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.

This 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 and 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.

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.

Specifically, this program will help you in these key focus areas:

When I came to Laura I had just become a manager of a team for a large organization for the first time. I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed and I really needed help with transitioning from an individual contributor to now leading the same team I had been working with since we all started together. She helped me to define my leadership style and find ways to make the transition smoother. Laura helped me to create a plan to step into my authority without isolating anyone on my team. I learned how to have effective one-on-one's and how to manage conflict on the team. As a result, I have confidence in my ability as a leader and my team has been fully supportive of me in my new role. I appreciate Laura's ability to "meet me where I was" and help me to overcome the self-doubt I had about whether I was qualified for the role and if I could succeed. I now feel ready to step into additional leadership opportunities as a result of working with Laura.

— Jeanette Alexander, Team Lead, Zillow

When I came to Laura, 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 working with Laura, I have confidence in my ability to be a good leader, and I feel blessed to have worked with her at this pivotal moment in my company. She is extremely good at what she does!

— Addie Anderson, Founder, Begin Within

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 an orientation on February 2, 2021, and end with a closing reflection session on April 27, 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 prep exercises (including a DISC Leadership Assessment) and schedule a jump-start individual coaching session to strategize about key components to include in your personal leadership development plan
2/2/21 Kick-off group orientation session (7:30-8:30p EST)
2/9/21 Group learning session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Developing Your Leadership Development Plan
2/23/21 Group mastermind strategy session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST)
3/9/21 Group learning session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Self-Awareness, Healing, and Self-Care
Month of March: Schedule second individual coaching session
3/23/21 Group masterminding session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST)
4/6/21 Group learning session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST) Focus: Relationship Management
4/20/21 Group masterminding session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST)
4/27/21 Reflection, Next Steps, and Closing (7:30-8:30p EST)

Six Live Group Sessions: 3 Learning Sessions + 3 Mastermind Strategy Sessions

Starting 2/9/2021, we will meet as a group via Zoom every other week (two meetings 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 5/31/2021 (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, relationship management), and will be aimed at informing your leadership development plan and helping you implement practical strategies into your work right away.
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 a set of specific action steps to address your issue. The "collective mind" of your coach and group members, who will each bring their own skills and expertise, is a powerful experience that allows you to use the synergy of the group to quickly determine your next steps to move forward. ($5400 Value)

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, amongst others, will be covered in brief on-demand video trainings to share frameworks and theories to deepen your learning. Each topic has mini-workbook to help you with reflection and immediate application. The expectation is that you will spend some self-study time with these materials during the program to support your growth and development in the program. You should plan for approximately 2-3 hours of self-study time each month during the program. You will have access to the toolkit for 30 days beyond the program end date. ($500 value)

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. Laura is a certified workplace critical incident response 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.

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.

From microaggressions to isolation to developing relationships that support career advancement...Black women leaders experience unique challenges in the workplace.

Specifically, this program will help you in these key focus areas:

Leadership Development

Self-Awareness, Healing & Self-Care

Relationship Management

Join the Collective!

How Does the Program Work?

Breakdown of the Program Components:

Prep Exercises + Program Playbook

DISC Leadership Assessment & Debrief Report

Two 60-minute Individual Coaching Sessions

Kick-Off Orientation Session

Six Live Group Sessions: 3 Learning Sessions + 3 Mastermind Strategy Sessions

Toolkit with On-Demand Video Trainings + Mini-Workbooks

Growth Partner

Private Facebook Community Group

Take the Next Step

INDIVIDUALS

Registration opens in December for the next program starting in late-January 2021. Join the interest list to be notified when registration opens, and receive a copy of the BWL Journey Map.

COMPANIES

We would love to work with you to offer a customized Black Woman Leading™ program at your organization. Schedule an introductory call to explore the possibilities.

Contact Information

Meet Laura