In-person workshop · Dubai
Limited to 20 women only!
Louder is not clearer.
The Inside-Out Executive Presence Workshop
For women in middle management who want to be seen, heard and ready for senior leadership.
With Wardah Harharah, FCIPD, ICF-PCC
Former C-Suite Leader · Etihad · Airbnb · Louis Vuitton
1,000+ senior leaders coached in the GCC and globally
- Light bites & drinks
- Complimentary valet
- Bring a colleague or friend: 2 tickets for AED 750
ManagersSenior ManagersFunctional LeadsDepartment HeadsProgramme Leaders
You’re Ready for More. But Do Others See It?
You already carry leadership responsibility. Your capability is already proven. But at this level, you’re no longer judged on technical expertise alone. You’re judged on how you show up and lead through ambiguity, communicate with clarity and influence decisions with senior leaders, peers and teams.
And the feedback you keep hearing is that you need to improve your executive presence.
What you've been told
What most people think executive presence is… and why it's wrong.
In Sylvia Ann Hewlett's research with senior leaders, appearance counted for just 5% of executive presence. Gravitas counted for 67%, communication for 28%.Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Executive Presence (Harper Business, 2014)
You don't need to be louder to be seen.
When you're told you need more executive presence, it's easy to assume it means being louder, talking more, or becoming someone you're not.
And you don't want that. You want to stay true to your values and be recognised for the work you do.
So you keep your head down and deliver, trusting your manager to notice. But when the appraisal cycle comes, your name isn't on the list. Instead, you watch someone less qualified, but more visible, step into the role you were ready for.
It leaves you frustrated and second-guessing yourself.
“What if I'm not good enough?”
“What if I'm not qualified for this role?”
These what-ifs are why you:
- 01Hesitate in meetings, even when you're prepared
- 02Wait until you're 100% ready before going for the role
- 03Don't ask for the promotion you've already earned
But you don't need to become someone you're not to reach the next level.
You need presence built from the inside out, on three pillars:
Know who you are
Speak up with confidence, grounded in what you stand for.
Position your impact
Articulate your impact strategically, in the language senior leaders understand.
Be known where it matters
Make your contribution visible to the people who decide your next role.
Meet Wardah
Wardah Harharah
Former C-Suite Leader · Etihad, Airbnb, Louis Vuitton · Founder & CEO, The Human Experience Management Consultancy · Creator of The Inside Out™ Method · Author of And So We Lead · ICF-PCC
For most of my career, I was the only woman in the room. When I reached the C-suite, I realised what holds most women back is never capability. It's self-belief.
I've watched brilliant women hold themselves back while others put themselves forward long before they felt ready. That's why I built this workshop: to help capable women stop doubting what they bring, and lead with the confidence, presence and visibility that make them ready for senior leadership.
In their words
What leaders say about working with Wardah
She never tried to change who I am as a leader. Instead, she helped me understand myself, reconnect with my values, and lead with greater confidence and clarity.
I came in wanting to grow. I left changed. … I became more grounded under pressure, more intentional in my decisions, and more aware of my impact.
Her belief in my potential helped me overcome self-doubt and dare to dream bigger. … The confidence I built as a result helped me move into a Director role in the fintech sector.
How the afternoon runs
This isn't a lecture. You'll practise it.
Look inside
Use your Values Blueprint to uncover the values that drive you and the beliefs that make you second-guess yourself.
Step into the room
Practise being challenged by a senior leader, talked over, or pitching under pressure. Get feedback and go again.
Learn from peers
Share real challenges with 20 women who lead teams across sectors, and hear how they handle the same pressures.
Commit to one change
Name one strength, one development need and one action, then commit to it with a partner.
What you’ll walk away with
- You hesitate to speak up, second-guessing yourself in important momentsYou speak up with confidence, grounded in who you are and what you stand for
- You describe what you deliver, but the impact gets lostYou position your impact strategically, in the language senior leaders understand
- Your work is known only by your manager and teamYour contribution is visible to the people who decide your next role
- You wait until you’re 100% ready, or for someone to tell you that you areYou know what you want next, and you go for it with trust and conviction
- You hold back from asking for the promotion you’ve earnedYou ask for your next promotion with confidence, backed by the impact you can show
Sample report
Included with your ticket
The Inside-Out Values Mirror
An 8-minute online assessment before the workshop. A printed, personal Values Blueprint on the day.
Most of us can name our values. Far fewer can see the ones actually driving our behaviour. Your Blueprint shows you the gap, so the workshop can work on it with you.
- Your top five values and any hidden drivers
- How you want to show up compared with how you show up today
- Your values in action for confidence, communication and visibility
- One commitment for the two weeks after the workshop
Who this is for
This is for you if you are…
- A woman in middle management in any sector
- Accountable for a team, budget, decisions and outcomes
- Working regularly with senior leaders and stakeholders beyond your own team
- Ready to strengthen your voice, credibility and visibility
- Preparing for a broader role or the next level of leadership
Why now
Your 2027 promotion won't be decided by your manager alone.
At the end of the year, your name is discussed in a room full of senior leaders: your manager's manager, your manager's peers, leaders from other departments. Many of them have never worked with you.
I've sat in those rooms as a C-suite leader, and I've seen exactly what happens behind those closed doors.
If the people inside don't know you, the question is always:
"But what did she actually do?"
And if no one can answer it, the promotion you've worked so hard for goes to someone else. Sometimes someone less qualified, simply because they were more visible.
That's why you can't wait for your next performance review to build your visibility and presence. By then, the decision has already been shaped.
Start now, and walk into 2027 ready: clear on your impact, confident in how you communicate it, and known by the people who decide your next role.
Early bird ends 8 November
