Women In Industry Educating and Empowering Women in Business
Educating and empowering women is an essential element of the Rowland School of Business at Point Park University.
The Women In Industry (WIN) initiative exists to accelerate the success of women-identified students and professionals.
By leveraging university and community resources, we strive to engage leaders, effect conversations and encourage allyship through a variety of elevating experiences.
WIN Wednesdays
People-Centered Leadership - Empowering People, Performance and Engagement
All sessions are held virtually on Wednesdays from 12-1 p.m. EST, with links provided after registration | Register online
These sessions aim to give participants a comprehensive understanding of collaboration, preparing them to be effective collaborators and to facilitate effective collaboration within and across organizations.
Learn more about each session:
Leadership begins with mindset. As professionals transition from individual contributors to people leaders, success depends on more than technical expertise. It requires a new way of thinking about influence, relationships, and impact. In this foundational session, we'll explore the differences between leadership and management, examine how growth-oriented leaders inspire learning and innovation, and discuss the shift from transactional to transformational leadership. Participants will reflect on their leadership approach and establish a personal leadership intention to guide their learning throughout the series.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between management and leadership, recognizing the unique role people leaders play in influencing individuals and organizational success.
- Explain how growth-minded, transformational leadership supports learning, adaptability, and employee engagement.
- Assess their current leadership approach and establish personal leadership goals for continued development throughout the series.
Organizational culture isn't created by mission statements alone. Leaders shape it through everyday actions and decisions. This session explores how leaders intentionally cultivate positive workplace cultures grounded in trust, psychological safety, belonging, and shared purpose. Participants will examine how values show up in daily leadership behaviors and discover practical strategies for creating environments where individuals and teams can thrive.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain how leaders influence organizational culture through everyday behaviors, decisions, and interactions.
- Identify strategies for fostering trust, psychological safety, belonging, and inclusion within teams.
- Apply values-based leadership practices that strengthen workplace culture and align teams around a shared purpose.
Great leaders communicate with intention. They listen to understand, navigate difficult conversations with confidence, and adapt their communication to build trust across diverse individuals and teams. This session explores the communication skills that strengthen relationships, reinforce organizational culture, and support effective leadership. Participants will examine active listening, empathy, constructive feedback, and strategies for communicating across different generations, personalities, and communication styles.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate active listening and empathetic communication techniques that strengthen trust and engagement.
- Apply strategies to navigate challenging conversations and provide constructive feedback with confidence.
- Recognize how communication styles influence workplace relationships and adapt communication approaches to connect more effectively with diverse individuals and teams.
Effective leaders do more than evaluate performance. They develop people. This session focuses on coaching as a leadership practice that promotes accountability, continuous learning, and individual growth. Participants will explore strategies for setting meaningful goals, conducting coaching conversations, delivering objective feedback, and addressing conflict in ways that strengthen both performance and relationships.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Apply coaching techniques that support employee development, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Develop effective performance conversations using structured feedback models and goal-setting strategies.
- Identify approaches for addressing conflict constructively while maintaining trust and positive working relationships.
Empowered employees are more engaged, innovative, and committed to achieving shared goals. This session explores how leaders create the conditions for autonomy while maintaining accountability. Participants will examine strategies for communicating vision, delegating effectively, encouraging sound decision-making, and building trust that enables individuals and teams to perform at their highest potential without unnecessary oversight.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Distinguish between delegation and empowerment, recognizing how each contributes to individual and organizational success.
- Apply strategies that promote autonomy, accountability, and confident decision-making within teams.
- Identify leadership behaviors that build trust, reduce micromanagement, and encourage employee ownership and initiative.
Highly engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and committed to organizational success. This concluding session explores how leaders foster motivation by creating meaningful work, recognizing contributions, supporting employee well-being, and ensuring individuals have the resources they need to succeed. Participants will examine practical approaches for strengthening engagement, improving retention, and sustaining high performance over time.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the factors that influence employee motivation, engagement, and long-term commitment.
- Identify strategies for recognizing contributions, supporting well-being, and reducing burnout within teams.
- Develop approaches for creating meaningful work environments that empower individuals and sustain high performance.
WIN Lunchtime Book Club
Join us as we explore women authors and characters that expand our worldview. The 2026-2027 season will explore different genres to broaden our perspectives! Sessions are open to everyone.
- Sept. 18: "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain and "James" by Percival Everett (Comparison of the literary classic to the new perspective)
- Oct. 16: "The Astral Library" by Kate Quinn (Urban Fantasy and Magical Realism)
- Nov. 20: "Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah (Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Drama and Romance)
- Dec. 18: "The Autobiography of Santa Claus" by Jeff Guinn (Speculative and Holiday Fiction)
- Jan. 15: "The Yellow Bird Sings" by Jennifer Rosner (Historical Fiction Holocaust from a different perspective)
- Feb. 19: "The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction and Contemporary
- March 19: To be determined!
- April 16: "In Case I Go Missing" by R.N. Swann (Pittsburgh Author and Thriller)