Yes, Jim and Barry are 100% behind the formation of the TLC Alliance and its mission! The launch team has kept the authors informed as the initiative progressed. They have each committed $5,000 of seed funding to help launch the organization. Jim met with the board of directors in October. Representatives of Wiley have also been briefed on our plans. They communicated their support for the community and this initiative.

● A greater certainty that the TLC community will become stronger, not fade. 

● Formal structure will allow community voices to be heard and increase the collaboration and cross-community support among members. 

● Committee structure will ensure that meaningful work will be done to maintain and enhance the brand over time. 

From 2007 to 2019, Wiley played an active role in creating and maintaining The Leadership Challenge Community, including annual conferences, called Forums or Summit meetings. With the 2020 Covid Pandemic and changes in Wiley’s structure and staffing, they were no longer offering in-person meetings. A few Community members hosted virtual meetings in 2020-2023. In 2024, a group of Certified Masters decided to host an in-person session in Chicago, Illinois. 

Out of this meeting, the 70 or so leaders in attendance determined they’d like to explore forming a more formal TLC Community structure to support each other, and for the continuance of Jim and Barry’s work beyond their retirement. The idea of a non-profit was born. 

Your relationship with Wiley is not related to your membership in the TLC Alliance. 

The TLC Alliance will be open to fans of The Leadership Challenge. That includes Facilitators, Certified Facilitators, Certified Masters, Certified Masters in Training and Global Training Partners. Additionally, those who are merely fans of The Leadership Challenge are invited to join. This way we can interact and learn from a wide variety of people, and want to err on the side of inclusion. 

You will need to pay a membership fee to join the Alliance ($995 for Founding Members and $395 for Standard Membership). Currently, we have no additional requirements to become a member of the TLC Alliance, however, the board may decide to add some requirements for maintaining your membership. As a non-profit professional organization, we want to serve the needs of this community. Being primarily a volunteer organization, we’ll rely on the involvement of the members, who will give of their time and expertise as they are able.

Yes. That renewal fee will be established by the board of directors in early 2026. It will be determined by the number of members who have joined and the activities planned. 

A board of directors elected by members will operate the TLC Alliance. We have also dedicated a portion of the membership fees collected for the funding of a part-time Executive Director position that will carry out a portion of the administrative duties. 

Many members of our Leadership Challenge community are also members of other training professional associations. We hear rave reviews of these and we hope to offer similar benefits, with that caveat that the TLC Alliance is a non-profit organization. 

The TLC Community Connections committee was formed as a result of the TLC Rally in 2024. Their first priority was researching tools that would help create an online community hub. Their work was folded into the TLC Non-Profit Committee, who reviewed several tools and determined Mighty Networks was the best too. It offers a community app on iOS and Android, as well as a robust website to connect the members. When you join the TLC Alliance, you will be invited - and encouraged - to join us on the Hub. 

Yes, the TLC Rally (both in-person and virtual) is a separate event with its own expenses. However, the Founding Member fee does include one pass to attend the 2026 in-person Rally and there is an option to upgrade your Standard Members to include a 2026 in-person pass for $795. You do not need to be a member of the Alliance to attend the Rally. However we hope that attending the Rally will encourage membership in the TLC Alliance.