ND Elevate: Inclusive Leadership
An Executive Education Experience Presented by Notre Dame
In partnership with the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL)
This program is designed to empower learners to advance their professional journey toward effective, inclusive, and ethical leadership. It empowers participants to take the next step in their professional journey by building knowledge and skills in resilience, negotiation, presence, and authenticity, while also exploring how personal identity shapes leadership development.
This two-part learning experience combines an online program with an immersive on-campus session. The online component, hosted in Canvas ExpaND, features 5 to 6 hours of self-paced content across four learning modules led by esteemed Notre Dame faculty and industry leaders and guides participants in creating a personalized vision for leadership.
Upon completing the online portion, participants attend a one-day, on-campus immersion featuring interactive workshops on negotiation, executive presence, executive coaching, and leadership, all intended to deepen their online learning. They will also connect with the Notre Dame community and expand their professional networks.
Registration will close on Tuesday, August 5, 2026.
On-Campus Session Details
- Date: Friday, August 7, 2026
- Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Location: Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame
- Cost: $1,200 per participant
- Supplies: Participants should bring a laptop to participate in the workshop sessions.
Participants who complete both components earn a digital badge recognizing their achievement and commitment to leadership excellence.
Session Titles and Descriptions
Reframing Power for Purposeful Leaders with Kelly Rubey
Research shows that individuals with strong prosocial orientations are among the least likely to pursue or embrace power. This reflects a broader misconception that power is incompatible with values-driven leadership. This workshop reframes power as a relational force that shapes opportunity, decision-making, and organizational outcomes. Participants will examine how informal networks and power dynamics operate in professional environments and will develop strategies to build authentic influence and use power to advance outcomes that matter most.
Communicating for Influence with Amanda McKendree
Effective communication is essential to advancing an organization’s mission and fostering a strong workplace culture. Whether you’re leading a project team, presenting to senior leadership, or championing new ideas, how you communicate can be just as important as what you communicate. Strengthening your ability to communicate with clarity and purpose will help you build credibility and make a greater impact within your organization and community. This session will help in identifying communication goals and challenges to become more intentional and effective, exploring the concept of Executive Presence and learning how to project confidence and credibility, and practicing strategies for getting your ideas heard, even in competitive or high-stakes settings.
Authenticity, Advocacy, and the Courage to Lead with Muffet McGraw
How do you balance working within a system while possessing the courage to challenge it? Join us for an honest, reflective moderated discussion with former Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Coach Muffet McGraw as we dissect the core themes of ND Elevate. Coach McGraw will pull back the curtain on her storied career to discuss how she used her massive platform to advocate for others, all while remaining authentic and driving systemic change. This session will offer invaluable insights on how to champion yourself and mentor the leaders of tomorrow.
The Human Moments of Leadership with Doug Thompson
Leadership is most powerfully expressed in the human moments — when someone is hurting, uncertain, hopeful, or simply in need of being seen. In this session, Doug Thompson, Assistant Vice President for Belonging and Engagement at Notre Dame’s Division of Student Affairs, invites participants to examine how their presence, tone, and everyday choices shape the lived experience of the people around them. Through honest reflection, peer conversation, and real-world scenarios, participants will practice navigating emotionally charged moments with steadiness and care — and leave with a more intentional, relational approach to leadership rooted in dignity and connection.
Key Takeaways for the Path Ahead with Kristen Collett-Schmitt and Jessica McManus Warnell
In this brief wrap-up session, we will synthesize the insights, strategies, and inspiration from our time together and translate them into immediate, real-world action. As a community, we will help each other identify tangible takeaways and concrete action items to fuel your personal future goals. Through a dynamic mix of small-group breakouts and collaborative large-group discussions, we will share our visions, challenge one another, and solidify our collective and individual roadmaps for the path ahead.
Online Course Content
Time Commitment: Approximately 5–6 hours of self-paced content.
Module 1 – Common Challenges
Explore the history of gender representation in the workplace and analyze systemic barriers to inclusion. By reflecting on personal professional challenges and learning from industry experts, you will develop resilience strategies that empower you to lead more inclusively.
Module 2 – Authentic Self
Identify the signs of Imposter Phenomenon and learn strategies to mitigate its effects. This module focuses on leveraging personal strengths and values to build authenticity at work, introducing a practical decision-making model to help you align your professional choices with your core values.
Module 3 – Navigating the Workplace
Explore the history and prevalence of the gender pay gap in the United States, hear from experts on the role that communication plays, and reflect on the best, and worst communications skills to authentically mitigate these inequities.
Module 4 – Ethical Leadership in Action
Define your unique leadership vision by blending academic theory with personal lived experience. You will articulate a personal values statement and explore how to put ethical leadership characterized by authenticity, accountability, and integrity into daily practice.
