Next Level Women (NLW) addresses the challenges faced by female experts when rising professionally
Next Level Women: Elevating Experts is a leadership training program designed to equip talented experts with the tools and feedback to be able to open up the same breadth of opportunity as enjoyed by their male counterparts. Delivered by Sharon Longridge and Dr Anne Lytle, two of Australia’s most preminant experts on leadership, negotiation and conflict management, and neurobiology and behaviour who are determined to shift the dial for aspiring women. This evidence-based training provides high-impact skills development and tracks behaviour change to actually measure improvement.
Course Outcomes: Equipping women to rise
Next Level Women: Elevating Experts is an evidence-based training program providing female data professionals with the tools, mindsets and support to skilfully lead Industry 5.0. Holistic and practical, NLW embeds coveted leadership capacities including:
|
|
Measuring Training Impact
Determined to deliver skills development the improves gender equity, we track the program’s behaviour change impacts. The Elevating Leaders Index (ELi) is our customised 180° feedback survey.
Next Level Women programs use a rigourous, scientific approach to providing high-impact skills development. Participants practice techniques proven by behavioural science to work.
Our course leaders are experts in neuroscience, negotiation and communication and have years of experience in public broadcasting and MBA coaching.
Program Co-Directors
Over the past 25 years, Professor Lytle has taught, presented, and consulted in organisations and universities across the globe.
She has delivered some of the highest rated programs at business schools including the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Sasin School of Business at Chulalonghorn University, The Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales, The Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne and the Monash Business School at Monash University, where she served as Professor and Director of Leadership.
She is the Managing Director of Lytle and Associates Pty Ltd, and a partner of AlphaZetta, working with public, private and non-profit organisations across negotiation, conflict management, emotional intelligence, leadership and managing people for high performance. A sample from her diverse list of clients includes Air New Zealand, ANZ Bank, APM Terminals, AFP, BHP Billiton, Boeing Corporation, BT Financial Group, Care Australia, City of Wagga Wagga, David Jones, DSTO, EBay Inc., Fenton Stephens, Goodyear Dunlop, KPMG, Metcash, Network 10, Pfizer, Qantas, RANZCO, Telstra and United Overseas Bank.
Anne has published in top academic journals, is an active member of the Academy of Management and is a board member and Past-President of the International Association for Conflict Management. She was the co-founder and creator of Leda, a digital leadership development platform based on the neuroscience of behaviour change.
An award-winning broadcaster, formerly with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sharon has coached thousands of executives to communicate powerfully, boost their stamina and embed positive behaviours. Sharon is the director of Leadium, a consultancy specialising in positive leadership. A captivating MC, facilitator and speaker, Sharon knows how to engage an audience.
Her consultancy and coaching services span strengthening leadership communications and executive presence to designing workplace health and productivity programs. An affiliate at the Monash Business School at Monash University, Sharon directs the ‘Executive Presence’ and ‘The Executive Voice’ programs. She is also on the global faculty of the respected edTech Emeritus.
Sharon holds a BA in Communications, a Cert IV Workplace Training and Assessment, VTAB and an AdvDip of Yoga Teaching. She has undertaken post-graduate studies in Corporate and Workplace Wellness and training in positive neuroplasticity and mindfulness. She integrates neuroscience and mindfulness across her work.
The Next Level Women Program
Spanning four months, this uplifting program will equip female data experts to advance Industry 5.0.
Tailoring your top-tier leadership education
Group size: ideally starting at 20 participants, max 32.
Delivery options can be tailored to suit your organisation. Here’s a popular delivery example:
Welcome session: in person, on-premises or at a training venue.
All other sessions: virtual.
Some companies prefer it all to be in-person.
Deliverables:
- 1 x 90 min welcome session
- 6 x 3 hour learning sessions
- 3 x 60 min group coaching sessions
- 5 x 45 min structured Peer Pod collaboration sessions
- 12 months of access to the NLW Toolkit for all participants
- Client liaison and communications
- 180° ELi to measure impact (pre and post program)
- Printed program materials
Elevating Leaders Index
A 180° performance feedback tool
How we track behaviour change
NLW’s customised 360 or 180° feedback survey, the Elevating Leaders Index (ELi), measures participants’ behaviour change pre to post program.
Drawing on a comparable program, here are the rates of individual improvement across modules:
Resilient Leader | ↑ 40% |
Next Level Women Portal
On-demand tools to embed behaviour change.
- Resource-rich digital portal supports ongoing learning transfer
- On demand micro-tools include a yoga program and mindfulness practices
- Nudge communications deepen behaviour change
- 12-month access for all program participants
How NLW elevates female data experts
The Courageous Leader
This module introduces tools, templates and solutions to deal with the vast array of difficult conversations that occur in a data professional’s role.
We focus in on the unique difficult situations that women confront at work, such as unconscious gender bias and inappropriate behaviour or inequality. We practice constructive ways to respond while promoting cultural change.
This is essential as:
- Women have experienced even higher levels of “non-inclusive behaviours in 2021 than in 2020″ (Deloitte Australia, Women@work, 2022).
- Women suffer unconscious bias and need to learn how to call it out in a way that allows for face-saving and promotes behavioural change.
The Dynamic Leader
This module builds female data experts’ confidence and competence in public speaking and commanding the room.
We need to address the significant underrepresentation of women in public and professional forums and increase their visibility, contribution and impact, aligned with the Panel Pledge. Women need and deserve additional support to overcome external and internal barriers.
Many high-profile conferences, events, taskforces and media outlets lack gender balance, despite there often being no shortage of qualified women to contribute. The ‘2019 women for Media Report’ snapshot found that only 18% of voices represented in major newspapers’ business pages were those of women; and it is estimated that only 30% of event speakers in Australia are women.
Whilst public speaking is one of the most feared activities across genders, recent research indicates that women are much more averse to public speaking than men.
The Influencial Leader
This module explores the types of power and influence that are most likely to be used successfully by female data experts and presents tools and strategies to practice behaviours that might not currently be in their repertoire.
This matters because:
- Women suffer a backlash when they use traditional forms of power and influence, as these can conflict with unconscious gender role stereotypes.
- Understanding the range of other options to wield power and influence, and practicing new behaviours and strategies in experiential activities, helps embed these into new patterns of behaviour.
The Astute Leader
This module is focused on delivering solutions and tools to combat the specific problems and issues that female professionals face when negotiating.
Specifically, the evidence tells us that:
- Women don’t ask for help, opportunities, raises, promotions, etc. as much as their male counterparts.
- The gender pay gaps persists in Australia and is currently at 14.1% according to WGEA.
This is an increase of 0.3 % over the last 6 months. - Women get asked to do non-promotable work more often than men, and say yes to these requests more often than men.
- Women don’t set targets as high as men. They also don’t say no when asked to do tasks or work that are not helpful to their own progression, or that result in overloading them, leading to burnout.
