Brave and safe places for women executives

I was fascinated when deeply experienced women executives from differing careers and separate places began gathering cohorts of accomplished women leaders.  Was this a thing?

Here is a conversation with three such leaders that is worth your consideration and passing along to women leaders you know who would benefit from deeper connection.

Here is who joined me for this conversation:

Deanna Rolffs--a strategist, facilitator, coach, systems thinker, and consultant that has worked with executive leaders and teams for more than twenty years, the last ten focused on the intersection of organizational theory, leadership development, and justice and anti-oppression. Her process consulting approach focuses on organizational transformation via thriving teams, brave leadership, equitable systems, and inclusive communities. With a personal and professional dedication to justice and equity, Deanna supports leadership and teams of all sizes, in all sectors, from nonprofits such as West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT), Fortune500 companies such as Herman Miller, and international organizations such as United Nations Women. Deanna has served as a Senior Consultant with Design Group International since 2018.

Kristin Evenson--a facilitator, consultant, and coach with a passion to help strengthen the souls of leaders and support them in living and leading from a greater sense of significance. Kristin has credentials at the intersection of neuroscience, leadership development, and Christ-centered mindfulness, having completed:

Dawn Yoder Graber --is a Senior Consultant with Design Group International and certified ACC coach through International Coach Federation.  She invites both budding and seasoned executives to consider further unleashing their transforming influence by engaging her as a trusted coach or consultant. Additionally, women leaders can contact Dawn to join WOLTI, a women's support and learning cohort. Dawn's understanding of today's gendered biases in the workplace empowers women's ability to show up as their whole selves in their leadership role. Dawn works with leaders who are already doing a good job but who realize that reflection, removing obstacles, and working with accountability moves good to better. 

And here are some resources they recommend:

From Kristin:

• Junctures - Leadership development and soul-strengthening resources for women 
• Prayerful Pauses newsletter - Bite-sized spiritual practices that neuroscience confirms rewire the brain, strengthen the soul, cultivate Christlike character, and deepen discernment.

From Dawn:

• https://hbr.org/webinar/2020/09/how-to-address-gender-inequity-in-your-organization.  In this September 2020 webinar featuring Michelle King, Equity director of Netflix, and author of "The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work" we learn that women don't need to be 'fixed' but that workplaces do.  Workplaces need to be 'fixed' in changing the parameters of what effective leadership looks like. 
• https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace. For the sixth year in a row McKinsey and Company have sponsored a wide and inclusive look at how women are faring in hundreds of varied workplaces in the United States.
• https://www.sarahbessey.com/meet-sarah. Follow Sarah Bessey if one is interested in understanding how women in executive leadership and Christian faith intersect. Start with her work, Jesus Feminist (2013), and follow her blog. 
  

From Deanna:

• Deanna's blog: http://bit.ly/leadershiplearningletters
• Anti-Oppression by Simmons University
• ‘Dear White Women’: The Public Classroom of Rachel Cargle via the NewYorkTimes
• Be Anti-Racist Podcast with Ibram X. Kendi

One other person who had planned to join the conversation but had to cancel at the last minute was Margaret Marcuson.  We commend her work also!  You can find out more at: https://www.margaretmarcuson.com

This was a treat and I look forward to more conversations like these in the future.

-mark l vincent

If you are an Executive Leader whose awareness is growing that what you are building is going to be under the leadership of others, we'd love to talk with you about Maestro-level leaders.