course will equip you with strategies to successfully drive change and create an innovative culture. - Delegation Made Easy: Delegating tasks while maintaining control can be a puzzle. We'll unravel that mystery by teaching you how to identify tasks to delegate, delegate effectively, and empower your team. By addressing these everyday leadership challenges, this masterclass will make your journey from senior manager to strategic leader more manageable and rewarding.

Overcome Strategic Leadership Challenges

Course syllabus

8 sessions are cohort Zoom sessions 90 minutes each to allow you to learn with other leaders, build connections and insights. You'll also have pre- and post session action learning assignments!

Tuesdays

This will be the investment of time you make in action learning and other application opportunities at work.

Weekly projects

Course schedule

Managers who want to learn strategic leadership and how it is different from managing the day-to-day business

Senior Managers who want to understand how to get ready for their next career move and how to lead strategically now!

High potential individual contributors who want to learn strategic leadership skills

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Learn the 7 Top Skills of highly effective strategic leaders and how you can use them to anchor your strategic leadership development plan

The 7 Top Skills of Highly Effective Strategic Leaders

You'll meet leaders from several organizations who share the strategic leadership learning journey. You will learn through real life examples and challenges you or your program peers are facing, share insights and develop strategic leadership skills together.

Professional Peer Group and Network

Acquire the skills to think strategically, make informed decisions, and lead with a long-term vision!

Strategic Leadership Skills

Enhance your ability to communicate persuasively, handle tough conversations, and build stronger relationships.

Strategic Communications

Craft a compelling vision and set SMART goals that inspire your team and drive results

Clear Vision and Goals

Learn to lead organizational change and foster innovation, positioning yourself as a change agent!

Change Leadership

Master the art of delegation to free up your time for strategic thinking and develop an empowered team.Look at how to use the strategic leader planner to get ahead of the game and set yourself and your team up for success!

Strategic Delegation

Beat the 'not strategic enough' label. Our masterclass shows you how!

Ash Seddeek

Masterclass Facilitator and Strategic Leadership Communications Coach and Advisor

Q125

Cohort 8

Your ability as a nonprofit leader to shape, implement, and communicate strategy is essential for your success–and the organization’s survival and impact.&nbsp; We are in unprecedented times--and leaders are being put to the test. We'll deep dive into adaptive planning, scenario planning, building organizational resilience--all while building buy-in and tackling resistance. You will learn from a leading expert in social impact strategy and leadership who has taught at leading universities, launched and scaled multi-million dollar programs globally and domestically, and coached and advised numerous leaders. You will be part of a peer cohort working on live examples, projects, and deep dive discussions with leading experts.

What you will learn

Thursday, September 11th - Wednesday, September 17th 

Thursday, Sep 11: Strategy amidst Uncertainty Friday, Sep 12: Assessing a Rapidly Shifting Landscape Monday, Sep 15: Adaptive &amp; Scenario Planning Tuesday, Sep 16: Building Buy-In, Tackling Resistance Wednesday, Sep 17: Show Me the Money

Thursday, May 29 - Wednesday June 4, 2025

Work on projects that apply the learnings from the course. Materials can be accessed beyond the course timeline, allowing participants to deepen learning over time.

You are a leader of a nonprofit organization. Your title might be executive director, board member, or a member of the leadership team.

Your program or nonprofit organization is facing significant shifts in the external landscape.

You are leading or part of an organization with new or established programs, and are desperately in need of fresh, creative, strategic think

Learn to stand out as a strategic thought leader.

Establish and strengthen your personal strategic leadership expertise and credentials

Understand how to gather and prioritize key information and translate into collective action.

Lead Strategic Change Amidst Uncertainty

Are you and your team overwhelmed by lack of clarity, conflicting priorities, and new emergencies? We will take a step back to assess the key internal and external forces affecting your strategic and impact using a template I have created specially for this course.

Analyze and interpret the internal and external forces that affect the strategy for your organization

Do you have a mission and vision? What about a theory of change? We'll construct, analyze, and hone these key building blocks of strategy.

Construct and hone your theory of change

What makes your work unique? Project work, worksheets, and deep dive collaboration will help you with distinctive positioning.

Prioritize and apply the concept of “distinctive positioning” to help you design and communicate your unique value-add

The frameworks, templates, and concepts I have developed for this course and will share in the pre-reads, during the live class, and after will be available for you to download and use during the course and after the conclusion of the course.

Access one-of-a-kind frameworks and actionable tactics to help you create, sharpen, or revisit strategy

Master the art and craft of nonprofit strategy during uncertainty.   Become a more effective leader during these unprecedented times.  

Sushma Raman

April 2024 Cohort Strategy Masterclass for Nonprofit Leaders

Cohort fall 2025

Let’s be honest—interviewing is tough. But you don’t have to go in unprepared. In this interactive 6-session course, you’ll learn how to use storytelling as a powerful tool to stand out in interviews, build connection, and speak with confidence. We’ll break down what interviewers are really looking for and how to craft narratives that communicate your strengths with clarity and purpose. Through interactive workshops, practical exercises, and real-time feedback, you’ll develop compelling stories for that “About Me” question and other key topics so you can walk into any interview feeling ready and self-assured. You’ll leave this course with a personalized story toolkit, polished answers, and a deeper understanding of how to adapt your message for different roles, companies, and audiences. What You'll Learn:• The impact of storytelling in interviews• Story structure and key storytelling techniques• How to create emotional connection and buy-in• Communicating with clarity and relevance• Developing a professional resume and LinkedIn summary• Overcoming interview anxiety• Understanding non-verbal cues in interviews• Tailoring your story to resonate with different roles and industries• Adapting your story in real time based on audience needs• Identifying and leveraging your authentic voice• Balancing personality with professionalism How You'll Learn:• Applying frameworks through hands-on exercises• Practicing stories live with peers and feedback• Sharing and refining answers in group sessions• Learning from real examples and peer stories• Building a personalized interview toolkit What You'll Gain:• Personalized story vault with interview-ready stories and responses• Clarity on what interviewers in your industry actually want• Techniques for adapting stories and responses for different interviewers• Greater self-awareness of tone, pace, and non-verbal cues• A private 1 hour session to use right before your next interview New York City Location:307 W 38th St, Suite 1403 CManhattan, NY 10018

Ready to transform the way you communicate in interviews? 

The July cohort will host it's Tuesday and Thursday lessons in our NYC classroom located at: 307 W 38th St, Suite 1403 CManhattan, NY 10018

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Wednesday lessons are online, live Q&amp;A sessions.

Wednesdays (Optional)

Anticipate dedicating 4-6 hours per week working on your narratives for your Interviewing Story Vault.

Assignments & Final Project

Job Seekers Multi-round interviews can be tricky. Learn to tailor your stories to connect with each interviewer and show your worth.

Early-Career Tech Professionals Are you preparing for interviews but aren't sure what interviewers are looking for? Let's get into it!

Working Professionals Grow your influence and career through better storytelling and intentional communication.

Who this course is for:

Why storytelling is the most effective form of communication

Good stories reflect how you solve problems, navigate obstacles, and go about your decision making process. They help interviewers understand your way of thinking and approach to complex challenges.

Highlight Critical Thinking in Action

A well-told story humanizes your experience, helping interviewers connect with you emotionally. This connection makes them more likely to advocate for you against other candidates.

Create Connection and Trust

With more qualified candidates than ever, storytelling helps you stand out by making your background memorable —&nbsp;because let’s be honest, facts alone don’t win people over, stories that connect do.

Differentiate Yourself in a Competitive Market

Telling a strong story shows that you can organize your thoughts, communicate with clarity, and navigate nuance — key skills for any role.

Demonstrate Clear, Complex Communication

In interviews, it’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it. Storytelling blends professionalism, authenticity, and personality, helping you build trust and connection while giving interviewers real insight into how you think and communicate.

Showcase Personality and Professionalism

Transform your interviews with strategic storytelling.

[July cohort: New York City, In Person]
[September cohort: Fully Online]

This is an IN PERSON New York City based cohort

July (New York City)

Erin Essex

September (Online)

In four 90-minute sessions, we'll explore a range of storytelling frameworks and learn the tools to build influence and create impact in settings of all kinds. Whether in a high-stakes presentation, all-hands meeting, or everyday conversation, you’ll learn how to connect more personally, powerfully, and effectively in a one-on-one conversation or in front of a room full of people. This is not a writing workshop (though we’ll do some writing—and lots of brainstorming). This is not about optimizing AI to tell stories for you (though we’ll dive into how to use AI thoughtfully and effectively). This practical, human-centered course helps you sharpen your storytelling skills and expand your influence and impact across your organization. You'll learn how to more effectively: • Turn high-stakes presentations—from all-hands meetings to campaign pitches—into compelling narratives that capture attention, build credibility, and persuade audiences to stay engaged from start to finish.• Simplify the message you're trying to deliver to drive more understanding and alignment in any situation.• Create a company culture where everyone is aligned on mission, vision, and values. Bonus: The same tools apply far beyond work—toasts, job interviews, first dates, even eulogies. More than anything, this workshop isn’t just about your next speech, deck, or all-hands. It’s about seeing storytelling as a powerful part of leadership—and life. We'll learn tools, yes, but also build the confidence needed to share stories that make people lean in, trust you, and say those three magic words: tell me more.

Great Storytelling Is a Tool for Influence, Shaping Culture, and Team Connection

We'll meet for 90-minutes live sessions for four consecutive Thursday from September 4th — September 25th.

Thursdays

Each student will spend time working on a story or presentation between sessions and get weekly feedback from me and the other students.

Leaders in start-up and early stage companies who want to nail their story for team alignment and client pitches.

Founders, comms officers, HR directors, and other leaders navigating transitions such as funding rounds, growth, M&amp;A, hybrid workplaces.

People managers (HR, Marketing, Comms) with a mission to create a clear, compelling story for team focus and connection.

Professionals looking to change jobs or in a career transition who want to refine and reframe their story for interviews, etc.

Anyone who has asked this simple, vital question as they navigate their own path or company journey: How do I become a better storyteller?

Effective and concise storytelling to enhance team leadership, client interactions, sales calls, pitch presentations, and job interviews.

Confidence in storytelling for diverse settings, from high-stakes presentations to casual interactions like dates and dinner parties.

How to communicate the story of your "Why?”—the underlying purpose of your personal brand or your company's. 

How to use AI to enhance storytelling without losing your authentic voice.

Benefits of storytelling as a meta-skill: it doesn't just make you a better communicator—it elevates how you show up in every part of life.

How to master the craft of great storytelling that prompts these three magic words: tell me more.

Harness the power of storytelling to make your message clear, powerful, and impactful in all parts of work and life

Lightning Lessons

Story into Strategy: A Masterclass in Meaningful Leadership