BLACK WOMAN LEADING™ is a virtual small group learning experience to help you strengthen your leadership skills, share and process your workplace experiences as a Black woman leader, and create your action plan to meet your professional goals.
~ENROLLMENT FOR THE NEXT SESSION BEGINS IN JULY 2022~
From microaggressions to isolation to developing relationships that support career advancement...Black women leaders experience unique challenges in the workplace.
BLACK WOMAN LEADING™ was created to provide a safe space to center your experience as you learn, heal, and grow in your leadership capacity.
Get connected in a positive community of like-minded women that support your growth by providing the encouragement, accountability, and celebration you need along the journey!
The program is best suited for mid-career Black women leaders and managers that aspire to continue to grow into more senior leadership roles in corporate (or larger organizational) spaces. Although it is not an eligibility requirement, our participants are often one of the only Black women leaders at their level within the department or organization.
Past participants have come from a diverse selection of industries, including technology, health care, government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector, representing companies such as Dell Technologies, Zillow Group, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the FBI.
In addition to the value of the program content, this interaction with other Black women leaders from different industries creates a robust peer-learning and networking opportunity for program participants.
Specifically, this program will help you in these key focus areas:
Leadership Development
- Gain awareness about key competencies of transformative leaders, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and develop your action plan to advance your career as a stronger leader and manager
- Discover leadership tools and frameworks, based on best practice strategies, to implement into your work right away. This includes topics such as strategic thinking, change management, having difficult conversations, creating a high performing team, coaching and developing team members, conflict management, and delegation and holding others accountable
- Boost your confidence, clarify your value, and amplify your voice in the workplace
Mental Wellness & Self-Care
- Participate in collective healing activities, speak your truth, and process the emotional labor required of a Black woman in a majority work space
- Name the negative effects of burnout, microaggressions, internalized oppression, and being highly visible (and invisible all at the same time) on your overall wellness and professional development. Awareness and “calling a thing, a thing” is a critical first step to empowerment and healing
- Identify your wellness needs, develop healthy coping skills, and create and activate your personal self-care plan with accountability from your coach and fellow members
Relationship
Management
- Learn how to maximize professional relationships and your network to help you achieve your professional goals
- Understand how to honor and utilize ally connections without de-centering your perspective and needs
- Strategize how to create mutually beneficial mentor and sponsor relationships that allow you to give and receive value
- Brainstorm with your fellow members about how to strengthen professional relationships between Black women
How does the program work?
This is a virtual, small-group program facilitated over a 13-week period. The next program session will begin with individual coaching sessions the week of August 16, 2021, continue with group sessions starting August 24, 2021, and end with a closing reflection session on November 16, 2021. In between, we will meet approximately twice per month with a learning session and mastermind session each month (see below for detail). All group sessions will take place via Zoom.
The time commitment is approximately 26 hours over 13 weeks, an average of two hours per week for participating in group sessions, individual coaching sessions, and your own self-study work to inform your personal leadership development plan.
Here's a snapshot of the program schedule:
- Upon registration, receive a program playbook with reflection exercises (including a DISC Leadership Assessment) to help you prepare for the program.
- Week of January 24th -Engage in a jump-start individual coaching session to strategize about key components to include in your personal leadership development plan.
- 2/1/22 Kick-off group orientation session (7:30-9:30p EST)
- 2/8/22 Group learning session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Developing Your Leadership Development Plan
- 2/22/22 Group mastermind strategy session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST)
- 3/8/22 Group learning session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Self-Awareness, Healing, and Self-Care
- Month of March: Schedule second individual coaching session
- 3/22/22 Group masterminding session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST)
- 4/5/22 Group learning session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST) Focus: Relationship Management
- 4/19/22 Group masterminding session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST)
- 4/26/22 Reflection, Next Steps, and Closing (7:30-9:00p EST)
- Post-program individual coaching session scheduled 30 days later.
Breakdown of the Program Components:
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Program Playbook with Prep Exercises
Upon registration, you will receive a welcome email with instructions for how to get started, your program playbook with exercises to help you prepare for the program, and the link to schedule your first individual coaching session. The preparation exercises will guide you to reflect on your values, strengths, areas of improvement, and professional goals as you prepare to begin this journey.
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DISC Leadership Assessment + Debrief Report
You will receive a link to take the DISC Leadership assessment in your welcome email. After completion, you will receive a debrief report with your assessment results that will give you insights into your behavioral leadership style, and how to interact with others for desired impact. You will explore the impact of your results on your workplace experiences and your personal wellness in your initial coaching session.
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Three 60-minute Individual Coaching Sessions
You will engage in three individual coaching sessions with a program coach--one at the onset of the program, another at the middle point of the program, and another 30 days after the program ends. These sessions are designed to help you clarify the components of your personal leadership develop plan and to help you personalize the learning content to your specific situation. This is also a time for you to bring targeted challenges/goals and receive personalized coaching support to identify solutions.
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Kick-Off Orientation Session
On 2/1/2022, the group sessions will launch with a group orientation call via Zoom. You will meet your fellow members, and collectively we will establish intentions for our time together by creating group rules and participating in an engaging get-to-know-you exercise.
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Six Live Group Sessions: 3 Learning Sessions + 3 Mastermind Sessions
Starting 2/8/2022, we will meet as a group via Zoom approximately twice per month. The meeting format will alternate between Learning Sessions and Mastermind Strategy Sessions. All sessions will be recorded, and you will have access to the recordings until 5/31/2022 (one month beyond the program end date).
Each of the three learning sessions will focus on one of the key areas of the program (leadership development, self-care, and relationship management). During the three mastermind strategy sessions, you'll use your own dedicated time slot to share leadership challenges you are facing and receive feedback from your peers and coach. You’ll leave each session with a set of specific action steps to address your issue.
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Toolkit with On-Demand Video Trainings + Mini-Workbooks
Because each participant will have a different focus for their personal leadership plan, our on-demand learning vault will allow you to choose your own adventure for just-in-time supplemental learning. Topics such as change management, building influence, communicating your value, situational leadership, coaching others, creating a high performing team, motivating others, etc., will be covered in brief on-demand video trainings to share frameworks and theories to deepen your learning. Each topic has an action guide to help you with reflection and immediate application. You will have access to the toolkit for 30 days beyond the program end date.
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Growth Partner
Iron sharpens iron! You will be connected with a dedicated growth partner to provide more intensive accountability and one-on-one support during the entire 13-week program. The expectation is that you will check in with your accountability partner virtually at least once a week.
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Private Slack Community Group
Stay connected with group members to share wins, ask for feedback, and get encouragement in-between sessions in our private Slack channel. In addition to interacting with your peers, Laura and the BWL coaches will contribute weekly to provide insights, answer questions, and share resources.
Hear From Past Participants
SUMMER ALEXANDER
Manager, Talent Development, Zillow
YAKENTHA BRITTON
Vice President, Mortgage Capital Markets Operations, Radian
JHMIRA ALEXANDER
Executive Director, Public Narrative
"When I started, I was growing my team larger than ever before and I was feeling anxious and downright fearful about bringing on new people. I really needed help with putting processes in place. What I didn’t know I needed was guidance on being a better leader. Laura helped me to focus, get organized, and, most importantly, showed me how to operationalize the values of my company. Working with her helped me take my role as a leader more seriously. It was a mindset shift that will serve me forever! As a result of, I now have confidence in my ability to be a good leader, and I feel blessed to have had this support at this pivotal moment in my company."
ADDIE ANDERSON
Founder & CEO, Begin Within
TIFFANY MCCLINTON
Regional Sales Director, Dell Technologies
KAREN STAPLETON
EAP Regional Program Manager, FBI Headquarters
"When I signed up for the Black Woman Leading program, I was looking for the opportunity to connect with and learn from other Black women in leadership roles. The program facilitated a community of trust and brought women with diverse backgrounds together to create a unique experience. The support I received in the program was priceless! By the end of the program, I had a clearer vision for my career and personal goals as well as new tools for navigating challenging relationships. I grew as a leader in my professional and personal life, formed meaningful connections, and had an amazing time in the process."
TISHA ALFRED
Managing Director, Real Estate and Workplace Strategy
Natural Resources Defense Council
Join the Interest List!
Enrollment will start for the next cohort in July 2022.
Interested in sponsoring employees to participate in the program?
Contact us at info@knightsconsultinggroup.com
or 888-661-7104
Meet Laura
Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading™ and Founder & CEO of Knights Consulting, LLC, where she helps organizations cultivate more confident, conscious leaders and high performing teams. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and trainer with 17+ years of experience creating professional development programs that have touched leaders all over the world. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and as a licensed clinical social worker uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life.
Laura received her Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management, from Washington University in St. Louis. She obtained her Master’s in Social Work from DePaul University. She is a certified workplace critical incident response professional, a certified clinical trauma professional, a certified practitioner for both the DISC and Core Values Index assessments, and holds the Licensed Clinical Social Worker designation in both Illinois and Georgia.
Laura is a teacher and master strategist at heart. She has always been dedicated to supporting Black women to move from surviving to thriving in both their personal and professional endeavors. Black Woman Leading™ is the latest iteration of her efforts, and a true passion project that combines all the best of her professional experiences and skills. Together, with her program coaches, Laura aims to support you holistically as you learn, heal, and grow in your leadership capacity.
Our Program Coaches
Summer Alexander
Summer is a dynamic coach and facilitator with 10+ years experience in corporate training, communications, workforce development, and stakeholder engagement. She is also a Certified Equity & Belonging Facilitator. Her expertise spans various industries including information technology, finance, government, nonprofit and higher education. Summer is also an alumni of the Black Woman Leading program!
Sunette Thompson
Sunette is a powerfully intuitive coach with 10+ years experience in business development, organizational development, entrepreneurship, and human relations. She is an Employee Assistance Professional with expertise in applying positive psychology models in individual and team coaching initiatives.
Black Woman Leading™ is a program of Knights Consulting LLC
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