The National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) is an international nonprofit leadership development organization that provides training in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in community organizations, K-12 schools, college and university campuses, corporations, and law enforcement.
The work of NCBI — its mission, its workshops and training, its network of resource teams, and its contribution to long-lasting institutional and social change — is guided by several core principles and key insights:
- Building hopeful environments in which people want to belong.
- Healing ourselves so we can create positive change on campus and in the world.
- Becoming effective allies to other social identity groups to which we do not belong.
- Empowering leaders to lead outside of their own oppression.
- Changing hearts through hearing personal stories about mistreatment.
- Engaging in skills training that allows us to effectively respond to prejudicial acts.
- Modeling the needed appreciation to have leaders feel supported.
- Sustaining a team of people focused on coalition building to bring about systemic change.
Much of the information found on this website and referenced in workshops and group activities comes from Leading Diverse Communities (2005) by Cherie R. Brown and George J. Mazza.
Leadership in a Diverse Environment
The NCBI has distilled its collective wisdom into concise leadership principles and recognizes that effective leaders learn and practice skills to become better.
Effective leaders:
- Work together to create learning and working environments that welcome diversity.
- Acknowledge that every person is important and every issue counts.
- Recognize and work with the diversity already present.
- Act with courage.
- Take care of themselves.
- Build and nurture personal relationships.
- Listen to people with whom they disagree.
- Believe they can make a difference.
- Admit and correct mistakes.
- Value and support other leaders.
