Inside the Professional Playbook: Real Skills, Real Impact
Na’aleh’s Professional Playbook series brought together professionals at every stage of their careers to strengthen essential leadership skills alongside respected leaders from the Jewish community. Sessions covered key topics such as Professional Presence with Joan Grayson Cohen, Imposter Syndrome with Andrew Cushnir and Mandy Diamond, Managing Up with Michelle Gordon, and Giving and Receiving Feedback with Cindy Goldstein. The series was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, equipping participants with practical, actionable tools they can immediately apply in their work.
Professional Presence
The most valuable part of the session was the conversation itself, there was meaningful engagement from all sides of the room, which felt like a real success. Too often, the same voices dominate these spaces, so it was refreshing to see the facilitator intentionally draw in those who are more hesitant to speak.”
“The speaker did a strong job of connecting across the room and encouraging broader participation. There was a real effort to engage everyone, not just the usual contributors, which helped surface a wider range of perspectives.”
“A key takeaway for me was the importance of presence and engagement—how people show up physically and what messages that sends. I also took away practical communication lessons, including slowing down my speech, maintaining calm confidence, and consistently leading with kindness.”
Imposter Syndrome
“I really appreciated the energy in the room and the diversity of participants who showed up ready to engage and ask questions. The one-hour format was a great way to start the day—focused and energizing. From a content perspective, it easily could have gone longer, but the timing was ideal for a workday session.”
Managing Up
“One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of focusing on outcomes—getting the work done and using the right tools to support that. I also learned a lot about anticipating what my manager needs and preparing information or materials in advance to support their success.”
“It was especially interesting to hear different interpretations of what ‘managing up’ means. I appreciated the opportunity to hear perspectives from individuals at various levels of management and to learn from how others approach leadership and communication.”
Na’aleh extends heartfelt thanks to all of our facilitators for their thoughtful and engaging sessions: Joan Grayson Cohen, Executive Director of Jewish Community Services; Andrew Cushnir, President and CEO of The Associated; Mandy Diamond, Coach and Consultant at Blue Zone Thinking; Michelle Gordon, Executive Vice President & Acting Chief Development Officer; and Cindy Goldstein, Director of Talent at Na’aleh.
