Diversity in Leadership

The Ethnic Minority Leadership Experience

 

A leadership programme for emerging and experienced leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Duration: Customisable (typically 2–3 days + optional coaching)

Who Is This Leadership Programme For?

This programme is designed for individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who are:

• Early to mid-career professionals preparing for leadership
• Recently promoted managers navigating new visibility and expectations
• High-potential employees seeking support in navigating systemic barriers
• Experienced leaders looking to deepen their resilience, voice and influence
• Participants in talent pipelines or DEI programmes
• Members of ERGs or affinity groups focused on leadership development
• Professionals across public, private, and third-sector organisations

It is also relevant for organisations seeking to invest in diverse leadership talent as part of their equity and inclusion strategy.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Explore and validate the lived experience of navigating the workplace as an ethnic minority leader—including microaggressions, emotional tax, and imposter phenomenon
• Develop tools to recognise and respond to unconscious bias, exclusion, and the “only one” effect
• Learn how to build strategic relationships with allies and sponsors for visibility and progression
• Strengthen confidence to speak up and lead authentically without code-switching or self-silencing
• Master the art of storytelling and influence—owning your voice and changing the narrative
• Understand how to navigate the leadership ladder with purpose, while preserving identity and values
• Gain practical strategies for resilience and navigating bias in high-stakes spaces
• Learn the principles of inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and equity
• Leave with a clear leadership identity, action plan and renewed belief in their capacity to lead

This leadership programme will explore the lived experience and how to navigate:-

o Microaggressions, unconscious bias, and exclusion
o The ‘only one’ effect and emotional tax
o Representation v inclusion
o Empathy Mapping
o Navigating the Leadership ladder
o Imposter phenomenon and double standards
o Strategic relationships: allies vs sponsors
o Speaking up whilst staying true to self

Inclusive Leadership for all – foster equity and inclusion

o Understand inclusive leadership behaviours
o Psychological safety and voice
o Equity v Equality
o Story-telling to change the narrative
o Owning your voice in the room by expressing ideas with influence and impact
o Dealing with being over-looked or minimised
o Strategic influence & Leadership visibility
o Inner resilience & navigating bias

For more general leadership training then click here