The Conscious Caring Leadership (CCL4) Cohort
A Live Virtual Experience
A transformational peer learning experience where leaders grow together through coaching, reflection, accountability, and practice.
Where Are You Stuck as a Leader?
You've worked hard to become a capable leader. You know how to communicate professionally, solve problems, manage projects, and support your team. Yet somewhere along the way, leadership became heavier than you expected.
You find yourself replaying difficult conversations long after they've ended. You hesitate before giving honest feedback. You struggle to hold people accountable without feeling guilty. You carry your team's emotions home with you. You overthink decisions, avoid conflict, question yourself, and wonder why leading people feels so much harder than managing the work.
Here's what many leaders eventually discover:
The challenge isn't that you don't know enough.
It's that leadership eventually asks more of who you are than what you know.
That's where most leadership development stops.
Most programs teach communication, delegation, coaching, conflict resolution, and strategic planning. Those skills matterābut skills alone don't transform leaders. Lasting leadership requires something deeper: greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, personal reflection, and the ability to lead yourself before leading anyone else.
The Conscious Caring Leadership Cohort (CCL4) is a five-month leadership development experience designed for emerging and mid-level leaders who want to grow from the inside out. Through coaching, peer learning, guided reflection, practical application, and the Conscious Caring Leadership Framework, you'll strengthen not only your leadership skillsābut the person behind them.
Because the greatest limitation to your leadership is rarely your knowledge. It's the version of yourself you're leading from.
Why Conscious Caring Leader Is Different
We don't just develop leaders. We develop the human being who leads.
Many leadership programs focus on external performanceācommunication techniques, management strategies, productivity, and execution.
Those things matter.
But exceptional leadership begins long before the conversation, the meeting, or the decision.
- It begins with how you think.
- How you respond under pressure.
- How you regulate your emotions.
- How you build trust.
- How you challenge your assumptions.
- How you care for yourself while caring for others.
At Conscious Caring Leader, we believe every leadership challenge is also a personal development opportunity.
That's why our framework integrates both leadership skillset and leadership mindset.
You'll strengthen your ability to:
- Lead with emotional intelligence instead of reaction.
- Build influence instead of relying on authority.
- Navigate conflict with confidence and compassion.
- Make thoughtful, values-based decisions.
- Create psychologically safe, accountable teams.
- Sustain your own well-being while leading others.
Because before you become a better leader for your organization, you must become a stronger leader of yourself.
That's the difference.
That's Conscious Caring Leadership.
The program is truly beneficial, offering invaluable insights for everyone at our organization, no matter their role. The most enriching aspect was the sense of community... It's a program that genuinely enhances the quality of leadership.
Elijah Foulks
Early Care & Learning Council
I came to a point in my career where I felt stagnant. This coaching program helped me develop personally and professionally. I gained clarity in my life and for my future. I have now reached that next level in my career.
Ineatha Woods
Human Resource Manager
CCL4 is Designed for Leaders Who Have...
A Peer Contribution Mindset
You are ready to actively engage in discussions, share professional experiences and challenges, and contribute to the collective learning and development of the cohort.
5-10 Years of Experience
You are an emerging or established manager, program leader or department head who is preparing for greater leadership responsibility and influence within your organization.
Ambition to Advance
You desire to grow from being a strong individual contributor or manager into a leader who inspires trust, influences others, and creates meaningful impact.
Meet Your Facilitators
Tirza Barnes
Creator & Lead Facilitator/Coach
The Conscious Caring Leadership Framework was developed by Tirza Barnes, whose two decades of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations have shaped her approach to developing people-centered leaders. As a leadership consultant, facilitator, and executive coach, she has designed and delivered leadership development experiences for nonprofits, workforce organizations, and community leaders across the country. Conscious Caring Leadership represents the culmination of her workācombining practical leadership strategies with personal transformation to help leaders build healthier teams and stronger organizational cultures. Tirza is known for telling the truth with grace. Her engaging, interactive style creates an atmosphere of trust where leaders feel comfortable being vulnerable, challenged to think differently, and empowered to grow into the leaders they were meant to be.
Mahdi Davenport
Co-Creator & Lead Facilitator/Coach
Mahdi Davenport is the Co-Creator and Lead Facilitator of the Conscious Caring Leadership Framework and Cohort. With more than 35 years of experience in leadership development and DEIB, Mahdi has coached, trained, and mentored thousands of leaders across nonprofit, corporate, government, and international settings. His work is rooted in the belief that sustainable leadership begins with self-awareness, authenticity, and a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions.
As a trusted leadership coach and facilitator, Mahdi brings decades of experience helping individuals and organizations cultivate inclusive cultures, strengthen relationships, and lead with greater purpose, courage, and humanity.
Mahdi is known for his remarkable gift for saying exactly what needs to be heard. His thought-provoking insights often stop leaders in their tracksāinviting a moment of reflection so profound it shifts not only the way they think, but the way they experience themselves.
Your Peer Cohort Journey
As leaders intentionally practice the CCL4 Framework, they experience meaningful transformationāstrengthening their capacity to lead themselves, inspire others, and create healthier, higher-performing teams and organizations.
Shared Experience, Rapid Learning
Connect with fellow leaders facing similar challenges in a high-trust, curated environment designed for accelerated growth.
Reflective Space, Renewed Perspective
Slow down to speed up through structured sessions designed for deep introspection and fresh ways of looking at leadership hurdles.
New Ideas, Stronger Connections
Cross-pollinate strategies and gain fresh perspectives from diverse leadership backgrounds while building a lasting professional network.
The CCL4 Framework
The CCL4 Framework centers on four essential areas of practice that cultivate the mindset, behaviors, and leadership capacity required to become a Conscious Caring Leader.
Self-Aware
Emotional intelligence, integrity,and values-based communication
Solution-Focused
Evidence-based decisions, initiative,and disciplined execution
Free-Thinking
Adaptability, collaboration, anda client-first perspective
Influential
Mentorship, trust-building, andsustaining mission-driven culture
Learning Methods
Leadership growth is fueled by experience, reflection, and intentional practice. Our learning methodsare designed to help leaders apply new insights in real time, creating meaningful and lasting change
Interactive Workshops
Action-Learning Projects
Peer Coaching Circles
Leadership Coaching &Consultation Sessions
Executive Leadership Panels &Guest Experts
Core Curriculum
Our curriculum develops the whole leader through three integrated areas of practice that
build lasting confidence, influence, and organizational impact.
Professional Development
- ā Self-Management
- ā Self-Advocacy
- ā Leadership Approach
- ā Communication Style
- ā Balancing Work and Life
- ā Career Advancement
Internal Team Development
- ā Building and Leading a Team
- ā Relational-Management
- ā Delegation and Accountability
- ā Empowerment and Motivation
- ā Coaching & Supervision
- ā Conflict Management and Negotiation
Strategic Development
- ā Visioning, Goal-Formulation, and Strategic Planning
- ā Efficient Time and Project Supervision
- ā Developing Informed Choices and Confident Decisions
- ā Navigating Change and Uncertainties with Confidence
Each session of the program was thoughtfully planned and impactful, providing us with practical skills that we could immediately apply the very next day.
Jessica Pierre
Center for Court Innovation
Tirza has a gift for creating honest conversations that lead to real growth. I'm more self-aware, more confident, and better equipped to support my team.
Executive Leader
Workforce Development Program
Questions That Change Leaders
The most effective leaders remain curious. They pause before reacting, reflect before deciding, and ask better questions before taking action.Throughout the program, we'll explore leadership questions that deepen your thinking and strengthen your decision-making.
Who am I becoming as a leader?
What do people experience when they experience me?
How do I lead with both courage and compassion in moments that matter most?
We Train for Awakening ā Not Just Skill
Adaptive Leadership & Change Management
Navigating complexity and leading teams through organizational shifts.
Executive Coaching & Career Development
Personalized pathways for senior-level growth and advancement.
Organizational Culture & DEI
Building inclusive environments where diverse perspectives thrive.
Personal Assessment
Deep analysis of leadership style, followed by Team & Peer Evaluation.
Transformative Outcomes
As leaders embrace the CCL4 Framework, they develop the personal and professional capabilities that drive sustainable leadership and healthier workplace cultures.
Deepened Self-Awareness
A profound understanding of your strengths and areas for growth.
Empowered Team Dynamics
The ability to build high-trust, high-performance environments.
Strategic Impact & Influence
Expanded capacity to drive initiatives and influence stakeholders.
Sustainable Leadership Practices
Practices that prevent burnout and foster long-term career fulfillment.
This training gave me language for what I've always felt but couldn't express. I now know how to hold people accountable with care and still protect my own boundaries.
Director
Nonprofit Program
The reflection activities were powerful. They pushed me to see how my triggers show up at work and how I can choose a calmer, more intentional response.
Program Director
Community-Based Nonprofit
Leadership Resources & Toolkit
Tools That Support Your Growth Beyond the Cohort
Leadership development doesn't end when a session concludes. The Conscious Caring Leadership Toolkit provides practical resources, personalized feedback, and ongoing support to help you apply what you've learned long after the program ends.
Digital Resource Hub
Access session recordings, presentation slides, leadership tools, templates, and supplemental resources for up to three months following the completion of the program.
360Ā° Leadership Assessment Summary
Receive a personalized summary of feedback from your manager, peers, and direct reports, providing valuable insights into your leadership strengths, growth opportunities, and overall leadership presence.
Leadership Toolkit
Gain access to practical conversation guides, coaching frameworks, reflection exercises, and leadership templates designed to support everyday leadership challenges.
Certificate of Completion
Celebrate your commitment to professional growth with a certificate recognizing your successful completion of the Conscious Caring Leadership Cohort.
Personalized Letter of Recommendation (Upon Request)
Participants may request a personalized letter highlighting their commitment to leadership development, engagement in the program, and demonstrated growth throughout the cohort.
Post-Program Leadership Reunions
Reconnect with fellow cohort members through ongoing alumni gatherings to continue learning, exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and strengthen your leadership network.
A Lasting Leadership Community
Graduation isn't the end of your journey. As a Conscious Caring Leadership alumnus, you'll remain connected to a growing network of leaders committed to supporting one another and advancing conscious, caring leadership within their organizations.
Program Structure and Schedule
CCL4 is built for Practice, Reflection, and Real-World Application. Each month is intentionally structured to help leaders learn new concepts, apply them in the workplace, reflect on their experiences, and return with new challenges and insights. This cycle of learning and practice creates meaningful, sustainable leadership growth.
Twice-Monthly Cohort Meetings
Virtual sessions held every other week provide consistent opportunities for learning, reflection, coaching, and accountability.
Each session balances leadership development with practical application, ensuring leaders leave with both insight and action.
Leadership Development
Research-based concepts, practical frameworks, and facilitated discussions.
Leadership Coaching
Small-group coaching and reflection centered on real workplace challenges.
Leadership Consulting
Expert guidance to help participants apply learning directly to their teams, organizations, and career goals.
Peer Learning & Accountability
Meaningful conversations with fellow leaders who provide perspective, encouragement, and shared accountability.
Fall 2026 Cohort Dates
September
8 & 22
Kick-off
October
6 & 20
Deep Dive
November
3 & 17
Skill Building
December
1 & 15
Integration
January
5 & 19
Advanced
All sessions: 9:30 AM ā 12:30 PM EST, held virtually via Zoom
Pricing for the Conscious Caring Leadership Cohort
Organizational Cohort
Investment begins at $45,000 for cohorts of up to 15 leaders.
Every engagement is customized based on organizational goals, number of participants, coaching needs, and assessment requirements.
Schedule a Time to Meet with TirzaWhat Our Participants Say
"The program is truly beneficial... It's a program that genuinely enhances the quality of leadership and creates a more compassionate, connected workplace."
"Tirza has a gift for creating honest conversations that lead to real growth. I'm more self-aware, more confident, and better equipped to support my team."
"This was unlike any leadership training I've attended. It wasn't theory - it was practice. I walked away with tools I use every day with my staff."
"This program taught me to slow down and listen - really listen - to my team. I'm seeing more collaboration and less tension because I'm leading with empathy instead of fear."
"This training gave me language for what I've always felt but couldn't express. I now know how to hold people accountable with care and still protect my own boundaries."
"The reflection activities were powerful. They pushed me to see how my triggers show up at work and how I can choose a calmer, more intentional response."
"I came to a point in my career where I felt stagnant. This coaching program helped me develop personally and professionally. I gained clarity in my life and for my future. I have now reached that next level in my career."
"Each session of the program was thoughtfully planned and impactful, providing us with practical skills that we could immediately apply the very next day."
"This experience helped me to grow as a manager and strengthened my communication skills, teaching me to be influential and solution-focused while staying true to my values."
"The communication workshop deepened my understanding of active listening, teaching me how to communicate more effectively. I'm now more focused on ensuring others feel seen, valued, and heard."
"I plan to immediately apply what I learned, focusing on having conversations free of assumptions and using open-ended questions... show they're truly heard and valued."
"I enjoyed learning that the program isn't about changing people but helping them recognize their own need to change. It's a truly empowering coaching style."
"The program is a powerful tool for negotiation. I enjoyed learning about what drives people to grow and change, and I'm eager to apply these tools in my work."
"I really loved the communication workshop; it offered invaluable tips for both work and life. The role-play scenarios were especially engaging."
"The diverse learning experience and wisdom from the facilitators made this program truly exceptional."
"The most important thing I walked away with after coaching with Tirza was confidence. Confidence in my abilities as a professional and confidence in knowing that what I have is enough to turn my dreams into reality."
"Participating in the program gave me not just tools and tips but a supportive community that truly enhanced my management skills."
