
Course Information
Building a New Leadership Ladder: A Program for Women in Senior Leadership Roles
Ready to advance your career or empower your organization? Request more information today and take the first step towards your future with confidence.
This highly engaging program is designed for strategic leaders who are currently in or transitioning to the most senior levels of business or public sector organizations and want to make a significant impact on the workplace and society. In this immersive, on campus program, you will collaborate with women from diverse backgrounds while learning from world-class USC faculty and thought leaders from multidisciplinary backgrounds.
A broad network of peers and instructors will support your learning journey through highly interactive exercises, conversations and examination of complex challenges facing your organization and the future of work. You will be exposed to a wide array of perspectives, practices and evidence-based material.
To personalize the learning experience, you will be partnered with an executive coach who will challenge some longstanding beliefs and help you think about application of concepts and tools to your unique context. This individual coaching relationship offers you dedicated time to delve deeper into your personalized Leadership Assessment, thoroughly exploring your strengths and setting clear development goals.
A further benefit of this four-day learning journey will be the lasting relationships and network that can serve as vital resources for years to come.
How Will You Benefit?
The course is designed to optimize the time spent in the formal classroom and during evening gatherings in which you’ll interact with USC faculty and practitioners. Through a wide range of experiences, you will:
- Deepen self-awareness and emotional intelligence as a cornerstone of your transformational leadership journey.
- Be exposed to research, practices and tools that will enhance your leadership impact.
- Learn from world-class USC faculty, practitioners and peers while examining evidence-based material and cases.
- Develop an understanding of the organizational changes that need to occur to help advance women and diverse leaders.
What Will You Learn?
- Leading Self – A Foundation for Effective Leadership
- Building an Inclusive Culture for Women’s Success
- A Coaching Approach to Leading Others
- Mindset and Skills Needed for Executive Leadership Presence
For more, check out our Programs for Individuals page.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for senior-level women leaders who have strategic responsibility, lead teams of subject matter experts, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, lead organizational or departmental change, and may work closely or report to a board of directors.

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TIME REQUIREMENTS
Additional Dates
COURSE DISCLAIMER
Teaching Methods
Featured Speakers

Fiona Ma, CPA
California State Treasurer
Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer, the first woman of color and first CPA elected to the position, overseeing the state’s $124 billion investment portfolio and $93 billion in outstanding bonds. A former State Assembly Speaker pro Tempore and Board of Equalization Chair, she has championed tax reform, infrastructure financing, and economic initiatives, securing billions in savings and revenue for California.

Emada E. Tingirides
Deputy Chief Los Angeles Police Department
Deputy Chief Emada E. Tingirides, a Los Angeles native, joined the LAPD after the 1992 civil unrest and played a key role in creating the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) program, a relationship-based policing model that improved trust and reduced crime in underserved communities. Rising through the ranks, she now leads the Community Safety Partnership Bureau and has been recognized as Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine and one of L.A.’s Most Influential Women by Los Angeles Magazine.
Program Faculty
Discover Insights from Dr. Carol J. Geffner
Dr. Carol J. Geffner, faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Program, brings decades of expertise in guiding organizations through transformation, cultivating inclusive cultures, and empowering women to lead with confidence. Explore her media interviews for expert perspectives on leadership, change management, and the future of women in business.
Watch Dr. Carol J. Geffner on WRAL News North Carolina
The shift away from DEI policies: Women in the workforce
Watch Dr. Carol J. Geffner on NEWS.CA
‘Speak up with confidence’: Geffner urges women to make a change amid DEI program cancellations
Watch Dr. Carol J. Geffner on The Takeaway with Amanda Lang