New EmBe programming to focus on 3 tiers of women’s leadership journeys

This paid piece is sponsored by EmBe.

Whether you’re a woman seeking to mature as a leader, ready to take the next step in your journey or looking for ways to use your experience to benefit others, EmBe has a women’s program that will be the right fit for you.

“I think we have a clear understanding of what to do, what’s next and how to get there with our women’s programming,” said Melissa Hiatt, who became director of women’s programming earlier this year. “We’re structuring our approach around three tiers so that women at multiple stages of their career journey will find a fit that’s fulfilling for them.” Here’s a look at what to expect:

Tier One – Leading Me: Owning My Leadership Story

What story do you want to write? That’s the guiding question for women in EmBe’s first-tier leadership program, based off its longtime core Women’s Leadership Program.

The sixth-month program will begin with a retreat that includes a timeline exercise.

“We’ll look at their life. What were all the critical incidents that make up who they are today? When did they see first see leadership pop up? What names were they called? Bossy? Shy? And then how can we rewrite that narrative?” Hiatt said.

“You’re not bossy. You’re a leader. You’re not shy. You’re introspective. The goal is to deepen their understanding of themselves and give them the confidence to pick up the pen and be intentional about the story they’re writing.”

The group of about 25 women will meet monthly and use a curriculum developed using community leaders’ expertise and skills.

“It will challenge participants to grow in their understanding of strengths-based leadership, effective communication, claiming one’s own leadership authority, challenging their inner critic and the impact of bias on leadership,” Hiatt said.

Each woman also will be paired with a mentor early in the program so they’re able to build that relationship around what they’re learning.

A leadership creativity project will empower them to integrate their learning through the program to help them meet their personal and professional goals.

Hiatt said Tier One is open to anyone wanting to explore their leadership story — age doesn’t matter.

Aynsely Morris, a 2022 participant, shared advice that she gained from her summer cohort.

“I joked in my cohort that I was probably double the ages of some and could be their mothers,” she said. “So I brought some experiences, more life experiences, that they probably didn’t have, but the younger women opened my eyes to totally different things. So be vulnerable, be willing to share, be willing to listen, be willing to be challenged — that will help you grow in ways you weren’t even planning.”

Hiatt uses researcher and professor Brené’s Brown’s definition of a leader, “which is someone who finds potential in people and process and has the courage to develop that potential,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how big your budget is or how many people you have report to you. We all can lead in whatever setting we’re in.”

What’s next: Applications will open Aug. 21 for the fall session and will kick off with a retreat Oct. 12. Tier One will be held twice a year. The fall session will meet on the second Thursday of every month from 1 to 5 p.m. The spring session will meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 4 to 8 p.m. Applications for the spring session will open in January, and the retreat will be in March. The cost is $1,100, including taxes and fees. Limited scholarships are available.

Tier Two – Leading With: Understanding My Impact on Others

How will you use your power?

That’s the question asked of participants in Tier Two, a program for women who “want to explore power, how they leverage power as leaders and the impact their leadership has on others,” Hiatt said.

“This is going to go deeper and ask more of people.”

This six-month program will start with an all-day retreat where participants will create a genogram, a type of family tree, and use it to explore anxiety and power within their family systems and the learned patterns of behavior they carry into their leadership.

From there, the remaining five sessions are designed to help participants explore how they interact with others, understand behaviors that trigger them and pull them out of their leadership integrity, gain tools for greater effectiveness in leading others and find joy as they authentically lead.

“Tier Two is for more seasoned leaders who have experience leading people or leading programs and processes – people who are influential and really understand their motivation and how they show up for others,” Hiatt said.

What’s next: There will be two groups each year in Tier Two. Applications for the fall group will open in September and will kick off with a retreat Nov. 3. The group will meet on the first Friday of each month from 8 a.m. to noon. Applications open in February for the spring session. The cost is $1,500, including taxes and fees. Limited scholarships are available.

Tier Three – Leading Wise: Resourcing My Wisdom for the Greater Good

This tier is for all women and is more ongoing than static. The guiding question of Tier Three is: Where do my passions meet the world’s needs?

“The goal of Tier Three is to help people understand themselves beyond what they do,” Hiatt said.

“In Tier Three, we want to let go of our identity being tied to what we produce and learn to cultivate a life that brings us joy and meaning.”

This tier will create connecting points where women can support one another throughout their life and leadership journey.

It will include a yearly retreat with topics ranging from Living and Leading in the Midst of Grief to the Intersection of Leadership and Spirituality.

The topics will be determined based on the needs of the women in the community.

The other connecting point Hiatt said she is most excited about is quarterly “wisdom circles,” where experienced leaders will share their wisdom with the community.

She wants to open this up to anyone interested; all will be invited, including men.

“There is a quote by Elizabeth Lesser that is guiding my philosophy of Tier Three: ‘Women know something that the world needs now. We know it in our bones. We’ve always known it.’ I want to create an opportunity to glean wisdom from the women who have walked before us,” Hiatt said. “We have so much to learn, and there are women in our community who have wisdom to share.”

What’s next: Hiatt plans to convene a focus group to make sure her concept for Tier Three makes sense to other women. The first retreat could be held next year.

To learn more: To connect with any of EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Programs, email [email protected] or check the website.