Bernie Fried is a creative leader and motivator with a strong background in sales, business development, operations, training, and general management in higher education, entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, consulting, and corporate environments.

Bernie has served as Executive Director of Congregation Beth Shalom, a large conservative synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas. He also serves as Managing Member of Keylix Capital Group, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in writing business plans and developing proforma financials for start-up and early-stage companies.

Integral Leadership and Management

Students will learn how to identify their leadership style's strengths and weaknesses, evaluate various communication tactics that enhance leadership and organizational effectiveness, and utilize strategies that elevate diversity of thought and collaboration. They will also understand the managerial decision-making tools that successful practices employ, and how they are used to further social responsibility.

Intrapraneurial and Entrepreneurial Mindsets 

Students will learn how to develop a business mission and vision that clearly articulates the values of their practice, then recognize decision-making techniques that accomplish their practice's objectives and promote the unique qualities of their practice's brand. They will also outline a mentorship plan to foster future leaders within the practice and industry and understand how to train and empower employees to make good decisions. They will examine the evolving culture of their practice to identify opportunities and threats and propose methods for community impact and involvement.

Business Development and Negotiation Strategies 

Students will learn how to evaluate graphics, website, and social media strategies to better promote their practice and understand what the role an influencer has in reaching new customers and securing brand value. They will also discover negotiation strategies that advance and secure the practice, and how to grow and maintain their network through quality relationship development.

Managerial Finance and Operations 

Students will understand the financial realities of running a business, identify the practice's financial goals for projects, and understand the principles of project management that apply to the practice. They will also learn to generate business decisions to uphold the standard of care for the industry, justify how major areas and functions of management are applied throughout the practice, and defend the importance of planning in the overall accomplishment of the practice's goals and objectives.

Change Management

Students will learn how to analyze information to isolate practice issues and formulate solutions, diagnose approaches to address the practice's agility and acceptance of change, and develop a long-term plan for the future of the practice. They will also understand approaches to leading change and innovation to support the longevity and prosperity of the practice and evaluate ethical and legal issues relevant to the policies, practices, and management within a practice. Students will have the opportunity to elaborate on techniques and theories in solving human relations issues such as resistance to change, effective leadership styles, team conflict, and personnel management and discuss the variety of communications issues and barriers within the workplace to learn how to apply specific techniques to improve communications.