In May 2022, we were pleased to host the closing module for the annual Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), presented in partnership with the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). Founded in 1980, NAMIC’s mission is to cultivate a pipeline of diverse talent from which the next generation of industry leaders will be selected. Its 4,000+ members come from a broad range of disciplines representing cable telecommunications, broadcast, digital, film and print media.
ELDP is an eight-month learning journey created and designed to help solve some of the industry’s most persistent diversity challenges: increasing the diversity of the industry’s executive suites, retention of executives of color and maximizing the ROI of a diverse workforce.
The four 3-4 day residencies each focus on different themes:
- Module I – Strategic Thinking and Enterprise Perspective in a Global Context
- Module II – Financial and Business Acumen
- Module III – Customer Orientation and Innovation
- Module IV – Leading Strategic Change and Fostering a High Performance, High Engagement Culture
Through classroom case discussion, experiential learning workshops, participant sharing of best practices, expert guest speakers, assessments and coaching across multiple in-person modules, participants have the opportunity to put learning into practice on the job between modules, get faculty feedback and build a network of industry peers to encourage and support their growth over their careers.
The Darden faculty was truly top notch and helped us see and learn things from an unfamiliar business as well as personal perspective. I learned so much about myself. There is a saying “Iron sharpens iron,” and I learned that firsthand by being in the company of forty-two highly accomplished, intelligent, tactical, strategic, smart, and transparent servant leaders from across the country. This was a fantastic experience, as I was in awe of this group, but learned so much from them.
Measurable Impact
The program was recognized in 2021 with a Bronze award for excellence from the Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management Excellence Awards. The immersive learning experience has impacted the career growth of over 1,000 leaders of color. And a 2022 survey of past ELDP participants found that 80% of graduates were promoted within two years of graduating from the program.
The Next Horizon
Darden has proudly partnered with NAMIC on the ELDP for 11 years. And we’re excited to launch a new program with NAMIC in fall 2022, Leading Inclusive Teams, designed as a learning laboratory for pairs of participants from each organization to discover ways to build strong connections and synergies that emphasize inclusion and learn new strategies for sharing those insights and skills with their teams.
Learn more about Darden’s customized solutions for organizations, including how we’ve partnered with corporations, associations, military and government.
