Indiana Tech launches new L.E.A.D. executive certificate to empower leaders

Indiana Tech has created a new program for organizational leaders—the Leveraging Engagement and Action in Diversity (L.E.A.D.) executive certificate. The new program is a collaboration between the university’s Ph.D. in Global Leadership program, part of its College of Business, and its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The certificate equips professionals with the critical skills required to lead and transform an organization’s culture, helping managers and executives become more effective in understanding, leading and implementing inclusive organizational practices.

The L.E.A.D. executive certificate program consists of a series of immersive courses created by diversity practitioners and educational leaders. Courses within the program are centered on three main focus areas: Dimensions of Diversity, which examines the subtle ways that a wide range of stereotypes can surface in a multicultural workplace; Creating an Inclusive Environment, which shares best practices related to the evolving role of leaders as agents of change; and Developing a Culture of Equity, which explores approaches to linking organizational strategy, culture and human resources with an emphasis on inclusive excellence.

The L.E.A.D. program has already generated a high level of interest from regional Indiana Tech corporate partners, with Parkview Health completely booking the entire first program session for its management team, which began March 31 and will conclude June 17 on the university’s main campus in Fort Wayne. There are still spots available for the second session, which begins Sept. 15. The university is also planning to expand the program to offer it online in the near future.

Lisa D. Givan, vice president for institutional diversity equity and belonging, and senior diversity officer at Indiana Tech, commented, “Organizations of every description have come to recognize the vital importance and strategic value of developing diverse and inclusive work environments. The L.E.A.D. executive certificate is designed to empower their leaders to do just that. This program provides actionable strategies and practical skills for managers to implement inclusive practices at every level of their workplaces. We’re proud to partner with Parkview Health on this first class cohort to provide this impactful program to their leadership team. We look forward to welcoming other organizations to the program in upcoming sessions.”

Marlon Wardlow, senior vice president of equity and inclusion for Parkview Health, remarked, “At Parkview, we’re focused on building an inclusive and equitable workplace, where our co-workers feel a sense of belonging and are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. We understand this type of culture begins with our leaders, who were eager to participate in the first L.E.A.D. session and immediately began putting those lessons and new skills to work.