Black Women Navigating the Dynamics of Unexpectedness
Trend data indicates that the majority of the emerging and established entrants into the workforce will demographically consist of women, young professionals, and people of color. Among this group will be significant numbers of Black women. Workforce research identifies Black women navigate a unique set of challenges in the workplace. These challenges are due to leading at the intersection of race and gender while not being the expected demographic to ascend to company leadership.
The Unexpected Leader®
Gwen, Inc. specializes in a blended executive coaching model for emerging and established Black women leaders under the trademark The Unexpected Leader®. This concept recognizes Black women’s unique experiences as they lead at the intersection of race, gender, and leadership. Specifically, Black women leaders navigate the following dynamics when hired or promoted to positions that cause them to shatter the glass/cement ceiling:
- Being the First Only and Different– Unexpected Leaders simultaneously make history and deal with the isolation of being the only or one of a few Black woman executive leaders in a company or organization.
- Gaining and Sustaining Credibility – Unexpected Leaders are always qualified and exceed expectations. Yet they struggle to be experienced as credible leaders due to unchecked racism, sexism, implicit bias, and microaggressions.
- Legacy Building – Unexpected Leaders realize their historical hirings are often done from a risk management perspective. Given this, they are highly aware that perceptions of their effectiveness set the tone for whether other Black women leaders have access to executive positions and opportunities.
The experience of unexpectedness serves as a backdrop to this executive coaching approach. Thriving through these dynamics requires Black women leaders to develop the philosophies, skills, and behaviors of successful Black women leaders. The Unexpected Leader Executive Coaching Model includes but is not limited to:
Strategic Onboarding: Clients are strategically onboarded into blended executive coaching by engaging in deep personal reflection using the Pragmatic to Permission Power Tool and, as needed or requested, engaging in a leadership profile assessment administered by a culturally competent Gwen, Inc. Consulting Partners specializing in administering leadership assessments with leaders of color.
Executive Coaching: Clients engage in an agreed-upon number of executive coaching sessions grounded in ICA practices to address and examine issues related to the joy and challenge of being a Black woman leading at the intersection of race and gender, especially when the client is not the traditionally expected leader in a company.
Leadership Consultation and Technical Assistance: Executive coaching helps clients better understand themselves and identify strategies for addressing leadership issues related to unexpectedness. However, because they are unexpected, they are not always exposed to the philosophies, skills, and behaviors needed to be effective as leaders in companies that traditionally do not move Black women into leadership. When clients find themselves being the First, Only, and Different supplemental support of leadership consultation and technical assistance is beneficial. These sessions are strategically offered as needed or requested to help clients simultaneously become confident, competent, courageous, and calm Black women leaders with the technical capacity to engage in the work they are charged with leading. Frequently identified topics for this support include but aren’t limited to:
- Ensuring alignment between personal mission, vision, values, and goals with professional responsibilities
- Develop strategies to manage the impact of being a Unexpected Leader® in your work environment.
- Trust: A Strategic Leadership Resource
- Effective Decision Making and Execution
- Designing and Leading Effective Meetings
- Qualities of Effective Teams and Avoiding Team Dysfunction
- Thriving Through Change and Managing Change Fatigue
- Dealing with Difficult Employees
- Building a Leadership Legacy
Individual Leadership Development Plan (ILDP): Blended executive coaching helps Unexpected Leaders create a mental framework for making personal and professional decisions. Many want to document the framework as a resource for keeping them courageous while giving themselves permission to make life and career moves with strategic intent. Another supplemental support is facilitating the creation of an Individual Leadership Development Plan. (ILDP) Clients are supported in translating learning from executive coaching, leadership consultation, and technical assistance into a format (document, vision board, paintings, etc.) that becomes a physical reminder of what was discovered throughout the blended executive coaching process.
Unexpected Leader Blended Executive Coaching Experience
Prepares Black Women to Live and Lead In and On A Self Defined Purpose
The Unexpected Leader blended Executive Coaching model is designed to support Black women on the journey to leadership. The model is created based on qualitative and quantitative data that outlines what Black women must consider when making personal and professional decisions. Women who engage in Unexpected Leader blended executive coaching create the opportunity for themselves to:
- Become increasingly self-aware
- Develop technical personal, and professional competencies that yield effective outcomes at work and home
- Live and Lead in and on a self-defined purpose