Leadership Learning Journeys

Women in Leadership Learning Journey

• 16 learning hours paced over 3-4 weeks
• Traditional Classroom or Virtual Instructor-led Format

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Program Components

• Pre-program DiSC^® Assessment
• Five Virtual Learning Sessions
  • Intentional Communication
  • Embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Standing in Your Power
  • Managing Up: Navigating Successful Relationships
  • Developing Your Leadership Presence
• Four Self-Paced Prework Learning Assignments
• One 60-minute 1-1 Coaching Session

• Post Program: Debrief with manager
• Duration: 3-4 weeks

Before the Program

• DiSC^® Behavioral Assessment (30 min)

Session 1: Intentional Communication (4 hours)

Communication is the foundation skillset from which all other interpersonal skills build. In this session, we will use the DiSC^® framework to explore how your personality impacts your communication preferences. We’ll investigate the priorities, stressors, and motivators that map to various DiSC styles, giving you insight into how to better communicate and connect with others.

Topics Covered

• The Goal of Communication
• Tailoring and Targeting Your Message
• Exploring Your DiSC^® Report
• The Four Basic DiSC^® Styles
• Personalizing Your Report

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session you will be able to identify priorities, stressors, and motivators that map to various DiSC^® styles, enabling you to communicate more effectively with others.

Prework for Session 2

Session 2: Embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (3-hours)

The goal of this session is to broaden your perspective around your and other’s experiences of dimensions of diversity, power, and privilege.

Topics Covered

• The Value of Cognitive Diversity
• Insights from Neuroscience
• Creative Problem Solving and Innovation
• Brainstorming and Brain “Swarming”
• Productive Conflict and Pivotal Conversations

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session you will be able to shape a workplace culture of inclusion and belonging, where all employees feel visible and valued.

Prework for Session 3

Session 3: Standing in Your Power (3-hours)

Women leaders face a unique set of challenges in the workplace, with biases—whether deliberate or unconscious—holding us back. With a narrower range of behavior expected from us, we may experience “double binds.” For example, when we are confident and assertive, we can be criticized for speaking too loudly or too often; when we are quieter, we’re more likely to be told to speak with more confidence and assertiveness.

In this highly interactive session, we will take a look at some of the most common biases women encounter at work, exploring ways to mitigate and counteract them. We will also unpack 6 common blind spots women face on their professional journeys and map out ways to navigate around and accelerate beyond them.

Topics Covered

• The Challenge of the Double Bind
• Strategies for Addressing Gender Bias
• Overcoming Career Drift with a Vision and a Plan
• Owning your Personal Brand and Reputation
• The Power of a Posse

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session you will be able to identify your unique relationship to six challenges that women often face in their professional journeys, gaining insight into ways to navigate around and accelerate through them.

Prework for Session 4

Session 4: Managing Up: Navigating Successful Relationships (3-hours)

What exactly does it mean to “manage up?” A term that is often oversimplified, managing up is a nuanced skill set that puts you in the driver’s seat of your career, while maximizing the value you deliver to your organization. It does not involve being inauthentic or changing who you are at work, but instead entails consciously and deliberately developing positive working relationships with those above you in the organizational structure.

In this highly interactive session, you will learn skills to help you adapt the way you interact with someone who has a different work style, personality style, and communication style than you. And importantly, someone who also has different priorities driving their actions and who holds a higher level of power within the organization. You’ll gain actionable insights into ways to assess style differences, build rapport, engage proactively, and handle challenging situations with diplomacy and poise.

Topics Covered

• Why “Manage Up?”
• Assessing Your Boss’s Style
• What’s in Your Locus of Control?
• Adapting Your Style
• Practicing “Positive Politics”

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session you will be able to assess style differences, build rapport, engage proactively, and handle challenging situations with diplomacy and poise.

Prework for Session 5

Session 5: Developing Your Leadership Presence (3-hours)

“Leadership presence” is hard to define but easy to recognize when we see it in others—they make us feel a certain way. We trust them and want to listen to them; we experience them as credible, confident, and strong. When leadership presence is missing, that too is easy to notice. And it has a big impact on a person’s ability to influence others, get their ideas heard, and garner respect. This session is designed to enable individuals to develop and embody a compelling leadership presence.

In a format that blends self-inquiry and reflection with small and large group activities, we will examine how body language, communication style, word choice, and personal energy intersect to create the impression you make on others. We will demystify the concept of leadership presence, breaking it down into four discrete components: purpose, perspective, poise, and projection. How do we translate our passion into action? In what ways does our mindset impact our ability to regulate our emotions? Building upon the foundation of their unique attributes, talents, and strengths, participants will learn concrete skills to elevate their influence and make a lasting impact as leaders.

Topics Covered

• What is “Leadership Presence?”
• Your Reputation Versus Your Personal Brand
• Authenticity, Mindfulness, and Presence
• Exploring the Four Ps: Purpose, Perspective, Poise, and Projection

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session, you will be able to embody a compelling leadership presence.

Program Conclusion

The program concludes with a 60 minute 1-1 coaching session. Participants receive targeted feedback and finalize their action plans to successfully “launch” into the next phase of their careers. Individually, participants will discuss with their managers their key learnings and what opportunities they have to apply their new knowledge into their work.

MDV2051 Course Code