Grow your leadership skills to build a successful career.
Overview
Whether you are a student in college or someone in the first several years of your career, it is important to intentionally develop leadership skills to successfully manage your career and your professional relationships. Early career professionals often have limited authority or ability to enact changes within their organization, but individuals with skills in communication, managing up, setting boundaries, and initiative set themselves apart. And having a long-term plan and goals for how you would like to develop as a leader can help you make sound career choices. But leadership is often learned on the job through intentional and reflective experience. This series is designed to help you begin to develop your sense of who you are as a leader and what specific skills you need to grow.
Who Should Attend
If you are in your early career or planning to enter a career within the next few years, this series is for you. If you are new to professional life, you’ll gain valuable knowledge of leadership skills to develop and practical tools to begin developing them. If you have some experience in your career, you’ll continue to grow as a leader.
How it works
This series consists of multiple sessions spread out over several months. Each session features a new topic (see agenda below), and all sessions will involve some instructor-led content and attendee participation. These sessions will set you up with practical tools to begin your learning journey on each topic.
We encourage participation in as many sessions as possible, but participation in all sessions is not required – simply join as many as you would like. Pieces of each session will be recorded and included in our library if you are not able to participate live.
The discussion series includes the following sessions:
Creating a Personal Leadership Philosophy
October 28, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
Your leadership philosophy encompasses your core values and beliefs that frame how you make decisions. Although you may not see yourself as a leader in your early career, building your leadership philosophy from the start of your professional life can help set you up to make intentional choices about your career trajectory. In this session, you’ll examine your personal leadership style, along with your values and goals, to come up with what you want from your journey as a leader and a professional.
Polishing Your Professional Persona
November 11, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
Who you are as a person and who you are as a professional can be similar but not exactly the same. As you navigate different organizations, you’ll encounter a wide range of professional norms and standards, and you’ll have to decide how you can fit in with your organizational culture and how you may want to make different choices. In this session, we’ll explore what you want your professional persona to be, and how you can make choices that support developing and maintaining that persona.
Setting Boundaries
November 19, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
During your early career, you may feel pressure to make career decisions that don’t align with your personal or professional goals. Being able to set and maintain your boundaries, and knowing when to be more flexible with them, can help you achieve your ideal career trajectory without sacrificing too much. In this session, we’ll discuss how to set your boundaries based on your personal and professional goals, and how to maintain those boundaries while balancing competing priorities.
Advocating for Yourself and Managing Up
December 3, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
In your early career, you may not have a lot of power to enact changes or drive the direction of your projects. However, knowing how to advocate for what you need in your professional life and managing your relationship with your supervisor can help you better achieve your goals. In this session, we’ll walk through how to work with your manager effectively and champion your interests diplomatically.
Initiative and Professional Curiosity
January 21, 2025 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
Your early career is a time for extensive learning, and you often encounter so many new things that it can be overwhelming. Professionals who learn quickly where they can take initiative and build a sense of curiosity in their work really stand out in their organizations. In this session, we’ll explore how you can build your sense of initiative even with limited knowledge.
Time Management and Flexibility
February 5, 2025 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
In your early career, you don’t always have a lot of control over your schedule, and you may not get direction on how to manage a long-term project. Professionals who are open to working with the schedules of others while also advocating for their needs and setting their own schedules can develop a reputation as a team player and top performer. In this session, we’ll discuss how you can manage your time in an environment where you don’t always have choices over what you work on.
Coming soon:
Keep an eye on this page for additional sessions to be added in 2025, on building communication skills.
Discussion Series Sessions
SESSION 1
Creating a Personal Leadership Philosophy
October 28, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
SESSION 2
Polishing Your Professional Persona
November 11, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
SESSION 3
Setting Boundaries
November 19, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
SESSION 4
Advocating for Yourself and Managing Up
December 3, 2024 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
SESSION 5
Initiative and Professional Curiosity
January 21, 2025 | 1:00-2:00pm ET
SESSION 6
Time Management and Flexibility
February 5, 2025 | 1:00-2:00pm ET