There is a leadership development gap for women and marginalized leaders.
90% of first-time leaders report receiving insufficient leadership development support and 60% report receiving NO leadership training (Gentry et al, 2015).
Among them, women and other marginalized leaders often experience even less access and insufficient training and support.
This gap compounds over time, which leaves leaders, especially women and marginalized leaders, experiencing unnecessary barriers to success.
It’s one of the major reasons women and marginalized leaders consider leaving their leadership role or the organization as a whole.
We’re here to help.
What happens to leaders without sufficient leadership development support?
Without sufficient support, managers and leaders are likely to experience:
Feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or burned out trying to manage all the demands on their time.
Feeling isolated, without appropriate peers to discuss their challenges.
Finding themselves routinely blindsided, as if they are missing something they should know.
Wanting to create a strategic vision but not sure where to start.
Frustrated or challenged by organizational politics that may be holding them back from greater success.
Unsure of how to manage some of the toxic or unhealthy behaviors they are noticing in the workplace.
Feeling at a loss for how to break through common barriers to success at successive stages of leadership growth.
Our Solution
We help emerging and under-supported leaders learn what it takes to move from where they are to higher levels of leadership through specific stages of development.
We have pulled together 20 years of experience, tools, knowledge, and research across our work with hundreds of leaders and teams to create the Strategic Leadership Pathway Program, a curated leadership group cohort community learning program aimed to set leaders up for sustainable success - now and in the future.
For each successive stage, we describe both the barriers that are likely to happen and the mindset and actions required to move to the next stage.
Our proprietary model:
Builds successive skills along 5 stages of growth across a strategic developmental path.
Meets the needs of any leader who missed out on solid leadership development support and mentorship.
Is especially helpful for women (cisgender and transgender) and other marginalized professionals who have received less access to appropriate or sufficient leadership development.
Who is a good fit for the Program?
This program is a good fit for leaders who:
Are looking for more leadership development or mentorship than they have received
Are in a role with greater scope, responsibility, and complexity
Are in an organization that values learning and innovation (e.g., STEM, academia, healthcare, tech)
Are growth-oriented, curious, and open-minded
Identify as a woman, non-binary, or an ally committed to inclusive leadership
Are looking for a curated community of supportive, like-minded, high-achieving, non-competitive professionals to share challenges, successes, and peer learning
This group is NOT a good fit of those who want:
Training (instead of development). This is an interactive program requiring engagement, trying things out, and giving and receiving support, not a place to sit back and listen.
(Solely) a support or friendship group. While group members will receive plenty of support and develop lasting relationships, this program is focused on helping leaders set, accomplish, and sustain their goals.
Therapy, counseling, or life coaching. If these services are identified as an additional need, we can discuss how best to engage with this community while also seeking out additional support outside the program.
Interested in learning more?
What's included?
Over the course of 12 weeks, participants will receive:
Access to a curated small group of like-minded leaders experiencing similar challenges
60-90-minute small group sessions, which include a combination of Learning Sessions and Office Hours
Individual assessments with results about how to strategically apply and leverage individual and team strengths as a leader
A personalized leadership development plan
Real-world examples and best practice strategies
Weekly assignments aligned to a proven 5-step process
Team simulations to practice new skills in a safe environment
A unique model using inclusive leadership solutions that help balance identifying and managing biases while empowering leaders to find personal leadership paths to success in the face of those challenges
Accountability and support to help all participants reach their goals
The 5 stages address the following developmental areas:
Facing Uncertainty: Can I succeed? Together we ground ourselves at the beginning of our leadership growth journey within a structured community of like-minded leaders.
Developing Identity: Who am I as leader? How do I want to show up? Develop your personal leadership identity by pinpointing your natural leadership strengths and contextualizing them in your current role.
Mapping a Strategy: Create and peer-refine an actionable personalized leadership development plan, with embedded accountability to help you review, improve, and achieve your goals.
Navigating Complexity: Understand your success within the context of a system. Gain insights about how groups operate, recognize why and how dynamics are playing out, and decide intentionally how to operate within them.
Moving with Impact: Learn how to more effectively manage your energy by knowing when, how, and what to delegate, negotiate, and advocate. Establish and hone your strategies to execute greater impact.
Outcomes
Leaders who commit to and engage actively in this program should expect by the end of the program to clarify:
Their leadership style
Their personalized leadership goals
A strategy to better map out those leadership goals
How to balance the many competing demands and prioritizing time and energy
How to leverage resources and gain agency over the things that currently feel out of control
How to anticipate common leadership problems before they happen and know how to minimize their impact
What personal and external barriers could potential derail expected outcomes and what to do about it
Leaders who invest in this program are better able to...
What to expect
Cohorts consist of about 4-6 members each based on scheduling availability and fit of experiences and interests.
Sessions are led by a consulting psychologist with expertise in leadership development and a transformational coach with expertise in helping women, especially women of color, dream big and pursue their goals.
Learning Sessions will follow a 3-part meeting structure shown to be highly effective for achieving personal and leadership development outcomes:
Group Coaching: Provides access to multiple perspectives, feedback, and additional guidance.
Leadership Community & Support: This creates an informal Board of Directors (advisory group for members' leadership journey) and network to share knowledge and celebrate successes in a safe environment.
Accountability: This helps leaders keep focused on implementing their leadership plan and sustaining successes.
Office Hours/Hot Seat Sessions offer a less structured opportunity for cohort participants to dive deeper into a specific topic of interest and focus on specific individual challenges.
Cohort members are expected to:
Commit to attending all sessions (60-90 minutes per session for 12 sessions),
Allot time outside of sessions to implement changes tied to their leadership development,
Maintain confidentiality of cohort members,
Be willing to share generously,
Be open, honest, & respectful,
Help each other grow and thrive, and
Contribute to a supportive and healthy cohort environment by approaching discussions in a non-judgmental, non-competitive way and allowing all voices to be heard.
Upcoming Cohort Dates
Fall/Winter 2022
Cohort 1: Closed (Reserved by an Academic Medicine Department)
Cohort 2: SOLD OUT
Spring/Summer 2023
Cohort 1: Closed (Reserved by an Academic Medicine Department)
Cohort 2: Available: Dates TBD (Get on the mailing list.)
What is the investment?
Our aim is to provide an exceptional value and experience.
In our market research, we have learned that other group leadership development programs require an investment of $7,500 to $15,000… for LESS value!
To increase accessibility while still delivering higher value, we offer the below tiered pricing system:
Medium-to-large corporate organizations sponsoring individual employees:
$3,995
Limited-funding organizations sponsoring individual employees (e.g., small minority-owned businesses; grant-funded; small-to-medium sized non-profit organizations):
$1,995
Individuals paying out of pocket (no organizational support) and looking for scholarship support:
$500-995
Note: Prices are subject to change each year and are based on per person cost of virtual engagement. In person engagements add travel expenses. We also offer bulk discount for multiple participants who are covered by the same organization.
See our FAQ’s for more details about group pricing, scholarships, and installment plans.
Below are some of the differences between our program and others’. We know you will immediately see our value.
Your partners for success: Who we are
Mira Brancu
Welcome! I'm Mira, an award-winning leader and consulting psychologist, with 20+ years of experience in academic, healthcare, and innovation industries. Over 10 of those years have been in management and leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility, moving from local to national levels, and ultimately becoming a trusted national leader, advisor, coach, and consultant to over 150 leaders and hundreds more of their team members.
As a result of my own leadership success, I became passionate about helping other leaders and teams at all levels learn to do the same, especially women and other underserved leaders. I love applying my understanding of people, behaviors, and systems to help leaders learn how to think strategically and critically. This program is my way of continuing to have a larger impact where it's needed most.
- Mira Brancu, PhD
Madrianne Wong
Hello there! My name is Madrianne, and I'm thrilled to be a facilitator of your leadership growth journey for the next twelve weeks! At the moment, I spend most of my time at the intersection of infinite possibility and straightforward getting-it-done. I left my career in mental health to dive headfirst into adventures around the world (sometimes literally!). Upon returning to the United States in 2019, I became a certified transformational coach.
Now, I primarily work with women of color towards expanding their dreams and forging paths to align their daily lives accordingly. I use the connectivity and creativity I cultivated during my travels to design, create, and facilitate bespoke retreats to help my clients experience a taste of their dreams.
- Madrianne Wong
What our clients say
[Note: We respect our clients' privacy. Unless given explicit permission, we default to keeping their identity anonymous, providing descriptions of their role when appropriate.]
“The [leadership development program] helped me better learn how to delegate - even when you feel you know how to do it better and faster, it was really important to learn how to let go [since I was burning out]. It also helped me establish better boundaries.”
“I enjoyed how you tied the agenda into what was going on in our daily lives and transitions we were all dealing with. By the end we felt a sense of accomplishment and togetherness.”
“Being together with other [participants] in this leadership development program was really helpful - it felt like we were not alone on this island anymore.”
“I liked the structure of starting with individual leadership and then moving to team leadership.”
“This is an invaluable program and could not have come at a better time in my journey. The self-reflection, insight, and feedback was thought-provoking and motivation to grow.”
“Thank you for walking us through the process with compassion, support, positivity, and immense expertise. I also appreciated you were willing to challenge us when we needed to stretch ourselves. Exceptional!”
“The feedback from the results of the assessments we did in the program were so enlightening. It helped me gain important self-awareness - I learned about some strengths I didn’t know I had as well as my biggest challenges I need to look out for. It’s helped me become a better leader. It was one of the most helpful experiences in my leadership development.”
Joining our mailing list is the best way to hear first about the next cohort application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our most commonly asked questions below or contact us at admin@gotowerscope.com
What if I can’t make a session?
We provide all applicants the dates and times for each session and ask that they prioritize this block of time not only for themselves, but also for their cohort members. These cohorts are curated and the groups are purposefully small, so even one missing person makes a difference and affects everyone’s experience. We do understand that there are extenuating or unexpected circumstances and crises at times. We expect that if a participant needs to miss a session that they communicate with their cohort to let them know (and to seek support if needed).
my organization needs more time to approve funding or can only cover a portion of the program fee. How will this be managed?
We expect all participants to pay the program fee in advance, however, we can work with a sponsor from the organization to manage a reimbursement within a reasonable timeframe.
What other funding support is available?
We offer installment plans if needed. There are times we may also have additional financial need scholarships for qualified candidates. Reach out to us or attend one of our information sessions to learn more. If you are an organization interested in sponsoring multiple individuals or a group cohort, email us to talk about group pricing. For organizations and individuals looking for a business case, download the slide set here or check out the business case online here.
Do you offer 1:1 time if Participants need it?
Individual (1:1) sessions are offered at a special preferred member rate for those would like extra time in between the group sessions. Participants who need more consistent 1:1 coaching should explore our VIP retainer options.
What happens after the program is done?
Alumni of the Strategic Leadership Pathway Program are eligible for preferred pricing (and sometimes free access!) for a variety of other leadership development services we offer including group coaching, training sessions, and other resources. Since these opportunities change, we will share what is available for each cohort during or after the program.
Do you have a refund policy?
As a service-based business focused on curating small, meaningful cohorts, we expect that everyone who has gone through the application process and been accepted to the program has prepared for this commitment. As a result, we offer no refunds. It is important to us to provide high value for all participants. If there are concerns or problems that arise in the program, we want to receive your feedback and work on improving your experience.