Inclusive Leadership Executive Education Courses Launching September 2022
Northwestern University Executive Learning and Organizational Change (ELOC) is launching a series of four new Inclusive Leadership executive education courses starting in September 2022. These learning experiences feature in-person, interactive workshops that equip and engage mid- to senior-level leaders with the knowledge, skills, and community of practice they need to drive meaningful organizational change in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ).
In designing and co-creating these courses with our faculty and participants, our focus is on a change leadership approach to equity and inclusion, supporting change at personal, team, and organizational levels. We use this focus because all diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work is change work, and all change work (mergers, digital transformations, organizational redesigns, etc.) has the potential to be designed and executed inclusively and equitably.
During the early months of 2022, Northwestern ELOC faculty partnered with a private organizational client’s cohort to develop and deliver these courses now offered more widely. The first participant cohort rated the experiences highly, with most participants “extremely satisfied.” In describing their experience, one participant shared, “this course was very impactful. Inspires me to look at how I operate in the DEI space from a different lens.”
We have been taking different approaches to DEIJ education for several years through our parent program, Northwestern MS in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC), part of the School of Education and Social Policy. In 2019, MSLOC launched our Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate (LEIOC) to provide practitioners with a change leadership graduate certificate that centers topics like identity, culture, intercultural competency, business transformation, change resistance, measurement, accountability, and systemic barriers to change.
Now in our fourth LEIOC cohort, our faculty are drawing on the success and impact to design this unique offering that balances the evidence requiring deep, sustained work with executives’ needs for immediate practical application.
Brief descriptions of the four new Inclusive Leadership courses are below; please follow the links provided with each course to access further information, including:
- Who should attend
- Questions we will answer
- Benefits and outcomes of the course
- Continuing education accreditation
- Program content
- FAQs
- Format and delivery details
Self as Inclusive Leader
September 14-15, 2022
https://www.eloc.northwestern.edu/courses/self-as-inclusive-leader.html
Instructors: Kourtney Cockrell and Kelly C. Weiley
This course equips leaders with an understanding of how individual identities and institutional/structural inequities impact workplace experiences and efficiency of individuals and teams. This foundational course provides leaders with a leadership toolkit to effectively lead organizational design and change initiatives that support the needs of organizations and their diverse employees, customers, and stakeholders. During the course, we will explore leaders' own identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, LGBTQ+, age, ability status, social class, culture, etc.) as well as their lived or witnessed experiences with inclusion, exclusion, and belonging.
Managing Bias for Equitable Decision Making
September 16, 2022
https://www.eloc.northwestern.edu/courses/managing-bias-for-equitable-decision-making.html
Instructors: Samir Desai and David Uttal, PhD
This course explores the science behind decision-making to build your skills in making equitable judgments in organizations. You will learn methods and tools to help you and your teams eliminate common biases in decision-making. We will examine potential gaps and vulnerabilities in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) decision-making processes by exploring how cognitions, emotions, and contexts impact judgements. With a focus on equitable decision making, this course will build awareness of the ethics and assumptions that often go unquestioned yet remain underlying in organizational practices. The course also highlights the importance of teamwork and how to effectively leverage the diversity, experiences, and insight of your peers to improve critical thinking and decision-making.
Leading Change for Equity and Inclusion
November 9-10, 2022
https://www.eloc.northwestern.edu/courses/leading-change-for-equity-and-inclusion.html
Instructors: Corey Flournoy and Vanessa Ruda Seiden, PhD
This course will introduce tools and best practices for effectively facilitating strategic change in organizations committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). We will explore the context for change, potential impacts, stakeholder groups, and their combined impact on the organizational transformation process. The course will help you develop skills to create DEIJ strategies for navigating the complexity and uncertainty associated with promoting DEIJ in organizations.
Driving Structural Change and Accountability
November 10-11, 2022
https://www.eloc.northwestern.edu/courses/driving-structural-change-and-accountability.html
Instructors: Ahmmad Brown, PhD and Renetta McCann
This course focuses on leading the critical elements of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) work: assessment, strategic planning, initiative alignment, measurement, and changing an organization’s systems that can create barriers to change. We will examine theories and perspectives to help you think critically about the current state of DEIJ in work settings. The course will help you plan next steps for weaving DEIJ accountability throughout your organization.
Inclusive Leadership Certificate
Upon completing the four courses described above, along with supplemental work such as assessments and one-on-one coaching sessions, participants will earn a Northwestern ELOC Inclusive Leadership Certificate. More than a credential, this certificate:
- Demonstrates participants’ commitment to developing their skills in DEIJ change leadership work
- Indicates participants’ membership in a growing community of practice focused on collaboration, co-creation, and mutual exchange
- Combines evidence-based approaches to DEIJ change work with real-time opportunities for practical application, allowing you to learn it today and use it tomorrow
For More Information
Registration is now open for all of our fall Inclusive Leadership Courses (spring 2023 dates TBD). For detailed course information and to register, please visit the course links above. For questions, group registration, or to talk to a member of our Northwestern ELOC team, please complete our Request for Information form at https://www.eloc.northwestern.edu/request-information.html.
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ELOC is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. ELOC is also accredited by IACET, giving students the opportunity to earn CEUs.