5 Reasons Women Should Sign-up For a Leadership Program

Originally published on The Izzy Way Blog March 18, 2023

Women can grow to be exceptional leaders, and one sure way to speed up the process is to attend a leadership development program.  However, not all programs are created equal; thus, you must determine which is right for you.  If it is a great program, they will offer you insights (examples), frameworks, and tools to help elevate your leadership competency during and after the program finishes. I recommend finding one that addresses the many reasons listed below. 

To support your investigation into the right program, I’ll shed light on what to look for and how to continue your growth mindset after completing the program.

Reason #1 – You don’t need to be a people leader to attend a leadership program.

While specific programs focus on people leadership, including those needed to support their teams, women get used to the idea that leadership is more than just people management.  Leadership is compelling when learning to lead with influence versus leading with a title, and one that women can be successful.  I moved out of a people leader role to harness my leading with influence capabilities, and it was equally as rewarding.  We all need to acquire leadership capabilities for the future, and taking a leadership program will help you gain skills that will prepare you for new roles.

Great programs offer sessions dedicated to learning and time for self-reflection. Here are some things to consider when choosing a program:

  • An understanding of what leadership is and how to recognize it.
  • Focusing on your own leadership journey and what the path forward is for you, as no two people’s journeys are the same.
  • Peer support and collaborative growth through breakout sessions to drive emotional intelligence and build confidence and skills to reduce imposter syndrome.
  • Conduct self-assessments that help you break through some of your current barriers and guide you to discover the blind spots that could impede your growth.
  • Offer a series of coaching sessions that help you dive deeper into areas of concern while learning how to coach others through active listening and practice.
  • Offering you suggestions to continue your leadership journey when the program is over.

Not all programs are equal, and the instructors’ style and approach must resonate with you. Seek testimonials and read the course outline. 

Reason #2 – Boost your confidence by understanding your style.

There is no one leadership style, and blending styles makes it more unique to you and will help you show as a leader that resonates with you.  Finding a program that helps you figure out your style is an excellent way to boost your confidence and let your leadership style speak for itself.  As women become more confident in their leadership style, their leadership brand will naturally begin to elevate.  What a great way to continue to shine with added confidence. 

So, what should you look for in a program that helps boost your confidence?

  • Access to self-assessments that shed light on your strengths and help you see blind spots to consider different scenarios or explore after the program is complete.
  • Offer coaching for growth where you explore areas and dig deep into the why to grow or drive past previous experiences that might be holding you back.
  • Offer tools and techniques you can tap into when you lack confidence.
  • Support experimentation opportunities with peers during the program to help you gain confidence in a safe environment.
  • Supporting material to reference after the program is finished.

Leadership programs that focus on women in leadership can be helpful, especially when you need a bit of a confidence boost.  Programs that focus on trying to break through the broken-rung syndrome plaguing women who want to move up the leadership ladder will certainly find women-led leadership programs to be beneficial. While there are many leadership programs, ones focused on and led by other women leaders have the potential to be very powerful in your leadership development.

Reason #3 – Imposter syndrome plagues the best of us.

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome when they least expect it. It is also not a topic that people feel comfortable admitting until recently. Understanding, acknowledging, and having techniques to squash it when it rears its ugly head is critical to your ability to grow as a leader and embrace opportunities. We have all heard that women will not apply for a new role if they don’t have 100% of the qualifications and experience – that is imposter syndrome at its worst. So, what should you look for in a program to help reduce your imposter syndrome?

  • Imposter syndrome is specifically called out in the program overview. 
  • The program offers techniques, coaching and peer exercises to help you better understand your imposter syndrome.
  • Experimentation, coaching and exercises to help gain confidence that enables you to squash your imposter syndrome when it might be holding you back.

Knowing what imposter syndrome is and how it shows up is not nice to have; it is a must-have to help you be the best leader you can be. Because if you can recognize your imposter syndrome, you will be better able to see it in your team and share techniques to help them work past it easier. 

Reason #4 – Women are no longer sitting by the sidelines and waiting for opportunities to come to them, but you still need to be able to compete.

Leadership experience and leading with influence should be mandatory for every job you consider applying for, including the one you have now. Consider the qualities you offer to help build a high-performing team or work and support your peers through leading with influence. Consider the skills that help you stand out and help you work strategically, drive change and embrace automation or managed service providers. 

Finding a leadership program that helps you elevate the skills needed for the future is critical to your ongoing success and competing with the vast talent available since the great resignation began. Women have always wanted more from their work-life integration, as everyone should!  Look for a program that prepares you for the future of leadership.

  • The leadership strategies and models they offer that help you remain or become relevant to potential recruiters and hiring managers – like technology, leadership practices have evolved, and staying current is a must.
  • Exploration of your career journey and how leadership skills play into your future self while helping you demonstrate your capabilities today with a navigation map for you to continue to grow.
  • Coaching opportunities with peers and coaches to explore your blind spots that may get in your way if exploring a career or role change.

Leadership programs are a great way to gain information and skills quickly, but it is more than just a one-and-done exercise. I have taken several leadership programs over the years and selected the components that help shape my leadership journey and how I stay relevant through a continued growth mindset.

Reason #5 – Understand your blind spots and explore ways to elevate your growth mindset.

Great leadership programs help you explore leadership blind spots through actioned self-discovery. While hugely uncomfortable, analyzing your strengths and weaknesses will help you as a leader. So, if you are ready to explore your blind spots for the greater good, consider leadership programs that offer:

  • Self-assessments that help shed light on your key strengths (e.g., Strength Finders) and what you thought were strengths may be something other than your superpower.
  • Exercises that help you navigate weaknesses, so you don’t become fixated on only fixing areas of weakness and need to remember to continue expanding your strength capabilities.
  • Help you explore ways to elevate your capabilities in a way that feels authentic to you through coaching and experimentation in a small group setting.

While these are only some reasons to consider a leadership program, I hope it helps you make the right program decision. If you are looking for women-specific programs, consider if it is a modernized leadership program focused on where women are today in the workforce and covers the key topics that impact women leaders.  

Great women-specific leadership programs I have taken:

A program that I consider every year and have yet to pull the trigger on:

Have a great course or program that women should consider, please share your recommendation.