Women have unique strengths—and those attributes are not only celebrated, but nurtured and enhanced at the NACS Women’s Leadership Program at Yale, taking place this November 17-22.

“One of the most impactful and empowering moments was to have a professor talk to you about using the attributes you have as a woman, instead of apologizing for those or trying to conform in a way that fits what’s traditionally been a male dominated [field],” said Meredith James, vice president of strategic development and business partners for Sigma. “I thought it was really important to allow women to feel like they can look like a woman, speak like a woman and have emotions like a woman, and learn how to use those unique characteristics to empower ourselves, empower one another and lead large organizations.”

The course takes place on the Yale campus in New Haven, Connecticut, and is designed for women who want to bolster their leadership abilities, reinvigorate their companies and expand their networks. Through a series of courses, networking opportunities and exercises, the program is designed to help female industry professionals:

• Develop critical team leadership skills.

• Refine strategic perspective and decision making.

• Understand and hone leadership style through feedback assessments.

• Improve executive presence and leverage diversity to accelerate innovation.

• Practice emotionally intelligent leadership.

This year’s curriculum will focus on leading with emotional intelligence with expertise from Yale faculty member Emma Seppälä, building high performing teams, practicing conscious accountability, managing difficult conversations and constructive criticism, and how to “speak up without freaking out.”

For James, one of the biggest takeaways from attending the program was the relationships she formed with the other participants. “I was able to meet 40 other women from around the world who are some of the best leaders from different segments of our industry,” she said. “We were able to learn from each other, share stories, connect through the different courses we took and empower each other, and then use all that in our careers. I would encourage any woman to further their education through this course.”

Visit NACS Women’s Leadership Program at Yale for more information and to register.