May 18th, Momentum will graduate our 14th class of outstanding professional women leaders. Every year, at the beginning of our leadership training, we ask the class about any concerns regarding the program. And every year, we hear the same concern resurface again and again: I am worried about what it’s going to be like to be with all women, all the time. Because our participants are very high on the org chart, they have spent most of their careers interacting with a predominantly male peer group. So long, in fact, that they are convinced they get along better with men.
What is exciting to see is how these concerns melt away in a matter of minutes. In fact, as one after another they confirm the “room full of women” concern, the relationships are starting to build. They are more alike than they are different. Within the course of the afternoon, they are no longer concerned about how they will relate to the other women, or what the other women will think of them, or of how their participation in an all-women’s program will be viewed by others. By the end of day one, they know they are surrounded by strong women with great talents, and they are proud to share the room.
As the year progresses, our class hears from renowned authors, trainers and facilitators. In between sessions they complete numerous assignments requiring introspection. In their co-mentoring groups they share experiences, discoveries, and vulnerabilities. Within a couple of months, when class day rolls around, they are no longer thinking “how can I make time for this,” and are now thinking, “I really need this!” They have found the value of Sisterhood. Very soon they will join the larger sisterhood of Momentum Alumnae, 350 women strong!
