Summer Leadership

Ralph Peterson is the Owner of Ralph Peterson Management Services, a dynamic business solutions firm dedicated to enhancing the quality outcomes for residents, families, employees, and stakeholders within senior care organizations. With an impressive background as a senior care advocate, strategic leadership consultant, and process engineer, Ralph excels in guiding leadership teams to concentrate on elevating the resident experience, bolstering customer engagement, and fostering employee satisfaction. His expertise has been
instrumental in aiding senior care communities to diminish turnover, improve retention, and, most significantly, enrich the
quality of life for the residents they serve.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Ralph adeptly integrates his academic insights into his professional endeavors, particularly focusing on assisting senior care organizations in applying for and securing prestigious quality awards. This specialization has positioned him as an invaluable asset to the industry, ensuring that organizations not only meet but exceed the highest standards of excellence.

Throughout his illustrious career, Ralph has addressed and collaborated with senior care organizations of various sizes across the United States and Canada. He is a best-selling author, internationally syndicated columnist, and an esteemed Quality Award Master Examiner for AHCA/NCAL. Ralph’s
profound impact and thought leadership in the field are evident in his commitment to advancing the quality of care and operational efficacy in senior care facilities through strategic guidance and dedicated mentorship.

MONDAY: THE WAKE-UP – “What’s the thing I already know I need to change?” We start with a personal story about being confronted with a simple, honest question from someone being served—and how that moment exposed a gap between the leader he wanted to be and the habits he actually had. We’ll use that as a mirror for everyone in the room. We’ll talk about stress, coping, overwork, and the way leaders quietly burn out. Then you’ll identify one personal leadership habit (not an operational task) you want to shift this week. Theme: before you can lead others, you have to lead yourself.

TUESDAY: IT WASN’T THEM, IT WAS ME – Rethinking “no one wants to work” This day draws from Managing When No One Wants to Work. We’ll challenge the belief that “people today don’t want to work” and replace it with “people didn’t want to work for me—and here’s why.”  We’ll look at tone, follow-through, visibility, fairness, and how our frustration leaks out on teams. Then we’ll practice reframing difficult staff situations so the leader shows up as the grown-up in the room. Theme: mature leadership starts when we stop blaming the generation and start adjusting our leadership.

WEDNESDAY: CONGRATULATIONS, NOW GET OVER YOURSELF New managers (and even seasoned leaders) can make everything about them—respect, authority, title. Wednesday is about letting that go. Using principles from Congratulations, Now Get Over Yourself, we’ll show that once you’re responsible for others, it can’t be about your ego anymore. We’ll practice how to receive criticism, how to listen when people are upset, and how to stay steady when you feel attacked. This is where we talk emotional control, reactivity, and being the leader people feel safe coming to. Theme: leadership is service, not status.

THURSDAY: THE GOOD MANAGER – Being great is overrated Pulling from The Good Manager, we’ll make the case that reliability beats brilliance. Teams don’t need a superhero once a quarter; they need a manager who is on time, prepared, present, and consistent. We’ll identify the 4–5 visible behaviors that communicate “I’m a good manager” to your team, and we’ll build a simple daily/ weekly rhythm around them. This is where we fold in the Five Rules and show how disciplined, repeatable action always wins over occasional inspiration. Theme: consistency is the kindness your team is begging for.

FRIDAY: KEEP BECOMING – Leadership as a lifelong practice Friday pulls it all together: the wake-up moment, the shift from blame to ownership, and the move from ego to service. We’ll ask: What does the next version of me look like? What’s the leadership practice I need to keep doing long after this week is over? We close with everyone sharing their own “that was my turning point” moment—so the room leaves encouraged, not shamed, and with a personal commitment to keep doing the work. Theme: the best leaders are the ones still doing the work on themselves.