LeadIN Core is an 8-week long community program in Washington, DC that brings together professionals of diverse fields, backgrounds, and experiences to learn and mold their unique leadership. Each group is intentionally kept small (between 8 and 12 individuals) to create an intimate and interactive learning environment. Each LeadIN Core cohort builds a culture of trust, ownership and collective commitment to the success of all. Participants hear diverse perspectives, share best practices and provide one another with encouragement, support and accountability. They become stronger, more effective leaders by tapping into the diverse collective experience and wisdom of the group.

1. LeadIN Core
Program Overview
LeadIN Background
LeadIN enables you to become the leader you are. We bring people together to learn, share,
and grow their leadership.
LeadIN is shaped by two core principles -- first, learning is social: we learn best when we
share our unique perspectives and experiences with other people; second, practice leads to
mastery: practicing what we learn and integrating it in our lives allows us to create and
sustain positive habits and continuously grow our abilities, our character and our leadership.
LeadIN fosters a safe and interactive environment where people learn from one another,
support each other’s growth, and practice their leadership.
LeadIN Core Overview
LeadIN Core is a community program that brings together professionals of diverse fields,
backgrounds, and experiences to learn and mold their unique leadership. Each group is
intentionally kept small (between 8 and 12 individuals) to create an intimate and interactive
learning environment.
The program starts with a team building event that helps the cohort bond and establish
goals and expectations, and is followed by eight weekly Learning Circles. (A learning circle is
a highly interactive, participatory structure for collaborative work.) Throughout the eight
weeks, participants discover their unique strengths and work toward a personal leadership
goal. During each Learning Circle they engage in open dialogue and collective inquiry to
deepen their understanding of core leadership principles and identify useful practices that
can strengthen their leadership. Between Learning Circles, they apply what they learned by
integrating these practices into their daily work.
Each LeadIN Core cohort builds a culture of trust, ownership and collective commitment to
the success of all. Participants hear diverse perspectives, share best practices and provide
one another with encouragement, support and accountability. They become stronger, more
effective leaders by tapping into the diverse collective experience and wisdom of the group.
Throughout LeadIN Core, participants grow their leadership by:
● Discovering their natural strengths and developing a strengths-based mindset
● Identifying and working toward a leadership goal
● Integrating new practices and habits into their lives
LeadIN​ ​| ​www.lead-in.co​ | ​Email​: ​hello@lead-in.co​ |

2. Impact
Six cohorts of close to 90 people total have completed LeadIN Core since we first offered the
program in the fall of 2015. Here’s what participants say about their experience:
“​LeadIN is a community where people can be honest and vulnerable. It was a great space to
share ideas and my peers would always give me honest feedback. I am still close to the
friends that I made in my cohort.​” ​Lindsay (Fall 2015 cohort), Attorney
“​What I most appreciated about LeadIN was the opportunity to practice reflecting on myself,
my strengths and my uniqueness. LeadIN has made me more introspective and focused on
what I want in a job. I now have the confidence to market myself and a toolkit with different
frameworks and vocabulary to express what I can bring to the table​.” ​Whitney (Spring 2017
cohort), Public Health Professional
“​Professionally, being part of LeadIN has given me ideas about how to build a positive
learning community where I work. I found it really inspiring! Personally, it gave me a
renewed sense of accountability for identifying goals and forming practical steps to reach
them.​” ​Corey (Fall 2015 cohort), Program Director
Is LeadIN Core For You?
While LeadIN Core is not designed for people in a particular industry or at a specific career
level, we find that the program works well for people who fit one or more of the following
descriptions:
● You are in transition or are considering a transition in your life (such as a new job, a
move, a new position etc.).
● You seek professional development and would like to find a leadership model that
works for you and your values.
● You seek a community of like-minded individuals, dedicated to learning and growth.
● You have a collaborative mindset and enjoy learning from and sharing with others.
● You are early-to-mid career professional.
● You want to positively impact people around you.
Commitment Pledge
We believe that anyone who wishes to invest in his or her personal and professional
development should be able to do so. That is why we offer LeadIN Core free of charge to
selected individuals.
At the same time, we know that the program provides great value when all participants are
committed to attending, dedicating time and effort, and contributing to the growth of their
LeadIN​ ​| ​www.lead-in.co​ | ​Email​: ​hello@lead-in.co​ |

3. peers​. ​Furthermore, LeadIN cohort leads volunteer a considerable amount of time to
prepare and run each LeadIN Core cohort.
We strive to create a balance between accessibility and commitment: we make the program
available and we ask our participants to treat LeadIN Core as an opportunity as well as a
responsibility by taking this commitment pledge:
● Attendance and Participation​: attend at least seven of the nine sessions. If your
availability changes, or you determine that this program is not suitable for you, we
ask that you drop before the first Learning Circle.
● Time and effort​: dedicate between 2-4 hours per week to prepare and practice.
● Punctuality​: arrive on time and complete the various assignments by the specified
deadlines.
● Communication​: maintain open and honest communication; notify your group and /
or facilitator if you are unable to uphold a commitment.
● Respect​: treat everyone with kindness and respect.
● Generosity​: provide thoughtful feedback and support and contribute to your peers’
learning and growth.
● “Pay it forward”​: give back to LeadIN or the larger community in whatever way you
deem appropriate. This could include donating your time (help with the next LeadIN
cohort, volunteer at a local nonprofit, do community service, etc.).
Schedule and Logistics
We offer LeadIN Core three times a year:
● Spring Cohort​: mid February - late April
● Summer Cohort​: late May - late July
● Fall Cohort​: early September - mid November
See below the dates and logistics for the upcoming Spring 2018 cohort:
● Fee​: LeadIN Core itself is offered free of charge. We ask for a $20 commitment fee to
buy food and refreshments for the kick-off event. We also ask participants to
purchase “​Strengths Based Leadership​”(which includes a code for the
Strengthsfinder online assessment​ we use throughout the program) and “​Emotional
Intelligence 2.0​” (which includes a code for the ​Emotional Intelligence Appraisal​) for
about $30 total.
○ Note​: we recommend buying the books because it is cheaper than to
purchase the assessments online. If you have already done any of the
assessments, you can use your previous results - no need to buy the book(s)
or re-take the tests.
● Spring 2018 Program Dates: ​February 21st - April 26th
LeadIN​ ​| ​www.lead-in.co​ | ​Email​: ​hello@lead-in.co​ |

4. ● Specific Days and Times​: kick-off on Wednesday, February 21st, 6:30 - 9pm, followed
by 8 Learning Circles, once a week, 6:30 - 8:30pm. Specific week day is to be
determined.
● Location​: 15th and I St, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (by McPherson Square)
LeadIN Core Outline
The program is organized in three parts:
Part I - Looking In​: look inside yourself and learn more about who you are - your
strengths, values and beliefs.
Part II - Looking Out​: look out at the world and learn to better understand and relate
to others.
Part III - Looking Ahead​: identify your own purpose and learn how to inspire others
to join you in your quest.
Week Topic Core Concept Objective
Kick-off (
2/15)
Team
Building
and Intro
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping
together is progress; working together is success.
Growth is never by mere chance. It is a result of
forces working together.”
Understand the
journey ahead
and bond with
your peers.
Part I - Looking In
Learning
Circle 1
(Week of
2/26)
Lead with
Strengths
“A leader needs to know his strengths as a
carpenter knows his tools, or as a physician
knows the instruments at her disposal. There is
no definitive list of characteristics that describes
all leaders.”
Start developing a
strengths-based
mindset.
Learning
Circle 2
(Week of
3/5)
Clarify
Your Why
“To act with integrity, you must first know who
you are. Values serve as guides to action.”
Reaffirm your
values.
Learning
Circle 3
(Week of
3/12)
Relate to
Others
(Your EQ)
“Your Emotional Intelligence is the foundation for
a host of critical skills - it impacts most everything
you say and do each day. It is the single biggest
predictor of performance in the workplace and
the strongest driver of leadership and personal
excellence.”
Assess your
Emotional
Intelligence (EQ)
and improve how
you relate with
others.
Part II - Looking Out
LeadIN​ ​| ​www.lead-in.co​ | ​Email​: ​hello@lead-in.co​ |

5. Learning
Circle 4
(Week of
3/19)
Reflect
and
Reinforce
Reflection on the principles covered so far and
how they can be applied to further participants’
goals.
Connect the dots
and practice
leadership.
Learning
Circle 5
(Week of
3/26)
Work with
Others
“Leadership is a relationship that brings
possibility to others and to the world, from any
role. The ‘leader of possibility’ invigorates the
lines of affiliation and compassion from person to
person. Any one of us can exercise this kind of
leadership, whether we stand in the position of
CEO or employee, citizen or elected official,
teacher or student, friend or lover.”
Collaborate
effectively by
managing your
polarities.
Learning
Circle 6
(Week of
4/2)
Find Your
Voice
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth
and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live
in my heart forever.”
Integrate
storytelling to
reach the heart.
Part III - Looking Ahead
Learning
Circle 7
(Week of
4/9)
Engage
with Your
Peers
“Enrolling people is not about forcing, cajoling,
tricking, bargaining, pressuring or guilt-tripping
someone into doing something your way. It is the
art and practice of generating a spark of
possibility for others to share.”
Share your
passion and
create sparks of
possibility.
Learning
Circle 8
(Week of
4/16)
Grow the
Leader
Within
“Leadership is integral to our being. We are all
leaders, whether we know it or not, whether we
like it or not. Leading is not based on a position or
even a choice. How we lead is our only option.”
Share your
leadership
growth.
Questions? Comments?
Please do not hesitate to email us at Hello@lead-in.co should you have any questions or
comments. To apply for our Spring 2018 cohort, please ​submit your application​ no later
than January 21st, 2018.
LeadIN​ ​| ​www.lead-in.co​ | ​Email​: ​hello@lead-in.co​ |