Linkage’s largest Women in Leadership Institute is just days away!

 In less than one week, we will welcome 1,100 leaders to our 20^th  Annual Women in Leadership Institute^™ (WIL) in Phoenix, AZ. This sold-out event is the largest gathering that Linkage has ever hosted in our 30+ year history, and I look forward to joining our Linkage team as we welcome this year’s attendees from 7 continents and 144 companies.

This event has a long and rich history of creating an impact on the 10,000+ women leaders who have attended over the last two decades.

Since the first Institute in 1999, we have partnered with hundreds of leading companies, each of which recognizes the importance of achieving gender parity in leadership and creating more inclusive work cultures. The topics we will cover throughout the week are more relevant today than ever before—with a globally recognized urgency around the need for women and under-represented groups to be visible across all levels of leadership roles.  And we’re not getting there fast enough.  The latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2019 study* shows that while representation of women in senior leadership has increased, the biggest obstacle women face is the rise to the first manager position, with only 72 women promoted and hired for every 100 men.

This year, we’ll be learning from our most dynamic faculty yet.

We will hear from two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA World Cup Champion, Abby Wambach; entrepreneur, impact leader, and technologist Shiza Shahid; neuroscientist, author, and MD, Tara Swart; former sports agent, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Molly Fletcher; Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley; and so many more incredible leaders who will bring the important lessons of the week to life.

I’m looking forward to diving into this life-changing experience alongside each of you.

Each component of the Institute has been carefully designed to accelerate personal and professional growth—from keynote sessions and targeted skill-building workshops, to small-group peer learning teams and strategic networking opportunities—there is no shortage of reasons to be excited.

We’re also offering an Executive Forum again this year. This dialogue is a unique opportunity to focus on what we can do as senior leaders to create more inclusive cultures where all team members can thrive. We know that addressing organizational barriers like culture and inclusivity are just as important as individual leadership development opportunities like WIL. Our work to advance women across the globe has also revealed that creating fair, transparent talent systems and engaging executives are both equally critical to achieving gender parity.

I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to meet, learn, and grow as a leader alongside you next week!

Please join me in sharing your favorite leadership insights and moments of discovery during the week using #LinkageWIL or by following us on Twitter (@LinkageInc) or Instagram (@Linkage.Inc).  With that, let us bring this extraordinary event to life!

*Mckinsey 2019