Common is a conglomerate of inclusive leadership and brand development resources for rising stars and executives. We partner with organizations seeking to become the employer of choice for diverse talent by establishing strategic and sustainable pipelines and processes for developing, advancing, and promoting women and people of color. We support corporate employers by working with their diverse staff to develop leadership skills and business acumen, while showing them how to communicate their value in a meaningful way (without losing themselves in the process). This type of training enables those with leadership potential to highlight their strengths and come across as the authority for what they know and do best. As an organization, you shine when you help your people build, market, and profit from enhanced leadership brands, so there's a dual benefit.

As today’s headlines prove, an inclusive work environment is not just a nice-to-have; it can make or break a company. An organization is only as good as its culture—and building an inclusive and intentional culture is not only a role for human resources; it’s the responsibility of every manager and employee. You can help make your organization a more supportive and engaging workplace by understanding the perceptual, institutional, and psychological processes that impact the ways people interact with their organizations. As it turns out, some people are really knowledgeable and very good at what they do but have a hard time articulating their value to others. Good leaders seek out development opportunities that will help them learn new skills. However, in traditional and resource-confined settings, marginalized communities (such as women and people of color) often lack access to proper development, advancement, and promotion opportunities. Think about your typical rising star or executive that hasn't received leadership and brand development...as a representative of your business, they're likely not going to attract the right audience or as many opportunities, because they aren't fully equipped. We believe that some people can inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. These are the 'natural born' types that everyone wants on their team. And yet, despite their charisma and influence, there are some skills that must be acquired to ensure success (such as business, strategic, and financial acumen). In that way, leadership is a set of skills that can be learned by training, perception, practice and experience over time and leadership becomes a lifetime learning activity. This isn't just about being politically correct or being nice. Diversity in leadership (or the absence thereof) is imperative because it’s critical for our economy and your talent pipeline. When your leadership isn't inclusive and intentional, it hurts both your corporate brand and your employer brand. We're here to level the playing field.

We help corporate professionals develop business acumen, get their work noticed, cement their reputations as leaders, and position themselves for broader opportunities across their organizations and industries. We can accomplish your organizational objectives by focusing on relevant areas (such as leadership presence, communication, and mindset) while making space for women and people of color to achieve desired business objectives. Are you interested in developing your leaders and their brands? Is your organization seeking to push beyond performative activism to execute programmatic changes by developing a provision, platform, and pipeline that seeds more women and persons of color into visible leadership roles? We support diverse leaders by helping them... • Navigate the “double bind” dilemma facing women in leadership; that is, women are both penalized for using leadership behaviors associated with masculinity and penalized as being weak if their behavior is seen as too feminine • Outmaneuver typical negotiation traps that women leaders fall into • Develop emotional intelligence so that they can lead others with greater empathy, self-awareness, and social management • Give feedback effectively, putting their team in a position to succeed • Identify what optimal work / life harmony looks like along with the tools needed to craft this balance for themselves, allowing for both professional and personal success We support organizations by helping them... • Develop their brand’s values, personality, purpose, and positioning statement • Analyze market trends to identify significant challenges and opportunities for your brand • Build a brand strategy to activate the brand in a competitive marketplace • Optimize their brand’s position in the brandscape through positioning mapping • Create a brand plan based on a thorough analysis that positions the brand to deliver on marketing objectives • Maximize brand activation through superior employee engagement • Assess the progress the brand is making based on data and performance indicators