Authentic Leadership Training for Women

Lead the change by empowering the women in your organisation to step into their full potential as women leaders.

For more authentic, feminine leadership in your organisation

This is more than just classic “women empowerment”: rather than teaching women how to “survive” in alpha-dominated work cultures by becoming ‘tougher‘ and ‘stronger‘ to succeed, Helene’s authentic women leadership trainings are designed to remind women of the powerful leadership qualities that they already have - their empathy, their sensitivity and their authenticity in the workplace.

These skills are more than just “soft skills”: they are solid leadership skills needed at the top of every organisation to create healthy work environments and allow balanced decisions that increase efficiency and profitability.

Inspirational Leadership Workshops for Women


To become powerful leaders, speakers and drivers of change in their organisation, women do not need to “change”: Helene’s inspiring Women Leadership Workshops focus on strengthening every woman to feel confident with the natural, feminine qualities they already have: their emotional intelligence and their power to think in alliances rather than in competition.

 

Pick a Leadership Workshop

Have a look at the workshops offered below and get in touch to request a tailor-made workshop for you:

“The Only Woman in the Room” Training: How women lead confidently in a (male-dominated) workplace

Many women in the workplace feel the invisible barriers to power when they enter a meeting room as one of the few women around the table - subtle comments, intimidating looks and body language that can discourage them to speak. Helene herself had the experience of holding herself back in the workplace as a result of this daily reality. This Leadership training provides women with a safe space, providing a powerful perspective change and giving women concrete tools to become confident and authentic female leaders despite these challenging circumstances.

  • In this workshop, participants receive concrete tips on how to lead and speak in intimidating work situations. It is specifically designed to support women who work in a male-dominated environment to lead and communicate confidently. By finding their own leadership style as women, they will inspire more women in the room to speak up, too.

    In a safe, women-only space, this workshop is usually an eye-opener for the participants on the powe of their authentic qualities as women.

    The approach

    Helene Banner’s “authentic leadership” approach avoids focusing on making women ‘tougher‘ and ‘stronger‘ to succeed, but inspires and reminds the participating women of the powerful leadership qualities that they already have - their empathy, their sensitivity and their authenticity in the workplace.

  • After the session, participants will be able to “read” alpha power situations more easily. With concrete confidence tools, they will feel safer to express themselves as powerful women in the workplace.

    Most of all, participants will leave with a confidence boost and a perspective change on how much their feminine leadership skills are needed in every meeting to make their organisation stronger. Through the exchange of experience that the workshop provides, the safe space helps them to grow their confidence in their own leadership style as women.

    The result for your organisation: a healthier work environment, more women colleagues in their full potential - and perhaps some men as well…

  • Be it for an empowering 90-minute Lunch Time Session or an entire Women Leadership Away-Day: as your host I create a safe space for the women in your organisation to openly share their experience, learn from each other and leave empowered, inspired and with concrete tools on how to feel more confident as women leaders in challenging professional situations.

    Format: Group format. 6 participants or more.

    Online or in person, depending on your needs.

    Length: 90-120 minutes. The workshop can also be extended to a half-day or full-day format, for example a Women Leadership Away-Day.

    Fees start from 2500 Euros for an online workshop. Get in touch to request a tailor-made quote that works perfectly for your plans and your organisation.

Helene Banner Stop Saying Sorry Training // Credit Alexander Eriksson : BI Norwegian Business School.jpg

Stop Saying “Sorry” Training: Confident communication strategies for women in the workplace

“Sorry, I just wanted to…”. Many women tend to say “sorry” to come across as polite - but the word "sorry" can make us look small although we are strong women. This Leadership Workshop uses the word “sorry” as a symbol to give women the permission back to claim more space in meetings and in their written communication. It is a powerful communication training that provides concrete language examples, but also a safe space to exchange experience and encouragement so that we no longer hold our powerful contributions back.

  • Participants will grow their awareness on their language in meetings and the space they are able to take including their boundaries.

    Participants will receive powerful language tools and examples that will make them feel more confident in meetings.

    Participants will learn communication techniques which will support them in feeling unapologetically comfortable with taking more space in meetings and in their written communication.

    The approach

    Rather than trying to make women ‘tougher’ and ‘harder’, i.e. more like men, to succeed, Helene Banner’s “authentic leadership” approach inspires and reminds women of the powerful leadership qualities that they already have - their empathy, their sensitivity and their authenticity in the workplace.

  • After the workshop, participants will have a new perspective on their feminine leadership strengths and will feel easier about showing them in their professional role.

    And that’s what we need in our organisations: women leaders who dare to be in their authentic, feminine power - unapologetically!

    The workshop provides a safe space to start building self-worth independently from “what other people may think”.

  • Be it for an empowering 90-minute Lunch Time Session or an entire Women Leadership Away-Day: as your host I create a safe space for the women in your organisation to openly share their experience, learn from each other and leave empowered, inspired and with concrete tools on how to feel more confident as women leaders in challenging professional situations.

    Format: Group format. 6 participants or more.

    Online or in person, depending on your needs.

    Length: 90-120 minutes. The workshop can also be extended to a half-day or full-day format, for example a Women Leadership Away-Day.

    Fees start from 2500 Euros for an online workshop.

    Get in touch to request a tailor-made quote that works perfectly for your plans and your organisation.

Public Speaking Secrets for Women: Owing the room for presentations and speeches

How to speak confidently on panels, in meetings and in presentations, sometimes as the only woman in a conference? How to overcome the nervousness, how to prepare for important presentations, difficult questions and ‘black-out’ moments? In this Women Leadership Training, Keynote Speaker and former speechwriter Helene Banner supports women to grow their public speaking confidence and to “own the room'“ with their authentic speaking style.

  • After an inspiring input by keynote speaker and former EU speechwriter Helene Banner, the participants will receive:

    • Presentation strategies and behind-the-scenes secrets to own a meeting room as a female speaker with a powerful contribution, a clear message and inner confidence;

    • Concrete tools to address self-doubt, imposter syndrome and pressure when preparing important presentations;

    • A powerful encouragement to make their voice heard, with a safe space to exchange experiences and ask questions.

  • Instead of classic women empowerment trainings that aim to teach women how to become ‘tougher‘ and ‘stronger‘ to succeed, Helene Banner’s authentic women leadership workshops and programmes are designed to inspire and remind the participating women to lead with the powerful qualities that they already have - their empathy, their sensitivity and their authenticity in the workplace.

  • Be it for an empowering 90-minute Lunch Time Session or an entire Women Leadership Away-Day: as your host I create a safe space for the women in your organisation to openly share their experience, learn from each other and leave empowered, inspired and with concrete tools on how to feel more confident as women leaders in challenging professional situations.

    Format: Group format. 6 participants or more.

    Online or in person, depending on your needs.

    Length: 90-120 minutes. The workshop can also be extended to a half-day or full-day format, for example a Women Leadership Away-Day.

    Fees start from 2500 Euros for an online workshop.

    Get in touch to request a tailor-made quote that fits your plans and your organisation.

 

3-month Authentic Leadership Programme for Women

Lead the change in your organisation by supporting powerful women over 3 months: I designed a fully-fledged in-house „Authentic Women Leaders“ programme to intimately accompany 6-12 women in your organisation to confidently drive impact in a challenging, sometimes male-dominated senior work environment, to grow their belief in themselves and to build their very own definition of success for their career: in their authentic leadership style.

This 3-month programme is more than a seminar: it is an experience that profoundly changes the participants’ perspectives on how powerful they already are.

  • The power of this programme lies in the experience that participants make over 3 months in Leadership Trainings, group exercises and 1-1 mentoring support:

    ● The participants grow their awareness and confidence in the strengths they already have and in the immense value they will contribute to their organisation when they feel confident to show them.

    ● The participants receive concrete tools to build their confidence and self-belief, to remain confident in challenging work environments and to re-write their own success story as women leaders for their individual career milestones.

    ● In this safe space of the Leadership programme, participants experience a training ground to express themselves and a powerful group dynamic that contributes to strengthening the team bond within your organisation.

  • ● Kick-Off Conference: “Growing as a woman, inspiring as a leader“ (in person or online)

    Confidence and Leadership Skills Training and group experiences as an invitation to re-discover your feminine leadership skills

    ● 5 Leadership Skills Group Training Sessions over 3 months (online via Zoom):

    • The Powerful Woman you already are: Growing your leadership confidence from within through self-awareness of your feminine superpowers in your work

    • Taking space as a powerful woman leader: Stop saying “sorry” Training - The power of knowing your needs and expressing boundaries

    • “The only woman in the room” Training: Leading confidently in challenging, male-dominated professional situations

    • Public Speaking Secrets for Women: Tools by a keynote speaker to own the room as a woman in presentations, on panels and in meetings

    • Your Career Vision and Goals: An inspiring session on designing your career goals around your „why“ to create purpose

    ● Closing Conference: “Shaping the future Her Way“ (in person or online)- Creating a vision for the Powerful Woman you want to become

    Additional option: Two individual Coaching Calls per participant to support the participants’ personal and professional development throughout the programme (recommended for sustainable results for each participant)

    ● Full framing of the 3-month programme by Helene Banner, incl.

    • supporting your organisation in setting up and communicating the programme internally;

    • Opening questionnaire before start of the programme

    • Inspiring training input and work materials at each session

    • taking account of each participant’s goals for the programme and their individual progress, weaving their development into the programme’s content

    • Closing Conference recognising each participant’s milestones based on their programme journey

    • Recordings of both sessions provided and stored for 12 months

    • Close coordination with your organisation throughout the programme

  • This programme is a powerful empowerment of the women in your organisation - let us tailor it to their needs.

    Please get in touch to request a detailed PDF overview of the programme and book a call with Helene to request a quote tailored to your needs.

  • “It is most amazing course a woman can have, to feel more confident and have self compassion.”

    – Participant in Helene’s 3-month Authentic Women Leadership Programme hosted for GIZ in Egypt (German Development Agency)

  • “It is a distinct program from a traditional leadership program in that it supports women in male-dominated cultures and helps them grow by breaking down all barriers within their personality in order to shine in their career path.”

    – Participant in the 3-month Authentic Women Leadership Programme hosted for GIZ in Egypt (German Development Agency)

  • “This was an excellent event. I was very surprised how quickly everyone opened up about their experiences and also how similar all our experiences are.”

    – Participant in the “Authentic Leadership Day” at the Moorings in Jersey, Channel Islands

  • “The program exceeded my expectations. I thought it’s going to be a normal/boring course, but it ended up to be a life changing experience.”

    – Participant in Helene’s 3-month Authentic Women Leadership Programme hosted for GIZ in Egypt (German Development Agency)

  • “Helene’s course helped me break through my limiting beliefs so that I could really begin to feel my own self worth and value. This new mindset has increased my confidence, lessened my anxieties and helped me to feel more at peace in the day-to-day. Wish I'd taken this course 20 years earlier!” 

    – Maria, participant in Helene’s online omen leadership course

  • “Excellent. Helene was extremely kind, engaging and informative through the session. The informal discussions were open and honest. Great examples and tips to ‘change the narrative’ and give us the confidence to be more ‘a Women’ in the workplace.”

    – Participant in the “Authentic Leadership Day” at the Moorings in Jersey, Channel Islands

  • “Helene is a really inspiring woman - her background speaks for itself! I believe that she can help you to fall in love with yourself again - she really helped me realize how insanely powerful I am!” 

    – Sophia, participant in Helene’s online women leadership course

  • “I am so glad I made the decision to join Helene's course. I learned that it's ok to just be me, no matter what my circumstances. I (...) built up my self worth and gained confidence while supported by an amazing group of women sharing their stories and challenges. Most of all I now know that I am enough & deserve more. Thank you so much Helene”

    – Christine, participant in Helene’s online women leadership course

"I stopped saying 'sorry'."

"I recognize myself."

"I feel more confident."

"Have my own leadership style"

"I stopped saying 'sorry'." "I recognize myself." "I feel more confident." "Have my own leadership style"

"I support other women in my organization and understand them"

"I know now: what I have to offer is valuable."

"I support other women in my organization and understand them" "I know now: what I have to offer is valuable."

"I began to express my feelings confidently towards my boss and I received very positive results."

"Be more ‘Me’ unashamedly - my female superpower"

"I began to express my feelings confidently towards my boss and I received very positive results." "Be more ‘Me’ unashamedly - my female superpower"

Let us work together to support the women in your organisation to unfold their full potential.

Many women managers are “bilingual”….

…they speak the “language of power” of men, but they also have their own leadership style.

In my Authentic Leadership Workshops and 3-month programmes, women learn how to “read” these languages of power, to feel more confident in their feminine strengths and to find their very own, authentic leadership voice as women leaders.

 

Organisations that recently booked Women Leadership Trainings with Helene

Your facilitator: Helene Banner

 

Helene founded her business „Let’s Just Be Imperfect, Ladies“ in 2020 to inspire more women to bring their feminine leadership style to their workplace - because empathy, emotional intelligence and vulnerability are so much needed in board room work cultures. 

In her Women Leadership and Mentoring Programmes, she supports women and men working in alpha-dominated work environments to find their confidence in their authentic leadership style and in their own definition of success.

Prior to her entrepreneurial life, Helene worked as a senior communication advisor at the European Commission in Brussels and Berlin for 10 years. She was an EU spokesperson and later a speechwriter for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In summer 2019, she advised Ursula von der Leyen in the weeks when she became the first female President of the European Commission in history. 

As a speaker and workshop host for organisations ranging from the Oxford Union Society, the German government, law firms and private sector champions, she brings male and female leaders together for a more open, transparent and diverse work culture in their organisations. 

Helene is also a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges.

More detailed bio

Get in touch to truly empower the women in your team.

What do you need for your colleagues? Be it for an in-person workshop, an online training or 3-month in-house programme - I am looking forward to working with you.