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<big>[[Diversity and Inclusion Office|Homepage]] | [[Lifting as you Lead Mentoring Circles Program 2024|LLMC 2024]] | [[Perspectives sur le pouvoir du parrainage dans l'avancement de carrière : Aperçu de la classe de maître Diriger en élevant les autres|FR]]</big>

<big>[[Diversity and Inclusion Office|Homepage]] | [[Lifting as you Lead Mentoring Circles Program 2024|LLMC 2024]] | [[Perspectives sur le pouvoir du parrainage dans l'avancement de carrière : Aperçu de la classe de maître Diriger en élevant les autres|FR]]</big>

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[[File:LLMC 4 Masterclass 2 EN.png|alt=|center|frameless|1034x1034px]]

== '''<big>Insights on the Power of Sponsorship in Career Advancement: Insights from the Lifting as you Lead Masterclass</big>'''  ==

== '''<big>Inclusive leadership Takes Daily Practice: Insights from the Lifting as you Lead Masterclass</big>'''  ==

[[File:Gérard Étienne 2024 Masterclass ENG.png|left|frameless|438x438px]]

[[File:Dale Allen 2024 Masterclass ENG.png|alt=|left|frameless|437x437px]]

<big>Sponsorship is a crucial strategy for accelerating career growth and creating opportunities. The first Lifting as you Lead Mentoring Circle (LLMC) Masterclass of 2024, held on September 23, focused on The Power of Sponsorship.</big>  

<big>On October 7, 2024, the LLMC program held its second Masterclass of the year on the topic of inclusive leadership. Expertly led by Dale Allen, the event provided invaluable insights into inclusive leadership and building cultures of belonging.</big>

<big>Presented by Gérard Étienne and moderated by Samantha Moonsammy and Suzan Richards, this session illuminated how sponsorship transforms careers, uplifts others, and fosters meaningful change across the public service.</big>

<big>Throughout the Masterclass, Dale and hosts Samantha Moonsammy and Suzan Richards offered practical steps for applying inclusive leadership skills in the workplace. By fostering inclusive leadership, employees, management, and departments can build and sustain a more positive, productive, and harmonious work environment.</big>

<big>Sponsorship goes beyond mentorship by actively advocating for someone's career progression. While mentors provide guidance and share knowledge, sponsors use their influence to promote their protégé’s advancement. Gérard described sponsorship as “a necessary condition to movement within the public service”, yet acknowledged its inconsistent application. Despite diversity and inclusion efforts, he noted, based on his PhD research, subject matter expertise, and first hand experience developing and providing Diversity and Inclusion Inventory Surveys, that public service demographics remain unrepresentative of Canadian diversity, particularly at the Executive level.</big>

<big>'''What Makes Someone an Inclusive Leader?'''</big>

<big>Equity-seeking groups and individuals with intersecting marginalized identities face significant barriers. For instance, Gérard highlighted that while women in general have gained representation in government, there are far fewer Black women, and “a Black woman who may have a disability will be a rarity within the federal public service.”</big>

<big>Inclusive leaders are team members at all levels that are open, understanding, and create space for all voices to be heard. They encourage everyone to share their perspectives to leverage their diverse viewpoints and use tools like active listening and empathy to foster cultures of belonging in their teams, all of which creates an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.</big>  

<big>Sponsorship, Gérard explained, can counteract these gaps by enabling equitable access to career advancement opportunities. He emphasized treating others as they want to be treated, fostering individuality, inclusion, and empowerment—core principles of sponsorship as a form of inclusive leadership.</big>

<big>Dale explained that inclusive leaders use “conscious communication”: a way of communicating that helps team members prevent, reduce, and recover from harm. It involves thinking, seeing, speaking, acting, and relating in ways that support safety and seek not to create further harm.</big>  

<big>Samantha shared a personal story illustrating sponsorship's impact. Early in her career, a cubicle-mate became her sponsor years later by introducing her to an organization seeking her expertise. That pivotal connection eventually led to the creation of the LLMC program, which connects individuals across all levels of the public service, promoting mentorship and sponsorship.</big>

<big>Being an inclusive leader and using conscious communication, Dale emphasized, are not things that can be learned in a single workshop or class. Creating spaces of psychological safety and belonging takes commitment, self-awareness, and daily practice.</big>  

<big>The program exemplifies sponsorship’s ripple effect: one act of advocacy can catalyze systemic change. Gérard, Samantha, and Suzan emphasized that anyone can be a sponsor, regardless of position. Networking is critical to identifying these opportunities and creating meaningful connections.</big>

<big>'''The Practice of Inclusive Leadership'''</big>

<big>The LLMC program is a testament to the power of mentorship, sponsorship, and inclusion. By nurturing future leaders who champion diversity and equity, it takes concrete steps toward fostering workplaces that reflect Canada’s rich diversity. Inclusion is not just about words, it’s about actions, and the LLMC program is taking meaningful steps in the right direction.</big>

<big>Throughout the Masterclass, Dale highlighted the importance of always practicing inclusive leadership and conscious communication skills–even outside the workplace. One of the best ways to cultivate these skills, Dale explained, is simply taking a moment to pause, and breathe before responding to a difficult situation. For example, instead of saying something unthoughtful or making a snap decision, consider the emotions that are coming up and how they might be playing into your response. This practice of pausing to pay attention involves building habits that expand the time between stimulus and response, allowing for clearer understanding of feelings and needs. By encouraging this reflection and awareness, Dale helped participants recognize and address behaviours that lead away from inclusivity and safety.</big>  

<big>To emphasize its transformative impact, the Diversity and Inclusion Office, Materiel Group, National Defence, hosts the annual Lifting as you Lead Mentoring Circles (LLMC) program—the largest group mentoring initiative supporting Defence Team members and federal public service employees at large.</big>  

<big>'''Inclusive Leadership in the Federal Public Service'''</big>

<big>The program's fourth cohort, running from September to December 2024, includes over 1,100 participants from 60+ departments. These individuals joined 150+ mentoring circles, attended biweekly Masterclasses, and expanded their networks through robust opportunities.</big>

<big>Practicing inclusive leadership is not just beneficial for everyone in the Public Service, it is necessary. As Dale explained, when team members do not feel safe or included in the workplace, they simply cannot do their best work. A culture of inclusivity ensures that employees feel a sense of belonging and safety while at work, which reduces stress, increases job satisfaction, and ensures that everyone can best serve Canadians. For managers, inclusive leadership improves decision-making by taking the diverse perspectives that make up this country into account.</big>

 

<big>Overall, the LLMC Masterclass with Dale Allen highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership in creating safe, authentic, and diverse environments. By applying these principles, organizations can benefit from a more positive, productive, and harmonious workplace, leading to better outcomes for all stakeholders.</big>

==<big>'''Recording'''</big>==

==<big>'''Recording'''</big>==

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