The Art of Convening
Lead Meetings, Gatherings and Conversations That Build Trust, Inspire Engagement, and Move People Forward.
The Art of Convening® helps leaders create meaningful spaces where people feel heard, connected, and inspired to act - no matter the setting.
You bring people together,
but Something is Missing…
Your meetings and gatherings lack engagement.
People show up distracted.
Important voices stay quiet.
The energy fizzles before real action happens.
You are not alone.
We are living in an era of disconnection, burnout,
polarization and surface-level leadership.
Meetings get rushed.
Conversations stay shallow.
Real connection feels rare, even though people crave it.
The Cost?
Teams lose trust.
Communities fracture.
Leaders carry the exhausting weight of holding it all together.
You sense there's another way to lead — one that builds trust and creates momentum. But better agendas won't fix the challenges you face. There has to be better way to lead…
The future of leadership is here
and it is called The Art of Convening.
At The Center for Purposeful Leadership we know leadership isn’t about control or putting on a show.
It’s about showing up fully, listening deeply, and creating spaces where others can do their best work.
When we change how we gather, we change what’s possible:
Trust replaces tension.
Quiet voices find their courage.
Groups stop talking in
circles and start taking
aligned action.
What is The Art of Convening?
The Art of Convening® is a leadership practice built on presence, trust, and genuine engagement.
With The Convening Wheel as your guide,
you will learn to…
Clarify what really matters and help everyone align on shared intentions
Craft invitations that make people want to participate authentically
Build containers where every voice gets heard
Guide groups to engage in productive discussion and commit to action
The Convening Wheel
A Practice Rooted in Wisdom
The Art of Convening® was created by Craig and Patricia Neal and a community of inspired conveners.
It has grown from decades of experience guiding transformational conversations across sectors and settings.
At its heart is a simple truth:
How we gather shapes what we can do — and who we can become!
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Rooted in the acclaimed 2011 book The Art of Convening and proven across industries worldwide.
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You can start using these ideas right away, while the deeper practices develop over time.
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Develops you as a leader, not just your facilitation skills.
AoC in The Real World:
Across Sectors and Settings
AoC works for anyone who gathers people and wants those moments to matter:
Leaders and facilitators who care about impact
Educators and faith leaders
Change agents and community builders
Whether you’re running a team meeting, leading a classroom, shepherding a congregation, or organizing your community AoC helps you lead from a place of presence and get people moving in the same direction.
Ready to Lead Differently?
The world has enough meetings.
What we need are gatherings that matter.
And leaders who know how to create them.
A live, 75-minute experience of what it feels like to be in a convened space.
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You bring people together. But Something’s Missing.
In the community
In the classroom
In the meeting
You're not alone in feeling this way.
And we're hearing that it's time for a change.
We live in a world that’s moving fast, yet struggling to make meaningful progress.
Too many spaces are performative.
Too many voices go unheard.
Too many decisions get made without the trust they require.
The Art of Convening is a practice of slowing down — to listen, to connect, and to lead from a place of presence — so that we can move forward with clarity and care.
How it works
We believe transforming our communities starts by transforming our conversations. The Art of Convening incorporates our approach to teaching the art and science of putting your purpose into action.
It’s a model we call the Convening Wheel, 9 steps to design inspirational, productive, and transformative meetings and conversations.
The Convening Wheel
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A simple, powerful framework for designing trust-centered gatherings.
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The human skills that help people feel seen, heard, and valued.
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In team meetings, retreats, classrooms, boardrooms, living rooms — anywhere people come together.
Want to experience what’s possible when presence and purpose guide the way you gather?
We invite you to begin with three simple steps:
An easy-to-fill-out assessment showing you how to get the most out of The Art of Convening.
A live, 75-minute experience of what it feels like to be in a convened space.
