This text is part of the special Feminine Leadership notebook
Complexe X launched the Women’s Leadership program this fall in partnership with Cégep de Lanaudière.
According to the workplace exchange platform Glassdoor, the big one The majority of business managers consider it important to develop the leadership of their employees, but only 5% invest in training aimed in this direction. This is precisely what Complexe Its mission: to help individuals develop their full potential in business through targeted support and training on leadership, intercultural integration in business and francization.
This year, Complexe This training was born following the first edition of the Women’s Leadership Summit which took place this year, the second being scheduled for April 2024.
For all… and all
Why leadership training for women? “Because we don’t find many programs aimed specifically at female clients and there is an approach to leadership specific to women,” explains Roxanne Larouche, associate director of Complexe X.
According to her, female leadership is more associated with sensitivity, emotional intelligence, kindness and empathy, while men’s leadership is more directive, competitive, strategic and results-oriented. “Both approaches are important and must be developed by both men and women,” adds Roxanne Larouche. This is also the reason why the first cohort of this training also includes 5% of men registered. “Some participants found it very interesting to step out of their comfort zone and gained a very positive experience from it,” she says.
Since last September, 150 people from the four corners of Quebec have participated in this six-month training consisting of a monthly online meeting for a total of 18 hours. All ages, all professions and all professional sectors are represented in the first cohort – services, manufacturing, construction, public service, entrepreneurship – regardless of the hierarchical level of the participants. “You don’t have to be at the top of the company to exercise leadership. You can exercise it at any level, in your professional life but also in your personal life,” explains Roxanne Larouche.
Work on self-affirmation
Each work session begins with a segment led by a trainer to get participants to develop their concentration and attention through physical exercises, such as squats or jumping jacks. According to Roxanne Larouche, these exercises promote the transition to a positive and proactive attitude. This is followed by a sharing of knowledge on self-development, leadership and the transversal skills that women can develop. The training ends with several practical workshops, organized in subgroups, to encourage everyone to reflect on their strengths, qualities and particular functioning, in particular through a visualization exercise.
Participants are also invited to produce a personal text on how they see themselves in the present and in the future. This presentation is expected to evolve throughout the training; everyone will be able to correct and complete it by determining new skills and abilities that help develop better leadership. “Our activities rely heavily on mindfulness to lead to action and results,” explains the associate director. Participants have access to a content platform, including psychometric tests provided by Nova Global, partner of Complexe
A lasting partnership
This program is the very first collaboration between the training center and the Cégep de Lanaudière, whose continuing education department offers companies and organizations help in developing the skills of their employees. “Companies use our services to meet their own needs related to their positioning in the labor market,” explains Jessica Rivière Gomez, business training advisor for the CEGEP’s continuing education service.
Their full-time or part-time programs are offered in person or online to a mainly adult clientele to obtain a certificate of college studies, recognition of prior learning or to obtain qualifications and skills thanks to tailor-made courses offered to businesses. This first partnership between the CEGEP and Complexe X is the start of a collaboration that promises to expand in the future.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.