Our Programs
Defining Leadership
ICAN’s flagship program for emerging leaders, Defining Leadership unlocks their limitless potential. This 8-session program focuses on the development of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, mentorship, and effective techniques for living and working more authentically to your values and strengths. All upcoming series dates below. The Spring 2021 series are currently set to be held virtually.

Defining Leadership is an intensive, gender-specific, leadership development program that builds self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communications skills, and leadership agility. Graduates master effective techniques for leading, living and working in alignment with their values, ethics and strengths. It grows capability through peer dialogue, experiential modules and group interaction between sessions. Sessions build sequentially – combining self-study, assessment tools and experimental learning guided by expert faculty.
This transformational program. currently being held virtually, unleashes high-potential employees to maximize their impact on today’s diverse business challenges. Defining Leadership drives bold thinking and inspired action. Participants explore authenticity, managerial style, power styles, ethics and vision.
Objectives:
Discover and address blind spots as a leader
Establish leadership style and learn to adapt and flex to business scenarios
Close the gap between current capability and future potential
Build influence to connect motivations and needs to requirement of the work
Navigate change, enable business agility and drive innovation
Identify core values to bring authentic self to leadership
Set intention and carry into whole life leadership
OUTCOMES:
- Strengthened strategic thinking abilities
- Greater sense of confidence and accountability
- Ability to think conceptually to visualize the future and open up globally and creatively
- In-depth understanding of key leadership attributes
- Communicate with presence
- Heightened team building skills and utilization of team diversity
- Connection to a strong network of experts
- Understand others perspectives through knowing yourself more with an emotional intelligence lens
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
DESIGNED FOR
Emerging & High-Potential Leaders
METHOD
8 sessions (Four 2-day), held over the course of four months, for 48 hours of instruction.
The Winter 2020 & Spring 2021 sessions will be held virtually.
Sessions include: Orientation, 4 two-day sessions & celebration.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Mid-Level/High-Potential Level | Five years work experience required
GROUP SIZE
14-20 participants
PROGRAM FACULTY
Karen Baldwin | Jodi Beller | Dawn Gelderloos | Terry Lee | Laura Roccaforte
CONTENT THEMES
Stepping Into Your Power | Creating Vision | Achieving Vibrancy
EXAMPLE TOOLS
Peer-to-Peer Learning | 1:1 Coaching Sessions | Experiential Exercises | Self-Awareness Skill Building | Emergenetics Assessment | Emotional Quotient Inventory | Interpersonal Influence Inventory | HayGroup Managerial Style Workbook | Self Reflection | Journaling
View the Defining Leadership for Men overview document here.
View the Defining Leadership for Women overview document here.
PROGRAM DATES
Spring 2021
Defining Leadership for Women [VIRTUAL]
Orientation: Feb. 3 | Session 1: Feb. 4-5 | Session 2: Mar. 4-5 | Session 3: Mar. 25-26 | Session 4: Apr. 22-23 | Celebration: Apr. 22
Registration Deadline: January 15
Defining Leadership for Men [VIRTUAL]
Orientation: Feb. 17 | Session 1: Feb 18-19 | Session 2: Mar. 18-19 | Session 3: Apr. 15-16 | Session 4: May 13-14 | Celebration: May 13
Registration Deadline: January 29
Fall 2021
Defining Leadership for Women
Orientation: Sept. 22 | Session 1: Sept. 23-24 | Session 2: Oct. 21-22 | Session 3: Nov. 18-19 | Session 4: Dec. 9-10 | Celebration: Dec. 9
Registration Deadline: Sept. 3
Spring 2022
Defining Leadership for Men
Orientation: Feb. 9 | Session 1: Feb. 10-11 | Session 2: Mar. 10-11 | Session 3: Apr. 7-8 | Session 4: May 5-6 | Celebration: May 5
Registration Deadline: January 15
Non-Profit Scholarships available – click here for more information.
FEEDBACK
“Defining Leadership has transformed not only the way I lead but the way I live.”
Peggy T., PayFlex Systems
“Defining Leadership was unlike any other leadership training I’ve done. In only a matter of months, it inspired me in ways that will have profound impact on how I want to lead, but also how I want to live my life.”
Tiziana G., TD Ameritrade
“ICAN provides an excellent alternative to traditional leadership education for our civilian workforce through its Defining Leadership program. As a local resource, ICAN programs provide the additional benefit of broadening networks and awareness of national and international issues and trends.”
Jeffrey Pearson, Lt Col, 55th Force Support Squadron, US Air Force
“OPPD greatly values the ICAN Defining Leadership approach to developing leaders ‘from the inside out’. The OPPD leaders who participated in the program found it to be very thought-provoking and insightful.”
Tad Leeper, Manager HR Services, Omaha Public Power District
“Since completing Defining Leadership, I have scheduled more team building events with my group. I have worked to leverage strengths of our whole team in managing our performance. It also provided some great analytical tools to help expand my ability to assess my role as a leader and the preferences of my team.”
Jamie E., Bank of the West, Kansas City, MO
“I expected a typical classroom instruction-type program and feel that the immersed style of learning allowed me to really grow with the knowledge.”
Tami A., Union Pacific Railroad
“Definitely the most applicable training.”
Elaine L., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska
“A more real-life approach to becoming a quality leader versus the text book approach.”
Tammy T., First National Bank