Inclusive Leadership: Understand Your Intersecting Identities to Better Serve Others

Last updated December 10, 2020

Course Length

1h 35m

Last Updated

December 10, 2020

Inclusive Leadership: Understand Your Intersecting Identities to Better Serve Others

Last updated December 10, 2020

Learn how your intersecting social identities affect your leadership and encourage you to do your most meaningful work.

Overview

In research, it is not uncommon to interrogate your own positionality in relation to who you are researching to avoid bias. As leaders, however, we’re often focused on the long-term strategy and health of the organization and ignore the important practice of understanding who we are in relation to who we lead. When you understand where your social and political position of power comes from and how it can influence your leadership in productive and counterproductive ways, you are able to align the values of different groups across the organization and operate as a truly inclusive leader.

Join us online for a three-hour training where you’ll explore how your social identities–including age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and others–shape your position of power or privilege as an inclusive leader. You’ll begin by taking a quick assessment to help you understand your social identities and how they connect to your leadership. Then you’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities those power dynamics present in the workplace with your peers.

We also invite you to come to this training prepared to discuss a specific leadership challenge you are facing. Explore with fellow attendees how your position of power and social identities might help you navigate that challenge.

Who should attend?

This training is designed for anyone who is looking to deepen their understanding of how their social identities may impact their position of power or privilege in leadership, and how to be a more inclusive leader. This program is equally suitable for those in formal leadership roles, as well as those aspiring to leadership or currently in informal leadership positions. The content we’ll share will be particularly helpful for those who are currently navigating a challenging or sensitive leadership situation in which power dynamics may be an issue.

Agenda

January 25, 2021

11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern

 
Section 1: Understanding How Your Social Identities Impact Your Leadership
In order to be an effective and inclusive leader, it’s not enough to simply be aware of common leadership theories and best practices. You must also understand how your social identities play a part in how you lead and how others view your leadership. In this section, you’ll complete a short assessment in order to examine from where you derive your position of power and privilege as a leader and how your social identities such as gender, race, age, and sexual identity influence that power dynamic.

 


 
Section 2: Connecting Your Position of Power to Your Leadership Development
In small groups, you’ll analyze and discuss the results of your assessment, so you can better understand how to tell your story as an inclusive leader. You’ll have the opportunity to identify how your power dynamics may create unique complexities for you as an inclusive leader, as well as how you can overcome those challenges and learn from them.

 


 
Section 3: Applying Your Position of Power to a Current Leadership Challenge
In the last section of the training, we will show you how to use your newfound knowledge about positionality in your day-to-day. In small groups, you’ll share and discuss a current leadership challenge that you’re experiencing at work. With help from your peers, you’ll examine how your position of power and social identities may help you navigate that situation. More importantly, you’ll walk away with a fresh perspective for leading with a more inclusive mindset.

Note: There will be 2 breaks during this event.