It seems everyone is working harder than ever to find inspiration and joy in their days since the world abruptly changed. Earlier this month, I was able to sit in one of those places where I feel incredibly joyful — in cohort sessions for our experience for Advanced Women Leaders (AWL). I tell the leaders in AWL that these sessions are truly some of my favorite days of the month — and it is not my style to say that just to be nice!
I feel very lucky to spend a lot of my time not only co-facilitating the AWL sessions with my business partner, but also just having conversations about AWL — curating our next cohorts, discussing the impact of the experience with sponsors, and exploring all kinds of curiosity that people have about the journey. I could have these conversations every day of the week — I often do! I get inspired and fired up, because there is so much possibility for all leaders — not just women — to show up authentically and to use their voices to impact the people around them, and change the systems that we live and work in. This feels especially important given the senior roles that women leaders in AWL hold.
This particular experience that Bloombase offers is near and dear to me — it reflects my passion. I am personally an alum of AWL, and my passion for this work comes from understanding and experiencing firsthand the impact that it can and does have on the women that experience it. It sounds and feels different from other development experiences because it is. When I talk to women about AWL, our conversations usually start with their thoughts around an outcome they might be interested in achieving: is this an experience that will make them an even more influential leader? An even more effective conflict manager? Even better able to achieve strategic goals? Lead their teams even more inspiringly at work?
What I tell them is this: because of what the research tells us about impactful, emotionally intelligent leaders, and how behavior change happens, AWL is about YOU as a whole leader. Exploring and getting even more clear about who you are as a leader is the first step to achieving any “external” goal — KPIs, influencing company visions, creating high performance cultures, etc. AWL is a space for senior leaders to explore these important learnings about themselves, first, before tackling the “external” work.
When female leaders get clear about themselves, find their voice, and stand in their power as senior leaders, they have the ability to change the systems they are in, making them more inclusive and placing value on unique perspectives. This is why the work we do in AWL is so critically important to me and why it is an honor to facilitate it and to witness it. My energy around this work is not altruistic — I personally want to know those voices are in the rooms where decisions are being made — in companies, in communities, in government, in families. This is the core, to me, of the importance of the AWL experience, and the importance of having as many women as possible investing in themselves — to become and continue be the impactful leaders that we all need. Read, in their own words, stories from the women who have been through the AWL experience and get inspired yourself! These women are a force for change. We’re feeling the ripple effects of their work, and I can only imagine the waves still to come.
Originally published at https://thisisbloombase.com on December 8, 2020.
