Northern Trust Women’s Leadership Development Forum
Originally published in Northern Trust's 2022 Sustainability Report
The Women’s Leadership Development Forum is focused on the development of women at the middle management levels. This program addresses Northern Trust’s corporate need to grow and develop strategic thinkers and leaders.
In India, the program is run in two cohorts of high-potential female talent each year.
In 2022, the U.S. program experienced a few firsts: it was executed in a fully virtual environment with participants across North America, and was revamped to pair both male and female senior vice presidents as co-leaders of facilitated discussions for their assigned cohorts. Racial and ethnically diverse women comprised 46 percent of the total women participants.
In India, the program is run in two cohorts of high-potential female talent each year. The junior cohort, comprised of entry-level managers, goes through a program called Stand Tall, focusing on self-exploration of personal power, assertive influencing and building and leveraging a powerful network for success. After the program, each partner is assigned a mentor for six months.
The second cohort, which consists of mid-to-senior level female employees, goes through a ninemonth program called Women Leading from Within, grounded in the principles of mindful leadership.
The leadership learning journey consists of 12 modules, self-reflection exercises and assignments, a mentor network and one-on-one coaching sessions with a certified external coach. More than 2,100 women have participated in this program across the globe.
Lean In Circles Lean In Circles were created for junior female talent, based on the non-profit founded by Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operations officer at Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly known as Facebook) and author of Lean In. These mentoring circles provide an opportunity for our employees to share experiences, build their network, strengthen confidence and learn from others. The circles are led by mid-to-senior-level female talent who are keen to support the next generation of female leaders and develop their own leadership skills.
