"Aya" - Adrinkra symbol of Endurance, Perseverance

African American women who lead in organizations and communities, bring unique perspectives as well as unique challenges to their work.  They are expected to do more, overcome more, give more often while experiencing racism, sexism, and other "isms."  Leading in the face of all of these challenges can impact overall health, wellness and the ability to lead effectively.   My leadership development and coaching approach takes these factors in account and enables me to  thoughtfully design programs that supports an ethnically relevant leadership development model.  A model that centers healing as vehicle for renewal, clarity and forward movement.

My leadership retreat programs are designed to give leaders who are often so busy that they do not attend to their own needs including physical, emotional and spiritual, with a special place and time to reset, connect, get support and share perspectives and resources.   All retreats are held with no more than 8 leaders in order to maintain safe, intimate learning environments.   Group coaching is offered as a component of each retreat.

Culture matters! I take into account the cultural and ethnic values of the women I serve throughout all of my work.  My programs effectively enable women at every level of an organization or in communities to substantially increase capacity to:

v  Strengthen personal voice 

v  Build critical networks

v  Re-examine personal, organizational and cultural expectations to achieve higher levels of wellness and leadership effectiveness

My approach to coaching women of color is to make space for the client to share from a whole-person perspective, e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender identity.  I work in partnership with each client to support them in taking reflective pauses, constructing new meaning and behaviors in self-identified coaching areas.   

My practice is Trauma Informed;  a coaching approach that acknowledges and holds safe spaces for clients to work through various forms of lived experiences of trauma i.e., racial, gender, sexual orientation, etc. and develop healing strategies.  

 A central component of my coaching work is offering space for African American women to connect with and engage with the Strong Black Woman (SBW) cultural ethic and how it may impact health and wellness in every area of life, especially in any leadership capacity. 

For additional info:  http://www.thestrongblackwomenproject.org

Outcomes of this intentional whole-person approach is clients increase use of self, personal voice, range of choices, broaden and clarify leadership perspectives and take meaningful action that can foster continued healing, transformation and behavioral change.

The only cure for the dis-ease of racial injustice and it's by-products is for leaders to name it when it shows up in the system; then fully commit to the long-term personal, interpersonal and organizational work that is necessary to heal and transform into  being an anti-racist organization.

   -  Dr. Charlyn Green Fareed

Within organizations, my goal is to partner with leaders to  design organizational systems that are equity-centered.   This process begins when  long-term commitments are made to be an anti-racist organization where people of color are seen, heard and feel safe.  Where they become more empowered through taking leadership, power sharing, has a voice in what work gets done as well as how it gets done, have increased voice in how decisions are made, and being allowed to make the same mistakes as white people. 

- Adapted from Western States Center - Anti Racist Organizational Development Resource Guide

This type of organizational change goes beyond simple knowledge and skill acquisition, but creates a type of learning and change that can transform the very nature of an organization.  It creates long-term organizational effectiveness that builds capacity for sustained growth for people as well as the organization.

My deep understanding of human development and organizational systems enables me to co-design environments that are equitable and meets the development needs of people as well as the organization.