Click HERE for a brief description.
Click HERE for a more detailed description.
Click HERE to view our shorter Unleashing Women At Work™ Empowerment offerings.
We were having breakfast with a female CEO of a large health system when she leans forward and says, "Do you that only 12% of CEO's in this country are women? And, that number is dropping."
Even more revealing is the percentage of women leaders who hold CEO positions on the Fortune 500 List traditionally hovers under 5%.
Then she says, “You know what I really want to do? What I really want to do is create a leadership program for women. We would open enrollment to all women in the organization -- I want to explore what a model of women’s leadership looks like, not women trying to act like men, but rather an authentic model of leadership for women."
So we set out to create one for her. The result? Our eight-month Unleashing Women!™ program.
Unleashing Women!™ is a transformational leadership journey designed to strengthen women's leadership and influence -- cultivating women who are confident and capable. It's built around Harvey Coleman's highly regarded P.I.E. model (Performance, Image and Exposure), which suggests that we must focus on all three dimensions to be well-positioned for success. The program encourages women to be their authentic selves, with the understanding that being authentic not only guarantees their personal satisfaction, it maximizes the potential of their contributions.
The experience is comprised of a combination of retreats, mastery sessions, discovery “inner-views” and compelling inside and outside class assignments. Throughout the course, the women complete a Leadership & Life Map which provides a compass for moving forward. At the heart of the curriculum is a Capstone project where the women are asked to apply their leadership skills to impact their company or their community. Because of the Capstone assignment, the program becomes a playground for participants to flex the very leadership skills that are covered in the curriculum -- allowing the women to expand beyond where they've gone before -- while delivering real time results to the community and the company.
An intended benefit of the program is that the participants develop a keen understanding of the talents that reside in the cohort group, while developing strong relationships that provide lasting benefits to the organization long after the program concludes. The camaraderie that develops after participating in this shared experience not only increases employee engagement and satisfaction, it provides participants with a collective confidence to overcome barriers that have stopped them in the past.
The program is ideal for emerging & mid-level leaders - but both Junior and Senior women have participated and have found tremendous value from the experience. Since culture change happens in groups, offering this program in-house to many women at a time provides the collective momentum needed to change the culture of the organization. More women will find seats at the table if they feel the support and encouragement from their colleagues.
The faculty leading this program include women with experience as Executives at Fortune 100 companies - all who have a deep understanding of women's issues. One faculty member has worked at Wharton, and while there, conducted extensive research on women's leadership at Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change. She has shared her findings with her Unleashing Women!™ co-leaders and is eager to share her discoveries with participants.
Note that coaching - both career and leadership, is available to the participants by members of the faculty after the conclusion of the program for an additional investment.
Unleashing Women!™ fosters a portfolio of leadership skills that will last a lifetime. The women not only build strong relationships with other women, they build their own unique brand of leadership.
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We recently graduated a cohort of 37 women at Janssen Pharmaceutical. Here's what a few of them had to say:
"The program was thoroughly enjoyable; it pushed me well out of my comfort zone while providing me with an opportunity to learn and grow in an environment of positivity. It was wonderful to meet others from such different background/functions and learn from them. The program exceeded my expectations."
"I am less worried about the repercussions from taking risks."
"My strong network is now this incredible group of women that I have taken this journey. I may not have opportunities given to me, but I am making opportunities and being more vocal on what I enjoy."
"Excellent program with tons of value!"
"Because of the Unleashing Women!™ program, I applied for a position I never would have applied for in the past - and got it! What's more, for the first time ever in my career, I negotiated for a higher salary and got that too."
Investing in women's leadership is a smart decision. Click HERE to read the latest McKinsey data on the status of women in the workplace. In short, what the data shows is that having a diverse inclusive workforce leads to greater innovation, creativity and bigger bottom-line results. Quite simply, cultivating a cohort of bright, smart women who know and like each other and who want to work together is good for your business.
Organization's need to be reminded of the payoffs having an inclusive workforce provides, then take the steps required to create a culture that encourages the advancement of women. Offering a program like Unleashing Women!™ is a great first step.
Click HERE for a list of frequently asked questions.
Click HERE if you are interested in learning more about our shorter (1-2 hour) professional development offerings.
“She was warned. She was given an explanation.
Nevertheless, she persisted."