Lead with intention, not reactivity
With
LEADING NOW
Next Cohort starts in September
Want to lead?
In this program, you’ll…
Develop your own leadership philosophy
Learn best practices for managing your organization (including refined communication, systems, and processes)
Face the challenges of leading in academia with the support of an expert coach and peers.
Here’s what is not helping you
Leading in a system where you have just enough power to feel responsible for your organization’s mission, but not enough power to actually make institutional change.
Navigating leadership without any real authority.
Managing money, teams, and decisions and policies that you didn’t make.
Dealing with crisis after crisis, trying to get the best outcomes for all involved, and feeling guilty about not always succeeding.
Feeling a values mismatch between your institution and yourself as you are asked to implement projects or policies that you don’t agree with
Leading Now
Next Cohort starts in September
A unique blend of training + group coaching + one-on-one coaching changes everything
Lead with Vision (September through November)
Month 1: September
Define Your Leadership PhilosophyYou’ll articulate the kind of leader you actually want to be, not the one your title or institution expects. We’ll craft a values-based leadership philosophy that anchors all your decisions.
Month 2: October
Align Your Structure to Your VisionYou’re leading an organization inside another one. We’ll map your unit’s structure and mission, and reshape what you can so it supports your leadership, rather than stifles it.
Month 3: November
Embody the Right Role at the Right TimeLearn how to move fluidly between mentor, coach, strategist, and decision-maker. You’ll strengthen your presence and emotional intelligence to lead with nuance and influence.
Manage with Precision (December through February)
Month 4: December
Communication for ResultsIn order for your organization to act on its mission, it needs great communication. Learn how to design systems of communication to optimize the impact of your organizations’ work.
Month 5: January
Project Manage for ImpactManaging an organization requires refined project management skills. Learn how to implement systems, processes, and templates to minimize decision-making and optimize your team.
Month 6: February
Create Your Dream TeamYou are the leader of your organization, but you might not have the power to hire or fire. Learn how to navigate these unusual circumstances, as well as how to develop your team members to better contribute to the organization.
Influence with Power (March through May)
Month 7: March
Managing Up: Working with Upper AdminYou are sandwiched between upper admin and everyone else. Learn how to best work with upper administrators so that you are maximally supported.
Month 8: April
Managing Budgets and MoneyLearn best practices for taking on the thankless work of managing a budget that you can’t control
Month 9: May
Humanizing Leadership: The Future of Higher Ed and YouWe’ll wrap up by talking about systems of support, bringing more humanity into our leadership roles, and meeting the moment with self-compassion.
INSERT TESTIMONIAL FROM PILOT ALUMNI
Leading Now participant
Is Leading Now for Me?
Leading Now is for women and nonbinary faculty in leadership roles such as: department chair, P.I., dean, program director, research center director (these are just examples of titles, this is for anyone who must lead groups of people in academia right now!).
Join Leading Now if you want to:
Ready to FINALLY lead XXX?
Join Leading Now and get access to:
- 9-month coaching and training program for academic leaders
- bi-monthly meetings alternating interactive workshops and hot seat coaching calls for 9 months (18 calls total)
- unlimited 30-minute private one-on-one calls with Cathy throughout the program duration
- access to workshop recordings for one calendar year
Yours for only:
1 payment of $6,000 (save $300!)
9 payments of $700 (billed today and monthly for eight months after that)
Next cohort starts in September
Ready to advance your career and change the world?
Next cohort starts in September
FAQ
What is the experience of the Leading Now program? How does it work?
K
L
In Leading Now, you’ll have access to 3 forms of coaching so you’re supported from every angle: high-touch where you need it, peer-driven when it helps most, and private when it matters.
- Group Coaching (every workshop)
- Hot Seat Coaching (monthly calls)
- One-on-one Coaching (when and as many as you need)
How much is the time commitment for Leading Now?
K
L
There are two 75-minute live calls per month. Any exercises we do will happen on the calls. So the time commitment is 150 minutes/month, plus any one-on-one calls you need (30 minutes each).
Is Leading Now for me at my career stage?
K
L
Leading Now is for women and nonbinary faculty in leadership roles such as: department chair, P.I., dean, program director, research center director (these are just examples of titles, this is for anyone who must lead groups of people in academia right now!).
What if I can’t make the call times?
K
L
Workshop calls will be recorded and available to you in our learning management system. Hot seats will not be recorded, but A.I. summaries of the hot seat calls will be provided with names removed. In order to get the most out of the program, you should be available to attend as many live calls as possible.
Do I get to keep access to the recorded modules?
K
L
You do get to keep the recorded modules for one calendar year after enrollment.
What is the size of the cohort?
K
L
The cohorts are between 12-15 members.
A bit about Cathy Mazak (that’s me!)
My story is probably similar to yours. I wanted to make an impact in my academic field and to have a balanced, fulfilled life. The way to get that, I assumed, was to work hard, get a degree, then tenure, then full professorship and then spend the rest of my academic life working as hard as I could. So I got my dream job teaching at the University of Puerto Rico, but it wasn’t what I signed up for.
Work-life balance? Forget about it. Time to write? Maybe one day. Impact? Does helping students check out projectors count?…
I was pulled in ten directions at once. I needed to write. I needed to publish. I needed to focus. But I also needed to be myself. (What happened to being a full human, anyway?)
I felt like I was squeezing myself into a racist, patriarchal system that was never designed for me. And when the kiddos came along… it became near impossible to get to that dream of mine: an impactful, prolific, fulfilling academic career.
But I figured it out, and then I created Navigate to help YOU do it too.
© 2025 Cathy Mazak
