NBCU believes in continuous investment in the folks who call it home, and standout employees are able to access another opportunity to grow through the Leadership Executive Accelerator Program (LEAP).
The program is centered around four NBCU key principles: building a culture of respect; fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace; a dedication to development, education and advocacy; and encouraging creativity and innovation. It’s ultimately an investment in the company’s future leaders with participants engaging in expert-led workshops with topics ranging from personal branding to dealing with microaggressions.
“At NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships division, we partner directly with advertising clients and agencies to bring their stories to life through our content, IP and talent in order to drive media effectiveness,” NBCU VP, DEI Kimberly King says. “It is critical we foster inclusive leaders throughout the organization as that translates into the powerful work of advertisers and storytellers.” Across six months, they also receive four personalized, individual coaching sessions from career pathing technology firm Landit, equipping them with guidance on how to boost their unique set of leadership and professional skills.
This year, the selection process for LEAP was shaken up as the company challenged itself to continue expanding the definition of inclusion. King says the submission criteria includes a personal statement on the candidate’s commitment to inclusion, and a panel of judges chosen from the Talent & Development and DEI divisions as well as the LEAP peer mentors (alumni) follows a selection rubric to ensure fair, equitable and holistic evaluations. This revamped approach resulted in the highest engagement levels to date.
Those who move through and graduate from the program, otherwise known as LEAPers, don’t move through it alone. Instead, they’re placed at the center of what NBCU dubs their “Sphere of Influence” and are supported by their managers, peer mentors and internal participant sponsors. King says that allows the LEAPers to benefit from having a supportive coach or advocate across each of their touchpoints. “The intention is that with the right tools, our director-level talent can continue to build upon their learnings and deepen their relationships even after the LEAP program is completed,” King says.
Since it began, LEAP has supported more than 75 participants with alumni showing higher promotion rates than the organizational average. For those looking to create change through an L&D program in their company, King encourages demonstrating the business impact and results of programs like LEAP to more quickly gain understanding from key stakeholders and the wider community. “Investments in learning and development have a reverberating impact not only within the organization, but with the consumers and customers we serve,” she says.