Meet Denice

Denice R. Hinden, Ph.D., MCC is on a mission to take leaders to their next level and to ignite passion and a sense of opportunity and well-being into association and nonprofit workplaces through conscious, inclusive, energetic leadership and positive, productive conversations. Denice is a seasoned leadership coach and masterful meeting facilitator working at the senior leadership and C-suite levels. Denice earned an M.S. in Human Services from Nova Southeastern University and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida International University. She is a Master Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation.

"I do what I do to change the world before it changes me." – Anonymous Nonprofit Volunteer

My parents met through a nonprofit organization and volunteered in many during my growing years. I was 10 when I helped my mom deliver meals to homebound seniors. On one route, I met Abraham, an older man living alone. His home on the first floor was packed from floor to ceiling with newspapers.  There was a narrow path from the front door to the kitchen, where I placed the food box that was his lifeline. It was the first of many pivotal experiences that continue to shape my work.

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." – R. Buckminster Fuller, American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, and futurist (1895-1983)

More than any other, this quote defines how I chose my career and shifted from being a nonprofit leader to a consultant and now a coach to nonprofit leaders. Managance Consulting was a six-year-old business. We had favorable feedback from clients about our strategic planning approach, but there was a concerning trend of organizations not implementing their plans. During the year, I worked with a coach – a novel approach - I came to understand the depth of exhaustion and frustration among nonprofit leaders. I also came to realize that consulting was not sufficient, and coaching offered a new model. I enrolled in coaching school in 2007. When I graduated, I shifted the approach to our work to a combination of consulting and coaching, and Managance Consulting became Managance Consulting & Coaching.

"The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do." – Kobe Bryant, American professional basketball player (1978-2020)

Since 1983, I have found a steady stream of wonderful opportunities to make a difference and grow professionally. Although I made many mistakes, I was fortunate to have more experienced mentors guide me to use the hard lessons to my advantage. As a result, we strive to live the Managance core values in everything we do, and we have many proud accomplishments.  

From my early career as a nonprofit organization leader:

• I learned how to interview residents of public housing about their most pressing needs during my college internship at the Urban League of Greater Harrisburg.

• I wrote a successful federal grant to develop one of the first transitional housing programs in the country for high school students aging out of foster care during my first professional nonprofit job as the administrative assistant to the Executive Director at Switchboard of Miami.

• I helped raise more than three million dollars to support the design, development, and construction of two new emergency shelters in South Florida for runaway and homeless youth during my tenure as the Deputy Director of Miami Bridge.

• I helped ensure children in Miami-Dade County's foster care system had access to mental health and other extra supplemental services as the first Executive Director of Voices for Children, a friend-raising and fundraising nonprofit.

• I contributed to developing a sports arena in the black neighborhood of Overtown, in the City of Miami, to attract the Miami Heat NBA team during my tenure as an assistant at The Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority.

• I built a multicultural consulting team to guide the capacity building of leaders of affordable housing and community development organizations in Indianapolis, Indiana, during my tenure as a Program Director at The Development Training Institute.

From my current career as an entrepreneur, facilitator, and coach:

• I delivered more than 2500 hours of impactful coaching to senior leaders.

• I coached five leaders who are now nonprofit organization CEOs and guided more than a dozen leaders to adapt to and succeed in a next-level promotion.

• I facilitated more than 80 strategic plans that have leveraged millions of dollars for more mission delivery and organizational growth.

• I co-facilitated various complex and controversial organizational culture change and public policy breakthrough initiatives involving racial justice, human rights, and environmental sustainability.

• I wrote the book Taking Leadership to the Next Level (Amazon e-Book, 2018) and co-wrote The Nonprofit Organizational Culture Guide (Jossey-Bass 2011). 

• Our team created the Managance Leveling Up Leadership Initiative – a content-rich, leadership development framework for association and nonprofit organization senior leaders.

"There is always another way." – Denice Hinden

I stand on the shoulders of several generous and inclusive leaders.

• When I applied for my first internship, there was a competitor I wanted to beat out of the opportunity. Walter L. Lowery, Sr.  (1932-2019), said, we have room for both of you. As the Urban League's Executive Director and my first professional boss, he helped me understand the art of strategy and compromise.

• When I applied for my first nonprofit organization job as a Communications Coordinator, Shirley E. Aron said, "you are not qualified for that, but I have something else in mind for you." As Switchboard of Miami's Executive Director, I learned the invaluable art and science of grant writing and navigating volunteer boards of directors.

• When working at Miami Bridge, Dr. Maxine Thurston-Fisher (1939-2014) ripped a sign off the staff bathroom door that read, "No Kids Allowed." She said, "the shelter is their home, and we must make it welcoming in every way." Maxine was the first leader who helped me see how much words and inclusion matter. She was also the first leader who helped me understand the value of following the flow of a group's experience and truly being a partner.

• And as a coach, two thought leaders who fundamentally changed the way I think about leaders and leadership are Bruce D Schneider, author of Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core (Wiley, 2008), and Judith E. Glaser (1946-2018), author of Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results (Bibliomotion, 2014). From Bruce, I learned that we could choose our mindset. What we decide impacts our whole life experience. From Judith, I learned how are words influence trust and how trust opens the door to experimenting and co-creating organizations where everyone feels a deep sense of welcome and belonging.

• When we moved to Southern California in 2016, in many ways, it felt as if we were starting over, and yet building on three decades of learning and accomplishments. So many connections extended a helping hand. Jim Anderson, CEO of CalSAE, and Michelle Beauchamp of The Champ Group are two of those leaders who help us create new opportunities.