Leadership, culture and communication, together.
This program is built for professionals in technology who work in English as a second or third language and are ready for senior leadership. It addresses the intersection of cultural identity, communication and career advancement that standard leadership programs often overlook.
You leave with a clear leadership identity, sharper executive presence, stronger stakeholder relationships and a concrete career strategy built on your strengths as a global professional.
Who it’s for
- Engineering, product, data, design or operations leaders at manager level and above
- Non-native English speakers working in a largely Western tech culture
- High-potential leaders preparing for Director, VP or C-suite roles
- Leaders who want to lead authentically, cultural background and all
At a glance
- Format: one-to-one sessions of 60–75 minutes each week
- Delivery: online; recordings by agreement
- Assessments: cultural values, cultural intelligence, 360° feedback and leadership style (optional)
- Capstone: a real leadership project in weeks 9–10
- After: a 90-day accountability plan
What you’ll achieve
- A confident leadership identity that integrates your cultural background
- Measurably stronger executive communication, presence and influence in senior settings
- Fluency in the unwritten rules of Western tech culture, adapting without losing yourself
- A career roadmap with a 1-, 3- and 5-year vision and concrete next steps
- A completed capstone project that shows your leadership growth in practice
- A resilience framework for the long game of senior leadership
The curriculumThree phases, twelve weeks.
Self-awareness, communication confidence, cultural fluency and strategic influence.
| Week | Theme | In the session | Between sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 1 | Identity mapping Who are you as a leader? | Cultural values assessment; strengths inventory: what you bring that others don’t; the “two worlds” exercise; defining your leadership brand | Write “My leadership story” in 500 words; name three moments your background was an advantage; start a daily 5-minute journal |
| WK 2 | Communication power & presence Being heard in every room | Video analysis of your style; PAR for concise storytelling; accent and authenticity; assertive vs. aggressive vs. passive | Record a 3-minute introduction; prepare PAR answers for five executive scenarios; speak first in two meetings |
| WK 3 | Tech culture & unwritten rules What the org chart doesn’t say | Directness and flat hierarchies; candid feedback; humor, small talk and informal relationships; power in hybrid teams | Map your organization’s informal power structure; have one coffee chat with a senior stakeholder; note three unwritten rules |
| WK 4 | Influence & stakeholders Leading up, across and beyond your title | Influence vs. interest mapping; self-advocacy scripts for reviews; managing up; sponsors vs. mentors | Complete your stakeholder map; draft review talking points; reach out to one potential sponsor |
Executive presence, cross-cultural leadership, career strategy and resilience.
| Week | Theme | In the session | Between sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 5 | Executive presence Owning high-stakes moments | Presence audit: body language, voice, pacing; pitching your ideas; a simulated executive presentation; handling hostile questions | Deliver a recorded 5-minute executive update; prepare answers to ten tough questions; choose one high-stakes opportunity |
| WK 6 | Cross-cultural team leadership Diversity as a strength | Cultural intelligence assessment; conflict role-plays; psychological safety; inclusive meeting facilitation | Hold 1:1s through a cultural lens; try one new inclusive practice; reflect on a past conflict |
| WK 7 | Career architecture & visibility Designing your next move | 1-, 3- and 5-year goals; LinkedIn and executive presence audit; internal and external visibility; navigating bias | Write a one-page career vision; update LinkedIn; pick one speaking or thought-leadership opportunity |
| WK 8 | Resilience & sustainable leadership Leading for the long game | The cost of code-switching; boundaries and recovery; your personal board of directors; integrating your identity at work | Complete an energy audit; hold one wellbeing boundary for two weeks; name your personal board (3–5 people) |
Lead in real time with a capstone project, then launch your next chapter.
| Week | Theme | In the session | Between sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 9–10 | Capstone leadership project | Define a real business challenge; weekly coaching on execution and stakeholders; a mid-point review of progress and pivots | Execute the project against weekly milestones; document decisions and outcomes; prepare a final presentation |
| WK 11–12 | Integration & launch | Capstone presentation and debrief; writing your personal leadership manifesto; a short 360° feedback loop; forward planning | Finalize your 1–2 page manifesto; set 90-day goals with an accountability partner |
Coaching philosophyYour background is a leadership asset.
The program is strengths-based and identity-affirming. Your language, your worldview and your experience of navigating several cultures are not liabilities to manage. They are assets to use.
Identity integration
You don’t change who you are. You bring more of yourself, confidently and strategically, into your leadership.
Cultural intelligence
You adapt without assimilating, and lead across cultures without losing yourself.
Strategic execution
Every insight connects to a concrete action. Here, we build, do and measure.
How progress is measured
- Self-assessment across eight leadership competencies, before and after
- Optional 360° feedback from your manager, peers and direct reports
- A weekly reflection journal, discussed in sessions
- The capstone project, judged against success criteria agreed up front
- A 90-day check-in after the program
Recommended reading
- The Culture Map: Erin Meyer
- Presence: Amy Cuddy
- Authentic Diversity: Michelle Silverthorn
- Dare to Lead: Brené Brown
- The Making of a Manager: Julie Zhuo
InvestmentPricing and getting started.
One-to-one
Sessions of 60–75 minutes, in bundles of 5, 10, 15 or 25. The full program is 25 sessions: two a week for about 12 weeks, payable in 2 or 3 instalments. Others focus on one transition or one important meeting.
Getting started
- A free consultation to check the fit and set goals
- An intake questionnaire
- Choose assessments and agree success measures
- Book your first session
| Bundle | Price | Per session | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 sessions | €750 | €150 | 3 months |
| 10 sessions | €1,500 | €150 | 3 months |
| 15 sessions | €2,250 | €150 | 6 months |
| 25 sessions · full program | €3,750 | €150 | 6 months |
Refer someone and get a free session: when a person you refer buys a bundle after their free call, I add a free session to your bundle.
Bigger bundles add more of the program: a stakeholder map and a recorded executive update at 10 sessions, assessments and support between sessions at 15, and the full program with a real leadership project, a written audit, a 90-day plan and a 60-day check-in at 25. Programs start on a rolling basis. For groups, the Leadership Circle cohort and private team cohorts are available. See Programs on the website.
“Your accent is not a barrier. It is evidence of the worlds you’ve navigated to get here. Now let’s make sure the rest of the room knows it too.”
Mark Parfenov