Live Online
May 30, 2023
9:00 am – 12:30 pm Central Time

Have four or more participants? Contact Monique Combs (mcombs@msci.org or 847.485.3004) for a group discount!

Strategic thinking enables you to define where a company is now, where it should be, and how to get there, and it also empowers you to make purposeful decisions to advance your career. Those who are recognized as great leaders motivate and inspire their teams to be high performers, get their needs met when collaborating with other departments, and have developed credibility with their bosses. Influence plays a key role in being more effective leaders in all of these areas. During this second workshop, we will focus on strategic thinking and influencing others through the content outlined below:

Strategic Mindset – Shaping Strategy
Strategy is about shaping the future and provides focus and direction to an organization. It is a filter through which business decisions are made, and against which goals are measured. This course will enhance your ability to think strategically and apply concepts and tools necessary to lead.

Objectives:

• Practice using tools to identify new opportunities for growth
• Identify the six key skills of strategic leaders
• Characterize the relationship between strategic thinking and creativity
• Define strategy and strategic thinking

Learning will be centered around the following topics:

• What Does it Mean to Be Strategic?
• What is Strategic Thinking?
• Activity: How can we be perceived as strategic?
• Making time to be strategic
• Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Job
• Assessment: Are You a Strategic Thinker?
• Six Key Skills of Strategic Leaders
• Strategy needs creativity
• Living up to our creative potential
• Persistence

Internal Consulting and Influencing
How productive are your relationships with your colleagues? Do others see you as an ally and trusted advisor? Is it possible that you might not have the trust and credibility needed to forge very strong professional partnerships? Women leaders at all levels often must deliver services to or collaborate with other departments to achieve mission critical objectives. Success depends on having the requisite skills for identifying stakeholder needs, conducting assessments/discovery, influencing without authority, and creating action plans.

Objectives:

• Prepare for successful influencing conversations with leaders at all levels.
• Tailor your message to the audience to invite collaboration and keep the conversation moving forward.
• Understand the integral role allies and partnerships play in the growth of a leader.
• Set stakeholder expectations, then tailor internal client communications.

For this portion of the workshop, learning will be centered around the following topics:

• Consulting defined
• Consultants as Experts
• Influence Without Authority
• Why is Influence Important at Work?
• Pillars of Influence
• Bringing Your Best Self
• Creating A Productive Relationship
• Allies and Partnerships
• The Power of Listening to Influence
• The consultancy flow…
• Business Relationships Activity
• Creating Successful Business Relationships
• Analyze & Synthesize
• The Business Model Canvas
• Organizational Politics: Positive or Negative?
• Navigating the Organization
• Communicating as a Consultant

Meet the Faculty

Nikita Lawrence is a Business Leader faculty member at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She is President and CEO of Wealth Success Chamber Enterprises LLC, a professional development and training agency that helps corporations, executives, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders find relevance, happiness and purpose in their life and work.  She has trained managers for over a decade and now coaches C-suite executives on developing greater confidence, building courageous leadership and creating authentic connections in a changing world.

Nikita believes in promoting diversity in the workplace, enjoys inspiring emerging leaders, and women in business to live a purpose-filled life and help build profitable and thriving organizations. Her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion was evident in her role as the Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Business Partner at Amazon.

Prior to forming her own company, Nikita was Director of Employee Relations at Levy Restaurants, and served 8 years in areas of increasing responsibility at Walmart, including three years as Market Human Resources Manager.  She is a certified executive coach and the author of The Secret of the Wealth Success Chamber.

She has a BS from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.