Team Cohorts /
Leadership Circles

What It Is

Sankofa Leadership Network-facilitated team sessions are designed to strengthen clarity, alignment and accountability in your individual and collective work to advance equity across your organization and field.

The Sessions

Each session offers insights and guidance supporting your team’s work to develop content that will drive their individual and collective DEI priorities. Ongoing peer discussions are encouraged between sessions, to refine and socialize work/ideas discussed and/or assigned during each session.

How do we help?

While the focus and agenda of these meetings are expected to flex with each group, sessions –and recommended reading and/or follow-up activities– generally center the priority considerations listed in the following outline:

  • What hopes and/or expectations do you have for your own impact advancing equity-in-excellence? What will you need from the organization, consultants/partners, and/or one another to make this possible? What institutional strengths, qualities, and/or resources are making an impact? In what ways do you hope to contribute insights, expertise and/or resources?

  • What key narratives/messages within this organization/field have the potential to either undermine stated DEI values/efforts, or promote/build a strong culture advancing diversity, equity and inclusion? What internal/external factors are influencing DEI outcomes in your field and institution? As leaders, what are our roles/responsibilities for creating change?

  • What strategies/activities will strengthen clarity and alignment around our DEI vision, direction and expectations? What role must leaders play in creating and sustaining this clarity, both internally and externally?

  • What shifts in organizational systems, supports, practices and/or norms must be in place to ensure success in advancing our DEI vision and direction? How might current cultural norms support – or derail – our efforts to create structural change advancing equity?

  • In what ways must roles/responsibilities must be adjusted in order to guide new systems/structures, shift culture, and advance the equity-in-excellence vision? What resources/supports will leaders (and team members) require? What next steps are most critical to success?