Women Leaders Emerging Coaching Circles
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Women! What are you up to? |
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Women Leaders Emerging are coaching circles for mission-driven women - mainly working in nonprofit, government, social enterprise, and the arts, who are at an important cusp in their careers and lives. Together, six women and a professional coach discover who they are and what they want in their next chapter. And together, they collaborate and conspire to move boldly into the next chapter of mission-driven leadership and authentic living. So, what are you up to? |
Women Leaders Emerging Program Orientation Videos
For an orientation to Women Leaders Emerging we invite you to watch the overview video above, and the four program component videos below. Please review these prior to your WLE interview.
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Imagine a seven-month journey grounded and supported by the development and implementation of your own personal and professional strategic plan. The strategic plan helps you clarify who you are becoming and what you want next. You will work closely with your coach and WLE colleagues to complete and implement the plan.
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Conspiring comes in two forms - in groups (Board of Directors) and one-to-one (with your co-conspirator). Each month, you will have a chance to learn from the wisdom of the five other women in your conspire circle. During two circles you'll have a full 25 minutes of focused attention on your life and career.
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The seminars introduce different units of a curriculum that reveals your strongest self, deepens your connections to networks and communities and develops your presence and visibility. While in WLE, you'll have six seminars, approximately one per month.
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WLE was designed by and is led by coaches with significant professional experience in mission-driven work in government, nonprofit, and social enterprise. You work closely with your coach up front to make sure you are set up to extract maximum value from WLE, and you'll have her support all throughout the seven months. You'll have access to your coach and have weekly meetings with your co-conspirator throughout the program.
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Would I be a good fit for Women Leader Emerging?
Who participates in Women Leaders Emerging?
Women of all ages who care deeply about making a difference in the world and who want to be their most thriving, authentic selves in doing so. Three profiles of women are most successful in the program:
Women of all ages who care deeply about making a difference in the world and who want to be their most thriving, authentic selves in doing so. Three profiles of women are most successful in the program:
- Profile one: They are at the cusp of a new chapter in their lives and careers and feel that this is an important moment to be thoughtful and strategic in shaping that chapter.
- Profile two: They are taking on (or aiming to take on) a new position of leadership and are hungry to develop and stretch as leaders. They are highly motivated to lead effectively, develop influence and realize their full potential.
- Profile three: They are working in isolation of some kind. This may mean they lack feedback or collegial relationships at work and want a regular forum for feedback and a sounding-board for ideas. This may mean that there is no one at the peer level and they desire having a forum in which they can get feedback in a neutral environment. This may be that they are helping professions and want to create a regular space for their own nurturing, self-care and wellness.
Where to WLE participants work?
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WLEs work in a wide range of nonprofit, government and social enterprise organizations, including the following:
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How do I know if I am ready for this program?
We will help you assess your readiness for the program in the application process. We encourage you to watch the videos at the top of this page before submitting an application. We require that you take this self-assessment before submitting an application as well. While you're wondering, why not go ahead and take the assessment? It will save you some time in deciding whether this program is the right fit at the right time.
The timing is right if you feel as though it is really important that you have time and space set aside to answer some big questions about who you are and what you want out of your next life and career chapter. You should be mentally well and centered enough to be able to commit to an intense and immersive program. It's a great program for people who are thinking about a transition OR who have recently transitioned into a role that is a big stretch.
This is NOT a good program if you are in crisis or so maxed out that you can't squeeze one more thing in. It is not a good program if you're struggling with significant depression or anxiety. If you are being treated for mental illness and feel you are in a good place to participate, we encourage you to discuss your potential participation with a therapist to confirm that this intensive experience is the right one for you.
We will help you assess your readiness for the program in the application process. We encourage you to watch the videos at the top of this page before submitting an application. We require that you take this self-assessment before submitting an application as well. While you're wondering, why not go ahead and take the assessment? It will save you some time in deciding whether this program is the right fit at the right time.
The timing is right if you feel as though it is really important that you have time and space set aside to answer some big questions about who you are and what you want out of your next life and career chapter. You should be mentally well and centered enough to be able to commit to an intense and immersive program. It's a great program for people who are thinking about a transition OR who have recently transitioned into a role that is a big stretch.
This is NOT a good program if you are in crisis or so maxed out that you can't squeeze one more thing in. It is not a good program if you're struggling with significant depression or anxiety. If you are being treated for mental illness and feel you are in a good place to participate, we encourage you to discuss your potential participation with a therapist to confirm that this intensive experience is the right one for you.
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What is the strategic plan and how will I go about creating one?
The strategic plan is a document that contains your Big Questions, Values, Mission, Vision, Goals, Key Career Ingredients, Signature Strengths, Relationship Maps and more. You will create your strategic plan by completing a series of assignments. These assignments are done mainly at the beginning of the program, but you will continue to develop your strategic plan using the frameworks from the seminars. Your coach will help you complete the core elements of it in your initial coaching sessions, and you'll work with all of your co-conspirators to help you gain clarity about what goes in your plan.. Your coach will help you complete the core elements of it in your initial coaching sessions, and you'll work with all of your co-conspirators to help you gain clarity about what goes in your plan. What are the virtual kickoff activities? You can view the week by week details of the Virtual Kickoff in the syllabus. During the virtual kickoff period, there is just one group meeting - the Live Kickoff. During the remaining month, you'll focus on working on the major pieces of the strategic plan through weekly assignments, two rounds of one-to-one conversations with the other women in the group, and two sessions with your WLE leader, a certified leadership and career coach. All this work prepares you to extract maximum value from the group work when it gets started. What happens in the Board of Directors Meetings? The board of directors sessions are the heart of WLE! The ideas is that members take turns being the "chair" of their own board meeting. When you are "chair" the other members are all focused on your agenda. Your agenda is a problem you'd like to solve, or insight you'd like to gain about your career and/or life. Each member is chair twice during the program. When you're chair, you can choose from three meeting formats.
Want more information? Watch our video on the Board of Directors Sessions and Read about them on the top part of the syllabus. What happens in the seminars? Seminars present coaching frameworks that support the successful implementation of the goals set out in the strategic plan. Each seminar, including the virtual kickoff, is 90 minutes, with the exception of the final celebration (2 hours). Total live seminar contact hours: 11. The seminars prepare members to participate in themed coaching work throughout the month. Participants should plan for 1-3 hours of coaching work, including exercises, one-to-one coaching, and co-conspirator calls per week, detailed in this syllabus. Want more information on the seminars? We go more in depth in this video and into much more detail on the program syllabus. What are the seminar topics? Seminars are on the following topics: Coaching Foundations, Leading From Strengths, Developing Visibility, Developing Relationships, Transforming Habits to Achieve Goals, and Final Celebration. In addition there is a Virtual Kickoff and a Model Transition Plan presentation. Want more information on the seminars? We go more in depth in this video and into much more detail on the program syllabus. |
What happens in one-to-one coaching sessions? When you start your coaching conversation, your coach will ask you, "what would you like to take away from your session today?" or "What do you hope to gain from our session today?" Your job is to come prepared with this take-away. If you aren't sure how to form it into a take-away, your coach can help you with that. After you have settled on a take-away, the coach will ask you questions to help you gain access into your own insight, intuition and strategic thinking. Your coach may reflect back what she is observing and intuiting. When the time is right, the coach will partner with you to hone in on the clarity gained by the call and the actions that come out of the session. Sessions last approx 50 minutes. Each WLE has two sessions up front and may book up to one session per month after that. Members can also book additional sessions at a discounted fee. Curious about one-to-one coaching? See our video on co-conspiring and one-to one-coaching. What is a co-conspirator? Your co-conspirator is your peer-coach and program buddy combined. You'll meet with her weekly. At each co-conspirator call, you'll both name the most important "thing" to focus on that week and you'll support each other to uncover any barriers and to leverage your strengths and resources towards what you want to achieve that week. Once you're in the habit of operating with weekly intention and focused, regular partnership, you'll be forever changed (in a good way!). Curious about this relationship? See our video on co-conspiring and one-to-one coaching. |
What are the dates, typical schedule and time commitment?
What are the program dates?
We do not have a cohort scheduled at this time. If your organization or network would like to explore a bespoke WLE curriculum, please be in contact.
We do not have a cohort scheduled at this time. If your organization or network would like to explore a bespoke WLE curriculum, please be in contact.
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What is the time commitment?
It's no joke! This is an immersive, intensive program with the obligations of a community. By being virtual, it is available to busy people, but you shouldn't be so busy that you are maxed-out and over-capacity. If you feel you are in crisis and have no time to devote, this may not be a good program for you and you should discuss this with one of the Conspire coaches. This is a seven month program, and each month typically has:
There is a time commitment, and there is an internal commitment. The internal commitment is to making these sessions a priority (that means saying no to other things that may come up) and being committed to the five other women in the group. This commitment is what makes a powerful circle.
It's no joke! This is an immersive, intensive program with the obligations of a community. By being virtual, it is available to busy people, but you shouldn't be so busy that you are maxed-out and over-capacity. If you feel you are in crisis and have no time to devote, this may not be a good program for you and you should discuss this with one of the Conspire coaches. This is a seven month program, and each month typically has:
- One 90 minute Conspire Circle
- One 90 minute seminar
- Four co-conspirator phone calls (these might be pairs or triads, 1 hour each)
- 2-4 hours of coaching homework
- See detailed time commitment information on the detailed syllabus.
There is a time commitment, and there is an internal commitment. The internal commitment is to making these sessions a priority (that means saying no to other things that may come up) and being committed to the five other women in the group. This commitment is what makes a powerful circle.
What does a typical month look like?
A typical WLE Month looks like this:
Week 1: 90 min seminar that kicks off a new framework, 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 2: 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 3: 90 min Board of Directors Meeting, 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 4: 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 5: (when there's a week 5): 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Please review the syllabus and specific cohort dates for the specific schedule.
Cohorts run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 8pm - 9:30pm.
If you are interested in having a morning or mid-day cohort, please contact us.
A typical WLE Month looks like this:
Week 1: 90 min seminar that kicks off a new framework, 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 2: 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 3: 90 min Board of Directors Meeting, 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 4: 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Week 5: (when there's a week 5): 1-2 hours of coaching homework and 1 hr co-conspirator conversation
Please review the syllabus and specific cohort dates for the specific schedule.
Cohorts run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 8pm - 9:30pm.
If you are interested in having a morning or mid-day cohort, please contact us.
Are there any in-person meetings?
Nope! WLEs often meet up, but none of the required meetings take place in person. We're all about making it easy to connect no matter how busy or what crazy stage of life you are in. Our founder launched this program when she had newborn twins and a toddler with a very explicit mission to make this a program that would work for busy, awesome, amazing women.
Nope! WLEs often meet up, but none of the required meetings take place in person. We're all about making it easy to connect no matter how busy or what crazy stage of life you are in. Our founder launched this program when she had newborn twins and a toddler with a very explicit mission to make this a program that would work for busy, awesome, amazing women.
Where do the groups meet?
Because this is a coaching group designed for busy women, all groups meet virtually. All Board of Directors calls take place over conference call. All seminars take place over Google Hangout. Members can participate from anywhere, and are invited to wear pajamas, snack and drink while participating. This is a big time commitment, but you can participate from your own home or while on vacation, in your best power suit or in your comfiest slippers. Comfort with Google apps like Google Hangout, Google Calendar and Google Drive will really help your participation, but if you aren't familiar with these technologies, we'll get you up to speed.
By the way, WLEs who live near each other often choose to get together, and past groups have even traveled to meet up in person. This definitely deepens the relationships, but it is not required.
FAQ Home
What technology is required for participation?
For all live meetings, you will need to have a phone from which you can call into a conference call. If you are traveling, you are welcome to call in using a web-based link. However, the quality is much better when everyone dials in by phone. For the Seminars, we will also use Google Hangouts so we can see visuals and each other's faces. For this you'll need a computer with a good internet connection and, optimally, a webcam. If you can't get access to a computer with a webcam, you can still participate because we do all audio over the phone.
Is it ok if I live outside of the US?
Sure! As the program has become more known, we've had increased participation from outside of the US. From a technical perspective, if you live in one of the countries listed here, you can have a local access number for dialing into the conference call. Even if you don't live in one of these countries, you can still dial in using the web-link. However, it is important that you have reliable phone and internet connectivity from the place where you plan to take most of the calls.
Having international participants has been enriching for all involved. There's so much to learn about how we live and work in different context and so much wisdom to tap!
When are the next cohorts forming?
They are forming right now! Once you have been accepted in the program by submitting an application and participating in a 25 minute interview, you will move into getting enrolled. We will accept new members in on a rolling basis until the cohorts are full, so we encourage you to get your applications in early. The first payment and member agreements are due on July 27th, and members will have about 30 minutes of enrollment work to do per week until the live kickoff in September.
What are the specific dates of the program?
There are six cohorts that all kick off in September.
Please see specific dates here. You will select your number #1 and #2 cohort preference in your application.
How do I apply?
Step 1: Learn all about the program. It's a big commitment so watch the overview videos, take the self-assessment , and carefully review the syllabus , program dates, and FAQs below.
Step 2: Submit questions by email to [email protected]
Step 3: Submit an application
Step 4: Schedule an interview when prompted
*We strongly encourage you to participate in an introductory session and offer $200 off the tuition if you attend an intro session.
What will happen in the interview?
One of our coaches will speak with you by phone and ask you some questions so that you can mutually assess your fit and timing for participation in the program.
How do I prepare for the interview?
This is a significant commitment and one that you should take on with full awareness of the commitment. This is important for you to thrive in the program, and for you to help co-create a powerful experience for the others in the group. Please be sure you have followed all of the application steps and that you have asked your questions about the program before your interview over email or at any of our live information sessions. At the interview, the coach will primarily focus following up on your application answers and helping to determine whether you are ready to be a fully present and committed member of WLE.
They are forming right now! Once you have been accepted in the program by submitting an application and participating in a 25 minute interview, you will move into getting enrolled. We will accept new members in on a rolling basis until the cohorts are full, so we encourage you to get your applications in early. The first payment and member agreements are due on July 27th, and members will have about 30 minutes of enrollment work to do per week until the live kickoff in September.
What are the specific dates of the program?
There are six cohorts that all kick off in September.
Please see specific dates here. You will select your number #1 and #2 cohort preference in your application.
How do I apply?
Step 1: Learn all about the program. It's a big commitment so watch the overview videos, take the self-assessment , and carefully review the syllabus , program dates, and FAQs below.
Step 2: Submit questions by email to [email protected]
Step 3: Submit an application
Step 4: Schedule an interview when prompted
*We strongly encourage you to participate in an introductory session and offer $200 off the tuition if you attend an intro session.
What will happen in the interview?
One of our coaches will speak with you by phone and ask you some questions so that you can mutually assess your fit and timing for participation in the program.
How do I prepare for the interview?
This is a significant commitment and one that you should take on with full awareness of the commitment. This is important for you to thrive in the program, and for you to help co-create a powerful experience for the others in the group. Please be sure you have followed all of the application steps and that you have asked your questions about the program before your interview over email or at any of our live information sessions. At the interview, the coach will primarily focus following up on your application answers and helping to determine whether you are ready to be a fully present and committed member of WLE.
How much does the program cost?
$2500 for a 7+ month highly immersive coaching program. Please refer to the syllabus to get an idea of the live contact hours and rich curriculum. It's unlikely you'll find a coaching program that is so community forming and deep at this price. (If you do, please tell us about it!) However, we serve mission-driven women who are working to serve vulnerable populations and address significant social and environmental issues so we aim to keep the program price reasonable while still ensuring that we cover our costs, and to contribute to the individual stake and commitment to extracting maximum value.
Payment options are as follows:
#1: Payment up front
#2: Payment in three installments (#1 payment of $833.34 due upon acceptance, #2 due Nov 1 and #3 due Dec 1. (Credit card authorization and automatic payments required)
#3: $833.34 up front followed by 7 payments of $238 (1st of the month Nov, December, January, February, March, April, May) -(Credit card authorization and automatic payments required)
Are there scholarships?
At this time, we are not offering scholarships. However, we are happy to offer payment plans and to find ways to spread payment out over a longer period of time.
What can I expect to gain as a result of participating in WLE?
What to participants say they have gained from the program?
See our testimonials and results page.
What are some examples of goals that participants work on during the program?
Women Leaders Emerging members each set three goals and work on them with the support of their WLE colleagues.
See our testimonials and results page.
What are some examples of goals that participants work on during the program?
Women Leaders Emerging members each set three goals and work on them with the support of their WLE colleagues.
- To gain clarity about what I want to do next and make progress in making a move.
- To better understand my strengths and position myself to spend more time using them.
- To identify areas that I need to develop my skills and knowledge and to follow through.
- To step into a new leadership position with confidence and setting myself up for success.
- To develop strong working relationships with colleagues who have more experience and expertise than I do.
- To consider whether I am cut out to be an executive director.
- To reconnect/connect with organizations/communities outside of work to which I can contribute and in which I will feel fulfilled.
- To figure out the right balance of family and work in the next chapter.
- To kick off a major life (relationship, job, new city) authentically and successfully.
- To develop greater balance, wellness, and health.
- To develop a professional network.
- To develop an emotional support system to help sustain myself and this career.
- To grow into greater financial stability to sustain my family and my career
- To kick off a project (book, organization, project) that I've been dreaming about.