Nita Singh Kaushal has led the creation, launch, and instruction of several highly-regarded courses at Stanford University and Stanford Continuing Studies including:
Succeeding in a complex and fast-moving organization requires you to carefully manage important relationships at all levels, including your boss, direct reports, colleagues, and key stakeholders (partners, customers, cross-functional team members). However, everyday demands, conflicting priorities, and unclear expectations can make it challenging to navigate and nurture these various relationships.
This course is designed to help professionals, managers, and individuals responsible for direct and indirect reports skillfully manage up, down, and across to attain business impact and career success. Specifically, we will explore the communication techniques, strategic lenses, and initiative required to achieve alignment and gain recognition from managers and leadership. We will also examine how to authentically build credibility and trust with direct and indirect reports so they feel empowered to deliver winning results and thrive professionally. Finally, we will discuss effective tactics to secure buy-in, respect, and support from peers and cross-functional stakeholders. This course will feature engaging lectures, interactive discussions and assignments, real-world case studies, and example scripts. Students will come away with a specialized and highly applicable set of leadership skills to establish a positive and meaningful career and legacy.
This course aims to empower women with valuable leadership skills necessary for navigating challenging workplace dynamics and creating future success. From a lack of institutional support and recognition to pay disparities and gender bias, women face a unique and complex set of challenges when it comes to advancing in the workplace. This course is specifically designed to equip professional women and allies with the skills to strengthen their own leadership toolkit and help create a workplace that supports women’s career advancement.
During this highly interactive two-day workshop, students will practice effectively communicating in professional settings, advocating for career-related goals, and securing buy-in from strategic stakeholders and decision-makers. Additionally, students will explore establishing trusted relationships with influential sponsors and implementing practical time management tactics to prioritize efforts and deliver meaningful results. Together, these skills can lead to career advancement and higher professional impact at all levels. This course will feature engaging lectures, classroom discussions, small-group activities, and individual feedback sessions with the instructor. Students will leave this transformative learning experience with personalized tools, scripts, and templates so they can harness their full professional potential.
In today’s workplace, women are underrepresented in many key fields and positions. Studies show that women hold just 20 percent of board seats and make up only 4.8 percent of S&P 500 CEOs. And an astounding 41 percent of women in technology leave the industry within ten years, largely because they face an inhospitable work culture or lack support. This course is designed to help women develop a leadership toolkit that lets them strategically re-engage with their careers and achieve long-term professional growth and satisfaction. Specifically, the course will help students cultivate a proactive and authentic leadership style by learning how to negotiate effectively, showcase their performance, advocate for themselves, and build strong relationships with key people across their organizations. In addition, students will discover how to leverage their individual strengths so they can serve as changemakers and positively influence their teams and their overall work environment. The course will feature real-world case studies as well as interactive assignments and discussions. Students will come away with highly actionable and practical tools that will help them grow into leadership positions in their given fields.
The goal of ENGR193 is to empower undergraduate and graduate students of all majors with an effective leadership toolkit (e.g. how to network, negotiate, advocate for yourself, assert influence, etc.) so they can successfully navigate upcoming academic and professional opportunities and launch a meaningful career after Stanford. The course highlights various professional perspectives by inviting prominent Stanford alumni and industry leaders to share their stories and explore a wide range of career options.
Negotiations can feel daunting, even for the most seasoned professional. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, twenty percent of women never negotiate at all, and those who do find their requests for advancement are perceived differently from men’s requests. But learning how to skillfully and confidently advocate for yourself is essential to succeeding in the workplace, navigating opportunities, and achieving meaningful goals. This course is designed to teach women how to develop a proactive and effective approach when it comes to negotiation. Specifically, students will learn how to adopt a winning attitude, improve their mindset, and implement valuable information gathering techniques in order to determine the right target. Students will also examine how thoughtful preparation and positioning can achieve constructive dialogue, creative problem-solving, and mutually beneficial outcomes. Furthermore, we will explore practical tactics for common professional scenarios, including negotiating offers, compensation, titles, responsibilities, projects, resources, and other opportunities. Designed for students who desire actionable and timely negotiation insights, this course will feature engaging lectures, interactive discussions, real-world case studies, scripts, and templates. Students will come away from this course with an empowering and impactful new skill in their leadership toolkit.
In this weekly seminar, SSEA students will learn practical leadership skills so they can successfully navigate academic and professional opportunities while at Stanford and achieve meaningful results. Mentorship and career exploration will also be delivered through an inspiring line up of guest speakers and interactive activities.