Smith College Executive Education for Women - Home

Mid-Level Executive Program

Women’s Leadership Profile: Mid-career

This program equips mid-career women executives with the tools and strategies they need to excel and advance in their careers.

  • The Program

    women in group

    About the Program

    Participants learn strategies for effective negotiation, problem-solving, and decision-making in complex, collaborative environments.

    The Value

    FOR THE ORGANIZATION

    Your organization will benefit from:

    • Special attention to the unique women’s leadership challenges within the organization
    • Training that often improves retention of mid-level women leaders, building a robust pipeline of women prepared for senior executive roles
    • A cost-effective and sustainable model of accountability partners for women executives

    FOR THE PARTICIPANT

    Women who attend the Mid-level Executive Program:

    • Learn alongside a diverse cohort of female peers from across different companies, industries, and countries
    • Benefit from an environment where they are a member of the majority, where they can share common experiences and challenges, and build a strong network of women peers
    • Increase confidence and strategic risk-taking, resulting in breakthrough leadership development
    • Develop leadership and life strategies to sustain their careers

  • Curriculum

    women in groupCurriculum

    The program takes into account that women at the mid-level are at a pivotal point in their careers and face demands not only in the workplace but at home and within their communities. The curriculum delivers a blend of professional, organizational, and personal development sessions with an underlying theme of advanced strategic leadership thinking from a 360-degree viewpoint, educating the whole leader.

    TYPICAL CURRICULUM ELEMENTS

    • Collaborative Decision-making
      – Lead the thinking of others by presenting a persuasive case for bright ideas
    • Leading with Persuasion
      – Understand which leadership dynamics cause innovative ideas to take off
    • Design Thinking for Problem-solving
      – Learn strategies for the collection and evaluation of information to improve the decision-making process
    • Art of Perception
      – Enhance observation, perception, and communication skills by learning to analyze works of art
    • Narrative Coaching
      – Explore key behaviors that improve leadership outcomes
    • Leadership Assessment & Coaching
      – Gain deep insight into how your demonstrated emotional intelligence is impacting your leadership with a comprehensive assessment addressing specific core competencies
    • Working Under Pressure
      – Learn strategies to sustain optimal performance in the face of the pressures of managing from the middle
    • Daily Reflection
      – Integrate knowledge with personal insights and wisdom for greater clarity and purpose

    360-Degree Leadership

    Additional leadership benefits for this program include:

    • A key leadership assessment focusing on effective leadership styles and skills
    • Daily wellness programs that model how to increase energy, well-being, and stress-resilience
    • Post-program access to networking and continuing learning opportunities

  • Who Attends

    Who Should Attend?

    Women who attend the Mid-level Program for Women are mid-level managers and directors from across various sectors and industries. Participants currently lead teams with operational, business unit, or line responsibilities, and are identified as likely to move up within their organizations.

    SAMPLE PARTICIPANT TITLES:

    • Senior Director, Public Relations
    • Head of Human Resources, Asia Pacific
    • Area Vice President, Sales – Mid Atlantic
    • Senior Manager of External Operations
    • Director, IT Learning and Talent Development

  • Faculty

    A World-Class Faculty

    Smith College Executive Education attracts world-class faculty from top institutions, businesses, and consultancies around the globe. The result is a team of educators dedicated to developing the whole leader, covering topics like strategy, innovation, confidence, negotiation, leadership behaviors, health and well-being for leaders, hands-on business simulations, and more.

  • Accommodations/What to Bring

    Accommodations

    • All participants are hosted in Hotel Northampton; check-in is on Sunday, June 16 and check-out is on Friday, June 21
    • Parking is not available on campus
    • All buildings have excellent WIFI access
    • Bathrooms are shared and generally a short walk down the hall
    • Breakfast, lunch, and most dinners are provided on campus with ample breaks throughout each day
    • The campus is a short walk from downtown Northampton with access to numerous restaurants, boutiques, a pharmacy, and other services

    • If you need to arrive a day early or leave a day late you will need to arrange to stay at one of the local hotels in the area:
      The Hotel Northampton
      The Fairfield Inn
      The Autumn Inn
      The Quality Inn

    What to Bring

    • Business casual wear is appropriate for all sessions
    • Comfortable shoes
    • Layered clothing to adjust to changing temperatures both inside and outside
    • Workout clothes - we have a gym and numerous running routes
    • Medications
    • Laptop and other electronic devices
    • No need to bring an umbrella, we will provide you with one

  • Enrollment

    Language

    Proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

    Deadline

    Space is limited; reserve seats now.

    Have a Question?

    Contact Meredith Courtney
    (413) 585-2586
    Email: mcourtney@smith.edu