Inclusive and Intercultural Leadership Session 1: Foundations of Inclusive Leadership

Session 10 Topics

Synthesizing learning into a coherent leadership philosophy
Values-based decision-making frameworks
Accountability structures and continuous learning approaches
Building support networks for ongoing development
Creating systems for self-reflection and course correction
Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 9 Topics

Inclusive leadership expectations in academic vs. industry settings
Navigating organizational cultures and politics as an inclusive leader
Building inclusive networks and mentoring relationships
Advocating for inclusion in hiring, promotion, and resource allocation decisions
Balancing authenticity with professional advancement

Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 8 Topics

Understanding organizational culture and systems that perpetuate exclusion
Change management theories and inclusive transformation strategies
The role of individual leaders in systemic change
Measuring and evaluating inclusion initiatives
Sustainability of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts


Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 7 Topics

Review of Kim Scott’s Radical Candor and Radical Respect Model
Understanding how feedback and other leadership communications play a role in cultivating inclusive cultures, driving personal and professional growth, enhancing team dynamics, maximizing collaboration, building trust, and improving performance
Examples of organizations that optimize for collaboration and honor everyone’s individuality, and how they measure success and employee engagement
Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Grounded in both present realities and future possibilities, this session invites graduate students to see leadership not as a title, but as a daily practice—one that shapes research environments, learning communities, and professional futures. By investing in inclusive and intercultural leadership development now, graduate students position themselves to thrive—and help others thrive—in a deeply interconnected and global society. Participants will explore how inclusive and intercultural leadership skills equip graduates to thrive in graduate school, including in campus leadership experiences such as mentoring, research collaboration, and student governance, where inclusive practices shape community and collective success. You will also hear examples of how these skills are applied by leaders across various industries and fields, where employers increasingly value leaders who can collaborate across cultures and lead diverse teams in a global environment.

Confirmed Speakers:
Ruth Gotian, Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor of Education in Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, award-winning author of Success Factor and The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring, and a globally recognized expert in mentorship and leadership development

Susan MacKenty Brady, CEO, Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership 


This session of Inclusive and Intercultural Leadership is a part of the 2026 GradFUTURES Forum, an annual professional development conference, that is open to the entire Princeton graduate community (including Ph.D. and master’s students and alumni) as well as to graduate students and staff from graduate institutions across the country and around the world. Offering a full week of engaging keynote speakers, skill-building workshops, alumni panels, and networking sessions, the GradFUTURES Forum features dozens of online and in-person sessions with real-time relevance to success in graduate school and a glimpse into a world of possibilities beyond. As we celebrate The Graduate School's 125th anniversary, this year's GradFUTURES Forum theme is "Preparing Graduate Students for Transformational Impact.

* Hosting of panelists and speakers does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.

Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 5 Topics

Neuroscience of bias and automatic thinking processes
Types of cognitive shortcuts affecting leadership decisions
Implicit bias in hiring, evaluation, and promotion processes
The impact of bias on mentoring and collaboration relationships
Strategies for bias interruption and mitigation

Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 4 Topics

Power dynamics in academic and professional hierarchies
Positionality and its impact on research, mentoring, and collaboration
Systemic vs. individual approaches to understanding inequality
Ally ship and accomplice behaviors in leadership contexts

Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

High-context vs. low-context communication styles
Direct and indirect communication preferences across cultures
Nonverbal communication variations and interpretations
Conflict resolution styles in different cultural contexts
Building rapport and trust across cultural differences


Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.

Session 2 Topics

Understanding multiple cultural identity dimensions (visible and invisible)
The iceberg model of culture and its implications for leadership
Values, beliefs, and assumptions that shape worldview
Cultural intelligence and its components
The role of storytelling in leadership

Series Overview:
Offering 10 unique sessions, the Inclusive & Intercultural Leadership learning cohort's primary goal is to prepare graduate students with inclusive leadership skills they can apply now and in the future. Leaders with this skillset apply intercultural awareness to build and sustain inclusive cultures at every level within our institutions, organizations, and communities. Understanding and applying inclusive and intercultural leadership principles is critical for individual leadership development, effective team-building, collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. In addition to expert facilitator-led sessions, prominent guest speakers and leaders from across industry and academia will share personal stories, practical strategies, and how they promote intercultural awareness and empower inclusive teams.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas course for the syllabus, session modules, readings, and reflection assignments.