THRIVING TEAMS
A facilitateD experience to bolster your team at a time when they need it the most
Why Thriving Teams?
At a time when retaining our people is top of mind, caring about the same mission is not enough. Stress and exhaustion are causing even the best teams to fray at the seams.
Leaders need a low-lift way to do a “team tune-up,” enabling them to emerge feeling connected, in sync, valued and excited to work together - whatever 2022 may bring.
Thriving Teams is a facilitated series of three sessions designed to fit into a team’s meeting calendar.
This structured experience for just your team delivers powerful connection without compromising the focus on your day-to-day work.
Our Baseline Package:
Three 3 Hour Sessions | Monthly
Hosted Virtually Over Zoom
Customizations and Add-Ons
On-site Facilitation
On- Site Facilitation
We can facilitate live meetings wherever your team works
Support for the Team Leader
Through Leading Elephants Coaching, we can help a leader embed the new way of being into how their team operates and address unique needs that arise.
Support for the team leader
Shorter / More Frequent Times
Thriving Teams can also be adapted for delivery in six 90-minute sessions.
Time Modules
When Trust Is Low
Leading Elephants can facilitate customized healing experiences for teams with trust deficits. These generally require a deeper investment of time with the team and its leader.
Deeper Healing
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Is this course right for me?This series is designed as a learning experience for white and white presenting leaders who seek to deepen their lived commitment to antiracism in community with others. We engage in the internal work of rigorously reflecting on our impact as well as the external work of engaging responsibly and thoughtfully on issues of race and equity. What if I haven’t engaged in learning/training on antiracism before? There are no prerequisites in terms of learning experiences or training for this series. However, our work together is rooted in an understanding that white supremacy and systemic racism shape our history and our lived experience and that practicing antiracism as white leaders requires both rigorous self-examination and informed action. What if I’ve engaged in learning/training on antiracism before? Many participants who have engaged in previous trainings have found this course to be invaluable in their ongoing antiracism journeys. Specifically, they have appreciated the opportunity to deepen their awareness and skills while building relationships through accountability practice groups, as well as learning new tools while reinforcing familiar concepts.
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Why do this with other white and white presenting leaders?Increasingly, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) leaders are encouraging white and white presenting colleagues to do their own work (before or in addition to) engaging in multi-racial dialogues. White affinity spaces provide spaces to learn, self-reflect and be lovingly challenged to live in greater alignment with our beliefs - without doing harm to our BIPOC colleagues in the process.
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What will we cover?As a member of this learning community you will: Build knowledge about the role that white supremacy has played in our history and our lived experience Understand and begin to examine how white supremacy functions in your leadership so that you can disrupt it Lean into the challenge and discomfort of engaging in antiracist work as a white leader Build skills in openly receiving feedback and lovingly challenging others Consider what responsible and sustained antiracist action looks like in your context Build capacity and community to sustain your practice
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What will be expected of me?WLWA is a collective learning experience. During the series you will be engaging with a large whole group (65+ people), in sections (14-16 people), in small practice partner groups (3-4 people), and in pairs. The practice partner groups will remain the same, to the extent possible given shifts in attendance session to session, so that you have an opportunity to build community with a small group throughout the entirety of the course. Since your participation in the course each week impacts the groups' collective experience, we ask that you attend a minimum of three sessions live and to watch the recording of any session that you miss. We also ask that you give us at least 48 hours notice if you cannot attend a session. To make the most of our time together, we ask participants to complete prework and reflections in advance each week. We know you have limited time, so we strive to make this a meaningful investment. We ask that you set aside two hours for prework prior to the first session and one hour for prework for each of the following weeks. We see this as a commitment to your own learning and the learning of our community and we appreciate your preparation and engagement. For more information about our expectations, we invite you to read our Community Agreement here.
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Who helped create the course materials?We give special thanks to our partner Lesley Brown Rawlings at Beloved Community for providing advisory support to ensure that our programming is centered in the perspectives of BIPOC experts in equity work.
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How much does this course cost?Our base participation fee is $250 or pay what you can afford.
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Who benefits from my participation fee?50% of the course proceeds will be dedicated to Black thought leaders who inform this work, to Beloved Community (a Black-led organization) for advising us on the work, and toward the development of offerings for BIPOC leaders. The other 50% covers the operational program costs and stipends to volunteer facilitators and coordinators.
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What if I can't afford the participation fee?Our base participation fee is $250 or pay what you can afford. If $250 is above your budget, please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com for further support. Note: Our “pay what you can afford” policy is designed for individuals paying out of pocket. For organizations in need of financial accommodation, please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com and we will set up a time to discuss your needs.
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Is my participation fee refundable?Program registration is non-transferable. You can cancel your registration up to 2 weeks before the registration deadline. There is a $50 cancelation fee. Cancelations after the 2 week period are non-refundable.
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I want to sign up 5+ people from my organization. Is this possible?Groups of 5+ people from the same organization take special care given the personal nature of Antiracism work. We're happy to work with you to make these accomodations and to give you a clear picture of what the experience will be like for people in your group. Please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com to start the registration process.
Meet the facilitators
Lakita McKinney,ed.d.
Lakita is the Senior Director at Leading Elephants and is passionate about creating environments where everyone can thrive. She is energized in helping leaders to create the space where people can unapologetically be the best version of themselves.
Prior to joining Leading Elephants, Lakita worked as the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the Tennessee Department of Education in the Human Capital Division and was responsible for the redesign of the state required leadership academy for new principals and assistant principals. She also previously served as New Leaders’ Executive Director for the Midwest Region where she provided strategic direction and program development input to support districts in addressing leadership development needs.
Amber Mackay
Amber is the Managing Director at Leading Elephants. She was first exposed to the transformative work at Leading Elephants as a coachee, and she loves to share how her ongoing journey toward greater human-centered leadership enriches her life.
Prior to working at Leading Elephants, Amber served as a leader in a fast-paced charter management organization working in K-12 education. She has led teams, served as a chief of staff in multiple capacities, and acted as a coach and advisor to leaders across the nation.
Michelle moore hernandez
Michelle is the CEO and Founder of Leading Elephants. She dreams of a world filled with human-centered workplaces, and is committed to bringing courage, grace and intentionality to the leaders and organizations that Leading Elephants supports.
Prior to founding Leading Elephants, Michelle led leadership development for The Broad Center, advised schools in Africa and served as a partner in a global consulting firm across multiple geographies.