Critical Friends Program – Employers

an in-depth leadership program for (aspiring) executives

What is the Critical Friends Program?

The Critical Friends Program (CFP) is an in-depth leadership program for professionals in leadership positions or (upcoming) professionals with leadership ambitions. In a series of 4 meetings, participants are introduced to principles of inclusive leadership, work with actual dilemmas and case histories from the practice of organizations and develop their own vision and approach to the leadership role they want to take. The curriculum of this program is based on the book by Juana Bordas entitled “Salsa, Soul & Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age.” In this book, she formulates 9 principles of inclusive leadership inspired by African and Indigenous philosophies. Each session explores these principles in theory and practice.

What are Critical Friends?

In the CFP, participants are additionally paired with a critical friend who serves as a sounding board and sparring partner to translate theory to their own practice and context. In the CFP, there are two types of critical friends:

  1. A senior professional in a leadership position in an organization. This critical friend brings the experience of leading in a large organization and the dilemmas this can present on issues of D&I.
  2. An aspiring professional taking a leadership role in community initiatives. This critical friend speaks from experience in social debate and lived experience on issues of D&I.

In the CFP, two different critical friends are paired together each time so that they can spar with each other from their unique perspective and experience.

Why a Critical Friends Program?

In the current social context, where movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo have further fueled the discussion on diversity and inclusion (D&I), inclusive leadership plays a crucial role. However, many professionals experience acting embarrassment when it comes to D&I issues. The CFP provides a safe and enriching environment where participants develop actionable perspectives, with concrete tools and strategies to create impact in their organizations.

Watch the video below for more commentary from the program’s coordinator and participants:

What have you accomplished after going through the Critical Friends Program?

  • A broad perspective on leadership: you are familiar with different
    approaches to leadership and have determined for yourself which approach best fits your vision and professional goals.
  • Actionable strategies: You will gain insight into concrete interventions and strategies to move toward action.
  • Actions and next steps: you have formulated concrete ideas about actions and the next steps you can take after the program to shape your leadership role from an inclusive approach.

Got curious? Get in touch!

For more information and to discuss the possibility of participating, we would like to get in touch. To do so, please email Annejet@echo-net.nl.