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 Black women leaders and managers, with at least 1-2 years of leadership experience, that work in corporate (or larger organizational) spaces.

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 (6-8 women) facilitated over a 12-week period. The program will kick off with an orientation on August 25, 2020, and end with a closing reflection session on 11/17/2020. In between, we will meet twice per month with a learning session and mastermind session each month (see below for detail). All group sessions will take place via Zoom. You should plan for a total of about 6-7 hours per month for participating in group 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) + sign up for a jump-start individual coaching session to strategize about key components to include in your personal leadership development plan
8/25/20 Kick-off group orientation session (7:30-8:30p EST)
9/1/20 Group learning session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Developing Your Leadership Development Plan
9/15/20 Group mastermind strategy session 1 (7:30-9:30p EST)
9/29/20 Group learning session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST). Focus: Self-Awareness, Healing, and Self-Care
Month of October: Schedule second individual coaching session
10/13/20 Group masterminding session 2 (7:30-9:30p EST)
10/27/20 Group learning session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST) Focus: Relationship Management
11/10/20 Group masterminding session 3 (7:30-9:30p EST)
11/17/20 Reflection, Next Steps, and Closing (7:30-8:30p EST)

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

Starting 9/1/2020, 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 12/31/2020.

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)

On-Demand Video Trainings + Mini-Workbooks

In our three learning sessions, our focus will be on implementation. To prepare for the training, you will have brief on-demand trainings to share framework/theory information to deepen your learning. You will receive a mini-workbook for each learning session to help you with reflection and application. The expectation is that you will spend some self-study time with these materials prior to the learning session to get the most out of our time together. You should plan for approximately 2-3 hours of self-study time each month over the three month program. ($300 value)

Meet Your Coach

Laura Knights is the founder 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 16+ 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 13-week virtual coaching and 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:

DISC Leadership Assessment & Debrief Report

Two 60-minute Individual Coaching Sessions with Laura

Kick-Off Orientation Session

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

On-Demand Video Trainings + Mini-Workbooks

Growth Partner

Private Facebook Community Group

Take the Next Step

INDIVIDUALS

Thank you for your interest! Registration is closed for the 2020 Black Woman Leading program. Join the waitlist, and you will be the first to be informed when enrollment opens.

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 Your Coach