Leading Women @Tech Graduates Eighth Cohort 

Twenty-eight women across Georgia Tech departments recently celebrated their commencement from the eighth cohort of the Leading Women @Tech program.  

Members of the freshly graduated class say the program exceeded their expectations, going beyond strengthening their leadership skills, but also enhancing their work relationships and teaching them to develop professional facets they had not considered as important as hard skills. 

“This program has shown me the importance of pausing when necessary,” said Lateisha Jeannis, interim director of investigations for Ethics and Compliance. “As women in leadership, we often adopt a ‘go-go-go’ mentality, which helps us get the job done but doesn’t always make us the best leaders. Learning to pause—whether to allow for a moment of reflection, give space for others to contribute, or take a moment to reset—has provided me with greater structure, time to think, and the mental space I need.” 

The Leading Women @Tech program launched in 2016, in response to feedback from the Institute’s 2012 Climate Assessment Survey. The results showed a desire for more mentoring and networking opportunities for women at Georgia Tech.  

The Leading Women @Tech program explores curriculum designed to strengthen participants’ leadership abilities, enhance personal and professional growth, and support career development. It accomplishes those goals through five key areas of development: leadership and storytelling; self-efficacy; emotional intelligence; mindful leadership; and intercultural dialogue. 

The program also provides an excellent opportunity to connect with other leaders across campus, creating a network of support collaboration. Though meant to provide leadership development opportunities, Leading Women @Tech is not solely meant for people leaders. It’s open also to employees who have no direct reports or management responsibilities.  

Before the program, Nikki Flanagan, senior counsel in the Office of General Counsel, said she wasn’t sure she could be considered a leader, simply because she worked as an individual contributor. Leading Women changed that perspective, she said. 

“Through this program, I discovered that being leader is not based on having a management position. Instead, it is based on your influence in your position,” Flanagan said. “It was important to me to see myself as a leader in my current role. The program helped to instill more confidence in my work and in myself.” 

Rayne Bozeman, director of Culture and Leadership Development, said the Leading Women program leverages shared experiences of other women on campus and fosters a wealth of collective knowledge that participants can bring back to their individual units. Since 2016, more than 175 women at the assistant director level and above have participated in the program, and approximately one-third of graduates have leveraged the insights they’ve gained into a promotion. Others use the new skills to update career goals, achieve new milestones, and organize their work plans into a more fulfilling career. 

“As women, being able to share with each other fosters a sense of belonging in the broader Georgia Tech community,” Bozeman said. “This year’s cohort displayed power, fortitude, and resilience, and their work showed their full capability as strong leaders at this Institute.”