Leading With Data: Founder Enhances Take The Lead’s Premium Coaching Program
Vidhi Data (right, and right on screen) is assisting in the launch of Take The Lead’s Premier Coaching.
Yes, that is her family’s given surname.
Vidhi Data, founder of Lead with Impact, and the Take The Lead Leadership Ambassador spearheading the launch of Take The Lead’s Premium Coaching, gets the question often if her last name “Data” is a gimmick because she specializes in digital transformational leadership.
“@Vidhidata, spearheading the launch of @Takeleadwomen ‘s Premium Coaching, is often asked if her last name “Data” is a gimmick because she specializes in #digitaltransformation #leadership. ”
“Sometimes people make jokes and ask if my name is made up. People think I made up my name to be cool. But it is my father’s name; I didn’t change it and I love it.”
Growing up in India, Data was educated in the United Kingdom, and began working for major global companies on digital transformation and leadership in the insurance, equities, health, transportation and finance sectors.
She moved to Dallas in 2005, before settling in New Jersey two years later. She is now based in New York where her coaching consultancy is on early and mid-career clients.
“At every place in leadership, I was always the only woman at the table. I was the exception to the rule,” Data says.
““At every place in leadership, I was always the only woman at the table. I was the exception to the rule,” @Vidhidatasays. #Womenleaders #DigitalLeadership”
In 2018 she met Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead, became a Leadership Ambassador, and is now assisting in the Premier Coaching program for Take The Lead, now scheduling discovery calls for mentees.
“I wanted to reach other women to lead transformation and innovation,” Data says. “I bring in my program experiences and my leadership skills to design huge transformation experiences.”
““I wanted to reach other women to lead #transformation and innovation,” @Vidhidata says. “I bring in my program experiences and my leadership skills to design huge transformation experiences.” #DigitalLeadership”
Separately, Data created and found Lead With Impact in 2019, an organization that “provides coaching, training and mentoring for women and men to build leadership skills needed to drive impact in business, in society and in their personal lives,” according to her profile.
Now is the perfect time to dive into mentorship and coaching opportunities because of the opportunities presented by complications of COVID-19, the economic climate and cultural disruption over racism and longstanding inequities.
“Now is the opportune time to dive into #mentorship and #coaching opportunities due to the complications of #COVID19, the economic climate and cultural disruption over racism. #LeadershipMatters”
“It is time to pause, refresh your own values and create a new vision,” Data says. “We will look at our structures differently.”
According to Forbes, “Companies with formal mentorship programs experience higher levels of employee engagement and retention. Employees involved with mentoring are more satisfied with their jobs and advance faster in their careers. The availability of a partner and sounding board heightens personal connections to the company for staff working remotely. Connected and engaged employees are more committed to adopting the policies that will define the new business normal,” writes Marti Fischer.
And yet, while the majority report they recognize the critical need for mentorship, few have mentors.
Fischer writes, “Overall, research has shown that while 76% of professionals believe that mentors are important for career growth some 54% of respondents do not have a mentor. Among senior-level staff, only 8% have had a mentor.”
Take The Lead’s Premier Coaching offers individuals, groups and organizations four tiers of opportunity to “work with credentialed Leadership Ambassadors who will coach the women on your team, helping them to refine and execute big intentions while deepening their learning and practice of the power tools. Each coach skillfully helps every team member identify and overcome barriers to progress, and in turn, propels organizations forward in reaching diversity and inclusion goals. A coach’s only agenda: to fuel your success.”
Read more in Take The Lead on mentoring
“We create a 360-degree holistic vision for women,” Data says. "Take The Lead’s concept of ‘power to’ resonates with me because we need not worry about having it all. You need to create your life, design it for yourself before someone else designs it for you.”
Take The Lead’s series of Premier Coaching offerings include the Starter package of three sessions; one on one coaching package for three months; group coaching package for six sessions; and custom coaching package for corporations.
““We create a 360-degree holistic vision for women,” @Vidhidata says of @Takeleadwomen ‘s Premier Coaching. “You need to create your life, design it for yourself before someone else designs it for you.”#CareerCoaching”
At this historic moment of upheaval in the workplace and in global culture, Data, says it is the precise moment to create personal and professional change.
“At this historic moment of upheaval in the workplace and in global culture, @Vidhidata says it is the precise moment to create personal and professional change. #LeadWithImpact #Leadershipskills”
Many agree. Dianna Chane writes in Forbes, “As industries begin to rebuild – many remotely – the deep, interpersonal networking facilitated by mentorship will likely play a huge role in structuring and restructuring organizations.”
Chane continues, “Whether you’re in engineering, technology, housing or healthcare – chances are, the novel coronavirus will force you to reinvent yourself. And while some might think reinventing yourself is a solo pursuit, the most effective way to reinvent yourself is in the context of others.”
Data says, “It’s impossible to just work at leadership skills without the lens of sexism, bias and racism imposed on us. There is a place for activism and a place for change with conversations with those in power. You have to bring those values to the workplace. The mandate for every leader is that empathy has to come into action.”
“@Vidhidata says, “It’s impossible to just work at leadership skills without the lens of sexism, bias and racism imposed on us. There is a place for #activism and a place for change with conversations with those in power.” #PowerTO”
In an unprecedented study of 40,000 scientists and their student proteges, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management faculty researchers found that mentorship is key to success, according to Science Blog.
“In an unprecedented study of 40,000 scientists and their student proteges, @KelloggSchool faculty researchers found that #mentorship is key to #success, according to Science Blog.”
“Communicating codified knowledge is relatively straightforward,” according to study author Brian Uzzi, Professor of Leadership at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems.
“It’s written down in books and presentations. But it’s the unwritten knowledge we intuitively convey through our interactions and demonstrations with students that makes a real difference for mentees.”
And while the study is based on scientists and their students, the results can be extrapolated to other arenas of mentorship where the “unwritten knowledge” is shared.
Read more in Take The Lead on mentoring
Take The Lead’s coaching offerings will assist with mentoring and coaching to navigate and achieve personal action plans.
“@Takeleadwomen ‘s Premier Coaching offerings will assist with #mentoring and #coaching to navigate and achieve personal action plans. #CareerSuccess”
Data specializes in mentoring, training and coaching early and mid-career women, she says. “It could be a woman with a startup idea, just out of a great education and in the first years of a career. My heart is also where the broader magic is in middle management.”
Read more in Take The Lead on mentoring for women of color
That magic can be defined by “methodical skills, strategies and a mindset. It is a mix of actions and confidence,” Data says.
With Data’s innovation and design input, Take The Lead’s Premier Coaching programs (with signups available now for the initial Discovery session to match with coaches) are designed for different tiers of clients. The alums of the many 50 Women Can Change The World programs can access mentorship for following through on their Strategic Leadership Action Plans.
Data says the next level is “for anybody and everybody who needs coaching. They will get six coaching sessions and we help them grow. It could be mindset, skills, career planning, it could be for a start-up or getting capital.” There are jumpstart or starter packages for those individuals.
Read more in Take The Lead on mentoring for inclusion
This Premier Coaching at Take The Lead is the differentiating factor, Data says. “You get executive career coaches leading through the Take The Lead lens. You get the values along with expert coaching from certified Leadership Ambassadors who help with a Strategic Leadership Action Plan,” Data says.
“This Premier Coaching at @Takeleadwomen is the differentiating factor, @Vidhidata says. “You get executive #careercoaches leading through the Take The Lead lens. This is not generic, blanket coaching.” #WomenLeaders”
Read more in Take The Lead on Leadership Ambassadors
Following an initial discovery session, a client is matched with a Take The Lead Leadership Ambassador “who best aligns with their needs.” Data adds, “This is not generic, blanket coaching.”
At a time when many employees and leaders are working remotely and leading their teams on zoom conference calls, sharpening skills and creating new plans is essential.
“At a time when many employees and leaders are working remotely and leading their teams on zoom conference calls, sharpening skills and creating new plans is essential. #RemoteWork #CareerGrowth”
Read more in Take The Lead on diversity and inclusion mentoring
“This is extremely critical now, as the world becomes more socially distant, the skills have become more important to be able to deliver results, design programs, using resources and skills that can run no matter where you are,” Data says.
“For leaders to say ‘I have a plan and the vision’ is extremely important while people are facing mental, emotional issues on the home front,” Data says. “Leading with purpose and empathy is key.”
She adds, “I grew up being called, ‘Data,’ and most people didn’t ever call me Vidhi. It’s not a coincidence that I set out for bachelors and masters degrees in information systems and that I learned how to use digital systems and information to create magic.”
