Leadership Learning Journeys

Women in Leadership Learning Journey

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

Download Brochure

Program Components

• Pre-program DiSC^® Assessment
• Five Virtual Learning Sessions
  • Intentional Communication
  • Developing Your Leadership Presence
  • Standing in Your Power
  • Embracing Personal Advocacy and Self Promotion
  • Managing Up: Navigating Successful Relationships
• 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: 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.

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: Embracing Personal Advocacy and Self-Promotion (3-hours)

There are a myriad of reasons why many of us struggle with openly sharing our accomplishments. But the research is clear: self-promotion is a powerful skill set that leads to career advancement and greater opportunities. In this session, we will explore the confluence of your strengths, talents, and personal brand. We will also identify opportunities for you to set clear limits and boundaries, practicing ways to communicate the same with assertiveness and consistency.

Topics Covered

• Personal Brand Versus Reputation
• What Are Your “Three Things?”
• Targeting Limiting Beliefs
• Skills Involved in Self-Promotion
• Communication Skills:
  • Setting Clear Limits and Boundaries
  • Impact Analysis: Identifying Trade-offs
  • Managing Expectations and Saying No

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session, you will be able to delineate and practice the learnable skills involved in personal advocacy and self-promotion, connecting them to both your well-being and career success.

Prework for Session 5

Session 5: Managing Up: Navigating Successful Relationships (3-hours)

“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 it does involve consciously and deliberately developing positive working relationships with those above you in the organizational structure. In this final session, we will build on what you’ve learned in previous sessions to enable you to effectively assess style differences, build rapport, engage proactively, and handle challenging situations (and people) with diplomacy and poise.

Topics Covered

• The Benefits of Managing Up
• Assessing Your Boss’s Style
• What’s in Your Locus of Control?
• Adapting Your Style
• Difficult People and Situations: Scenario Work

Key Takeaway

At the end of this session, you will increase your effectiveness in collaborating with others who have different priorities, work styles, personality styles, and communication styles than you.

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