Melea Dixon
Senior Manager, Marketing CommunicationsThroughout my career, I’ve participated in a few leadership development programs but none quite as actionable and supportive at LEAD.
In our quest to build the most talented and forward-looking team possible, we continuously invest in our people, giving them resources and opportunities to fulfill their career aspirations. Because we believe all employees have the potential to develop leadership skills, we encourage staff members to lead and drive their development plans working closely with managers. And because we realize that effective management is critical to employee development and motivation, we invest in our managers through training, real-time learning, coaching, and mentoring.
We promote the thought leadership of all staff members, holding events each year to seed and nurture their ideas—including an annual internship showcase and employee ideathon. We facilitate more than 5,000 training opportunities each year through our own RTI University, and we provide education assistance for academic study and professional certifications. For researchers seeking to develop scientific leadership, the RTI Fellow Program, RTI Press, and other programs offer specific opportunities through funding and peer-reviewed publication of original, investigator-led research.
As a thriving institute with global offices and projects, we offer staff members unparalleled opportunities to make a difference for communities and people around the world.
Feedback from Mentor and LEAD program participants
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Melea Dixon
Melea Dixon
Senior Manager, Marketing CommunicationsThroughout my career, I’ve participated in a few leadership development programs but none quite as actionable and supportive at LEAD. After this program, I’m comfortable standing in who I am and how I want to lead, versus just having people like me. Power and influence are not the same as leadership and inspiration. Choosing my tribe and knowing when to engage allows me to create space: space for simplifying the complex; space for more fun and spunky ideas; and most of all, space for continuous improvement and solutioning. Because of LEAD, I choose to be in the room—present, smiling and engaged—in hopes others will do the same.
Brian Aagaard
Research Public Health AnalystLEAD introduced me to RTI colleagues that I never would have had the opportunity to learn from otherwise.
Brian Aagaard
Research Public Health AnalystBy participating in the LEAD program I was introduced to the tools that allowed me to grow professionally and align my career goals with the strategic vision of RTI. Equally important, it introduced me to RTI colleagues that I never would have had the opportunity to learn from otherwise. I’ve never been happier to be outside of my comfort zone.
Vanessa Thorsten
Research StatisticianThe LEAD program directors are highly competent, talented and thoughtful teachers.
Vanessa Thorsten
Research StatisticianThe LEAD Accelerate program covered topics relevant to my administrative management position, as well as my project work, and led to insights about how to be a more productive and engaged leader. Some high points for me were learning to lead with questions, better understanding what motivates staff and what their words and actions mean, and leaning into leadership roles that are new and uncomfortable for me. The LEAD program directors are highly competent, talented and thoughtful teachers.
Committed to Lead Forward: A Hallmark of Our Culture
Building Thought Leadership and Scientific Stature
RTI Fellow Program
The highest scientific honor and responsibility we bestow on our researchers is the designation of RTI Fellow.
RTI Press
A global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications on a broad range of topics reflecting RTI’s multidisciplinary research.