Start with ice-breakers that have participants ask each other unusual questions that you supply on a card, such as, "When have you most deserved a prize for your negotiation skills?" or " If you were awarded a medal for bravery, what would it be for?" This helps the group get to know each other better. Ask the group to write down five things that they feel are important in leadership. Discuss what they have written and then have them put the list aside.
Start with the first topic, which is delegation. Good leaders need to delegate, however, during the process of becoming a good leader, people tend to do everything themselves to make sure it is done properly. There comes a point where delegation is necessary. It may be hard to let go, especially if it is your own business, but if you do not you may become overwhelmed. Emphasize this point repeatedly; some role-play situations work well here.
Move on to team-building. You could use Dr. R. Meredith Belbin's team roles theory, which splits a team into nine different types. Each individual completes a test to discover which one of the nine team roles they match. For example, a "Shaper" is motivated, energetic, achievement-driven, assertive and competitive. A "Monitor-Evaluator" is a serious, prudent, analytical critical thinker. Belbin's theory demonstrates that if you have all nine categories in a team, it will be almost the perfect team. However, by taking the test yourself and having your team take it, you will know what type of team members you have and can work with them more effectively.
Using a whiteboard, list the13 mistakes leaders make. This method was created by Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall while interviewing men returning from war. In his book, "The Officer as a Leader," Marshall developed the 13 mistakes leaders make, based on his "after-action interviews." Ask the women if they feel they have ever made these mistakes. Discuss how to change their behavior to improve their relationship with their teams.
Talk about how change affects the women. Ask them about changes in their company and how they handled them. Discuss their lives and whether they are open to new experiences and meeting people from different cultures and countries. Explain that being closed to change and new opportunities does not make for a good leader. Refer to Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Ask them to try something new to take them out of their comfort zone.
Close the session by asking the women to write a list of five things they feel are important in leadership. They should check this new list against the list they wrote at the beginning of the session. This will establish in their minds the effectiveness of your presentation and whether they need to change their mindset.