Shakti Training

Cindu Thomas-George, co-founder of the Chicago Women's Leadership Accelerator (CWLA), will guide attendees through an engaging and actionable professional development experience designed to enhance inclusive leadership capabilities. In today’s dynamic and diverse workplaces, inclusive leadership is critical to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. Attendees will be empowered with actionable inclusion strategies—both organizational and interpersonal—to drive employee engagement, boost retention, and build an organizational culture where everyone feels valued. ?? Cindu is the Founder of Shakti Training and a seasoned Inclusion and Belonging Strategist with two decades of experience helping professionals become intentionally inclusive agents of change. Cindu is also an award-winning tenured professor of Communication Studies at the College of Lake County (CLC) specializing in Intercultural Communication and Public Speaking and is currently partnering with Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management at Northwestern University, teaching and coaching on the topic of inclusive leadership. ??We are so excited to welcome another cohort of career driven women to the CWLA next Wednesday! Check out the link in the comments section ????to learn more about our commitment to empowering career driven women and closing the leadership gap.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's Comadre Speakers Collaborative workshop on developing Inclusive Leaders! It was truly inspiring to share space with so many individuals across the country dedicated to fostering inclusion and learning how to co-create cultures where everyone can thrive. ? Stay tuned for more workshops that I'll be facilitating through my partnership with Comadre Speakers Collaborative. I look forward to continuing these meaningful conversations and building inclusive communities together. ? ?? Today, as we observe Indigenous Peoples' Day, let's move beyond honoring the culture and contributions of Native people. As advocates for inclusion, it's crucial to take action in support of Indigenous communities, who continue to navigate challenges stemming from a painful history of systemic oppression. Consider joining me in donating to the Native American Rights Fund to support their important work: https://narf.org ? #IndigenousPeoplesDay #Inclusion #InclusiveLeadership

Over the last few years, I’ve shifted the focus of my work on leadership development because, after two decades in the field, I’ve learned that achieving and sustaining an inclusive culture is only possible when inclusion is embraced and modeled at the highest levels of an organization. While inclusion is a shared responsibility across all employees, the reality is that if our leaders aren’t actively practicing and demonstrating inclusion, it becomes difficult to expect others to follow suit. The good news is that inclusive leadership is a skill that can be developed. If you are a leader looking to strengthen your capacity to foster inclusion, I invite you to join me for a complimentary workshop hosted by Comadre Speakers Collaborative on October 10th. You can find more details and register at the link below. Only a few spots left! https://lnkd.in/gDP2c8Uy

The conversation at last week’s Crain's Chicago Business Equity Luncheon offered rich insights and meaningful dialogue. ? Despite the resistance against DEI initiatives, fostering inclusive environments for today’s evolving and diverse workforce remains a critical business priority. While some organizations may attempt to rebrand or shift the language around DEI, the foundational work of developing inclusive leaders and building workplace cultures of inclusion and belonging is here to stay.

Building a culture of inclusion is not about checking a box—it's about transformative change. With two decades of experience, Cindu Thomas-George empowers leaders to navigate the complexities of DEI and drive meaningful progress. Ready to move beyond surface-level commitments? Discover how we can help your organization achieve a culture where everyone thrives. Learn more about Cindu's journey and insights in Canvas Rebel’s Inspiring Stories Series. https://lnkd.in/gz3skwhc #Leadership #DiversityAndInclusion #CorporateCulture

Do you know what your Inclusion "WHY" is?

Hey Chicago Women! I am thrilled to announce that I am offering an in-person workshop designed to help you lead with Cultural Intelligence! ?? ? Developing Cultural Intelligence (CQ) can transform your leadership style and prepare you to lead inclusively in today’s diverse and global business landscape. This 2-hour interactive workshop will equip you with skills and knowledge that will enhance your Intercultural Intelligence, a competency that has been identified as one of the key characteristics of an inclusive leader. I am excited to bring you a rich professional development offering that will: ? ?? Navigate leading diverse teams with confidence ? ?? Foster innovation, productivity, and improved decision making ?? Build inclusive leadership skills that will help you cultivate a culture of belonging and increase employee retention ? ?? Allow you to gain invaluable Intercultural Intelligence skills and knowledge you can immediately put into action. Benefit from my 20 years of experience designing and facilitating impactful professional development focused on inclusion and intercultural intelligence! ?? Date: Tuesday, August 20th from 4-6 p.m. ?? Location: Hyatt Place Wicker Park Space is limited.. Register today to secure your seat! Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3xUbfnD #InclusiveLeadership #CulturalIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #WomenInLeadership #ChicagoLeadership

As Pride month comes to an end it’s important for ALL of us to remember that allyship and intentional inclusion of our LGBTQ+ co-workers is necessary beyond the month of June. There has been great progress for LGBTQ+ rights over the last two decades, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that everyone in this minoritized population is liberated and free. ??Growing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation only works to strengthen anti-LGBTQ bias and this is a real threat to the safety and progress of our LGBTQ+ employees. ??Keep in mind that some LGBTQ+ employees still do not feel comfortable or safe coming out to their employer and colleagues due to the fear it could negatively impact their careers and chances of movement into leadership. ??Be aware that there are LGBTQ+ identifying employees dealing with the deep pain of being shamed, othered and sometimes even disowned by their own families due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identities (this is especially true in immigrant families and families of color) which greatly impacts mental health and overall well-being. ??It’s essential to understand that the LGBTQ+ community is an extremely diverse one- not all LGBTQ+ individuals have the same experiences in our workplaces- so we can’t have a generic one size fits approach for addressing the needs and the challenges of our LGBTQ+ employees. Work to ensure that this employee demographic group is being included and centered in DEI programming and initiatives beyond Pride month and make the extra effort to ensure your relationships LGBTQ+ colleagues are moving from transactional to transformative which can help cultivate a culture of belonging. The culture of our workplaces won't change unless we approach our relationships from a place of compassion and sincerity. Happy Pride Month! ?????

Tune in with our Founder to learn more about a leadership barrier that many Asian Americans face.

Asian American employees are often left out of DEI programming. Watch this video to learn more about the model minority myth which creates a road block for Asian Americans to advance into leadership positions.