WELL Leadership Education

Developing Women Who Lead with Compassion and Create Change

At Women’s E-Learning in Leadership (WELL), we believe sustainable leadership begins from within. Effective leaders understand themselves, recognize the dignity of others, build trusting relationships, and have the courage to turn their values into action.
10-Session Leadership Program
Instructor: Dr. Fariba Parsa

Compassionate Leadership

Lead Yourself. Lead Others. Lead with Humanity.

Leadership is not simply about managing people or achieving results.
It begins with knowing yourself and learning how to relate to other human beings with awareness, courage, empathy, dignity, and compassion.

Intellectual Foundations

The program draws on several complementary approaches to leadership and human development.

Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter

Authors of The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results, published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Their work identifies three important qualities for human-centered leadership:

The 10 Sessions

01

Leadership Begins Within

From Self-Awareness to Self-Leadership
02

Values, Purpose & Authentic Leadership

What Do I Stand For
03

Mindful Leadership

Creating Space Between Stimulus and Response
04

Listening as Leadership

Listen to Understand
05

Empathy, Compassion & Human Dignity

See the Person, Not Only the Problem
06

Compassionate Communication

Communicating Across Differences
07

Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging

Creating Environments Where People Can Contribute
08

Compassion with Accountability

Kindness Is Not the Absence of Standards
09

Leading People Through Change

Compassion During Uncertainty
10

Becoming the Leader You Want to Be

Compassion in Action

What Participants Will Gain

By completing the 10 sessions, participants will strengthen their ability to:

  • Know themselves through self-awareness and values.
  • Understand others through listening and empathy.
  • Lead others through compassion, dignity, trust, and communication.
  • Address challenges through courageous conversations and accountability.
  • Lead change by engaging rather than imposing.
  • Put leadership into practice through a personal 30-day action plan.

Who Should Participate?

The WELL Compassionate Leadership program is designed for:

  • Emerging women leaders
  • Managers and team leaders
  • Nonprofit leaders
  • Civil society leaders
  • Community organizers
  • Educators
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Human rights advocates
  • Women preparing for greater leadership responsibilities

No formal leadership title is required.
Leadership begins wherever a person takes responsibility for helping others move toward a better future.

Leadership, Organizing & Community Building

From Personal Values to Collective Action

10-Week Leadership Program
Instructor: Dr. Rezvan Moghaddam

This 10-week program introduces participants to the principles and practices of leadership, community organizing, and movement building.

Learn  More

What Participants Will Gain

01

Leadership and Shared Purpose

Understand leadership as enabling others to achieve a common purpose under conditions of uncertainty.
02

Story of Self

Learn how personal experiences and values can become a source of authentic leadership.
03

Story of Us

Identify shared values that connect individuals and create a sense of community.
04

Story of Now

Communicate why a challenge requires action and why action is possible now.
05

Building Relationships

Learn how trust and meaningful relationships create the foundation for collective leadership.
06

Building Leadership Teams

Move beyond individual leadership and learn how to develop effective, collaborative teams.
07

Identifying People and Resources

Understand the strengths, relationships, knowledge, and resources already available within a community.
08

Developing Strategy

Turn available resources into the power needed to achieve meaningful goals.
09

Moving from Strategy to Action

Develop practical actions that engage others and build momentum.
10

Building Sustainable Communities and Movements

Bring the lessons together into a practical leadership and organizing plan.

Who Is This Program For?

This program is especially valuable for women who are:

  • Civil society activists
  • Nonprofit leaders
  • Advocates for women's rights
  • Social entrepreneurs
  • Educators
  • Emerging leaders
  • Building organizations, networks, campaigns, or community initiatives

By the End of the Program

Participants will have developed their own leadership narrative, strengthened their ability to build relationships and teams, and created a practical strategy for mobilizing people around a shared purpose.

The WELL Leadership Journey

The two programs address different but interconnected dimensions of leadership.

STEP 1

LEAD YOURSELF

Self-awareness • Values • Mindfulness • Purpose

STEP 2

LEAD
OTHERS

Listening • Empathy • Compassion • Dignity • Trust

STEP 3

LEAD ORGANIZATIONS

Communication • Accountability • Psychological Safety • Change

STEP 4

LEAD COMMUNITIES

Storytelling • Relationships • Teams • Strategy • Organizing

STEP 5

CREATE
CHANGE

Collective Leadership • Community Building • Social Impact