Our Conference Future of Work for Women - Prague 2025. CHECK IT OUT!

Talking to Men

VIRTUAL STRATEGIC CAREER ACCELERATOR FOR WOMEN LEADERS:

Strategic Stakeholder Management for Career Growth

Turn any man in your team, organisation, and industry into a strategic ally, mentor, and sponsor so you can grow into top leadership with more purpose, ease, and grace.

January 30 - February 27, 2025
IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

Are You a Woman Working in a Predominantly Male Environment?

This is the Leadership Program for You!

Our world needs more wise women leaders. This reality is even more striking in predominantly male teams, organizations, industries, and work environments. 

 

Here is the data: Even though in Europe we have 60% of university graduates being women, only 7% of corporate CEOs are female, and only 8% of entrepreneurs are female founders and CEOs. 

 

Why this gap? 

 

Because the world of business and top leadership is still predominantly male. 

 

Now, if you are smart, and if you want to navigate this world with more ease and grace, all the while without losing your health, family, or your sanity, you need to learn how to collaborate wisely and how to co-create value shoulder to shoulder with men.

 

In other words, you need to become brilliant at TALKING TO MEN. 

 

If you’re a woman leader or aspiring leader active in a predominantly male environment, this is THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM OF THE YEAR for you. 

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

Do You Want to Be More Respected by the Men in Your Organization?

Join TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH, a unique leadership development program for women leaders and aspiring leaders active in predominantly male teams, organizations, and industries. 

 

Our program is dedicated to women who are: 

 

  1. Working and delivering value in a predominantly male company or industry: IT, energy, automotive, manufacturing, construction and real estate development, oil & gas, mining etc. 
  2. Team leaders of predominantly male teams.
  3. B-1 women leaders who aspire to grow into their company’s executive team, which is mostly made of men.
  4. C-Suite / executive team members and non-executive board directors who would like to learn the language of gentle influence, so they can drive more wise co-creation with their male colleagues.
  5. Active and aspiring women CEOs who strive to be respected by their executive team members, investors, shareholders, and all other organization stakeholders. 

 

Let’s find together the recipe for inspired action and dignified co-creation between women and men in the workplace. 

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

What You Get When You Join Talking to Men?

HERE IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DECIDE TO JOIN OUR UNIQUE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: 

 

  1. Instant access to our community THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE. This opens the vault to more than 10,000 EUR worth of video courses, CEO / BOARD / LEADERSHIP EXPERT / HEADHUNTER interviews, and workshop recordings for you. 
  2. A robust 10-module 57-lesson video course TALKING TO MEN: STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH that you can consume on your own time whenever you can. 
  3. Five (5) live 60 to 90-minute strategy leadership development and career acceleration calls & Q&A facilitated by our founder Cristina Muntean (check their detailed schedule below).
  4. Downloadable training, leadership development, and career management materials. 
  5. A complex self-reflection notebook. 
  6. Weekly self-reflective exercises / homework that will keep you focused, engaged, and on track. 
  7. An entire month of asynchronous mentoring, a concept patented and perfected by our founder Cristina Muntean, which will take place in a dedicated private space in our community on Circle. 
  8. Video and audio recordings of all live events.
  9. Weekly raffles and enticing prizes.
  10. One Grand Prize to be awarded at the end of our program to one of our most diligent and lucky students: A 6-session executive coaching and mentoring program NEVER WALK ALONE worth 5,000 EUR. 

 

By the end of this intense month-long program you will gain a new perspective on how to transform your relationship with men at work, a deeper understanding of men as strategic stakeholders for women leaders, and a capacity to notice complex emotional and behavior patterns, and to transform ANY MAN into a strategic ally, mentor, sponsor, and key driver of your leadership and career growth. 

And that is priceless.

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

Video Course Content

  1. 00

    Module 0: Welcome on Board!

    1. Lesson 1: Welcome to our virtual strategic career accelerator for women leaders TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH.
    2. Lesson 2: Why it is vital to learn how to communicate better with men leaders today.
    3. Lesson 3: How to get the most out of this leadership development program.
    4. Lesson 4: How this leadership development program fits within our wider community of practice for women leaders THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE.
  2. 01

    Module 1: Systemic Patterns Holding Us Back

    1. Lesson 1: Who and what shaped our current relationship with men?
    2. Lesson 2: Triangulation and how to overcome it at work.
    3. Lesson 3: Parentification and how to overcome it at work.
    4. Lesson 4: Further systemic patterns that may make our relation with men difficult at work and in our personal lives – and how to overcome them for our greater good.
    5. Lesson 5: My personal story and how it shaped who I am today.
  3. 02

    Module 2: How to Handle Personality at Work

    1. Lesson 1: Why emotional intelligence is our most important key to top leadership.
    2. Lesson 2: Are we, women, truly more emotionally intelligent than men?
    3. Lesson 3: How to handle men who are overly aggressive, passive, or critical.
    4. Lesson 4: How to handle men who are overly generous, ambitious, or intense.
    5. Lesson 5: How to handle men who are overly disconnected, fearful, or enthusiastic.
    6. Lesson 6: How to develop your emotional intelligence for a lifetime of co-creation with everyone in your ecosystem.
  4. 03

    Module 3: Men, Allies, Mentors, Sponsors

    1. Lesson 1: How to map your stakeholders to understand who is and who could be in your corner.
    2. Lesson 2: How to negotiate your leadership and career growth with your male stakeholders.
    3. Lesson 3: How to turn a man into an ally.
    4. Lesson 4: How to get a great man mentor.
    5. Lesson 5: How to navigate the tricky waters of sponsorship and to get not one, but several men sponsors for your leadership and career growth.
  5. 04

    Module 4: Communication and Influence Without Manipulation 

    1. Lesson 1: What is the difference between influence and manipulation?
    2. Lesson 2: Specifics of talking to men in top leadership. Why you need to learn to speak shortly, clearly, and to the point?
    3. Lesson 3: Listen more and ask the right questions.
    4. Lesson 4: Drive credibility and trust in all relationships.
    5. Lesson 5: Stop apologizing, hyper-adapting, and other behaviors that do you harm.
    6. Lesson 6: Built your internal network through strategic alliances.
  6. 05

    Module 5: Psychological Safety for All Genders at Work

    1. Lesson 1: What psychological safety is.
    2. Lesson 2: Psychological safety for men and women leaders.
    3. Lesson 3: How to drive more psychological safety by communicating your purpose and vision with clarity.
    4. Lesson 4: How to drive more psychological safety by communicating your values consistently.
  7. 06

    Module 6: How to Navigate Micro-agressions, Innuendo, and Sexism at Work 

    1. Lesson 1: What micro-aggressions are: interruptions, mansplaining, expectations of personal assistance etc.
    2. Lesson 2: Bias-powered behaviors and how to handle them wisely.
    3. Lesson 3: How to contain and eliminate micro-aggressions at work.
    4. Lesson 4: How to dismantle innuendo, consciously eliminate sexual projections and undertones, and create more safety for everyone at the table.
    5. Lesson 5: How to respond to sexism and sexual harassment.
    6. Lesson 6: How to recognize whether your company’s top leadership is truly ready for more women leaders.
  8. 07

    Module 7: Gender-powered Dillemas at Work

    1. Lesson 1: How to communicate with men at work and at home when you start outearning them?
    2. Lesson 2: How to communicate when you need your partner to become a stay-at-home dad?
    3. Lesson 3: How to communicate with men in your family and team when you plan to relocate abroad?
    4. Lesson 4: How to communicate with your spouse when you are trapped in his country and culture?
    5. Lesson 5: How to lay off men in a dignified way for everyone involved?
    6. Lesson 6: How to handle the Queen Bee syndrome when you are under attack by another woman?
    7. Lesson 7: How to respond when you suspect that your boss is a sociopath?
  9. 08

    Module 8: a Wise Woman Leader’s Guide to Navigating and Transforming Patriarchy

    1. Lesson 1: Understand yourself.
    2. Lesson 2: Know, hold on to, and communicate your North Star relentlessly.
    3. Lesson 3: Recognize and manage bias and stereotypes in yourself and others.
    4. Lesson 4: Lead wisely horizontally and vertically.
    5. Lesson 5: Don’t hesitate to manage up.
    6. Lesson 6: Make collaboration and co-creation the new status quo in your team, organization, industry, and in our world.
  10. 09

    Module 9: How We at Vornica® Can Help

    1. Lesson 1: How we can support you, the outstanding woman leader, to navigate your leadership, career, and cross-gender co-creation challenges.
    2. Lesson 2: How we can support your team.
    3. Lesson 3: How we can support your organization.
    4. Lesson 4: How we can support your DEI efforts and your entire organization.
    5. Lesson 5: Why it’s a great idea to stay and take a deep dive in the wider, transformational waters of our community of practice THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE.
    6. Lesson 6: Final Word.

Extra Surprise and Bonus: 12 Interviews With Wise Men Leaders

Do you really want to learn how to talk to men? Listen to what they have to say about communicating with women leaders and about what motivates them to become a strategic ally, mentor, and sponsor of women so we can thrive together in a collaborative co-created work environment.  

 

This time our leadership development program TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH brings you an extra surprise: 12 interviews with phenomenal men leaders from all over the world, conducted personally by Cristina Muntean between December 2023 and January 2024.

 

In these interviews men leaders tell you exactly what they notice and appreciate in communication with women leaders, and what motivates them to become engaged male allies for the women in their teams and organizations.  

Take a quick look at our wise men leaders who shared their experience and insights with us for this program: 

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

So, How Can You Join Our Career Accelerator Talking to Men?

Rubbing your hands already at the idea of attending our program and getting access to all the goodies we prepared for you? Let’s get you in 😊

 

Here is what you need to do to access our program: 

 

  • Apply HERE to check if you’re eligible to join us in our community THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE. 
  • Once your application is approved (within 24 hours), you will receive an email with a payment link for your yearly membership in our community and with further instructions. 
  • The price of our yearly Premium Community Membership is 797 EUR / 19 997 CZK + VAT.  
  • Once we receive your commitment to payment, you will receive an email from us with further instructions on how to access our community and your leadership development program.
IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

Save the Dates: Live Strategy Calls & Q&A

  • Thursday, January 30: 18.00 – 19.00 CET: Official Kick-off
  • Thursday, February 6: 18.00 – 19.30 CET: Module 0-2
  • Thursday, February 13: 18.00 – 19.30 CET: Module 3-4
  • Thursday, February 20: 18.00 – 19.30 CET: Module 5-6
  • Thursday, February 27: 18.00 – 19.30 CET: Module 7-9 and ROUND UP

 

All our live events take place on Zoom. Please make sure you have Zoom installed and updated on your desktop computer. We don’t recommend accessing our live calls from a mobile phone or while commuting – this will only decrease the quality of your learning experience.  

 

We can’t wait to meet you live during our strategy calls and Q&A.

What Our Members Say About Our Community and Our Programs?

Your Investment:

To access our virtual strategic leadership development and career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH you need to become a Premium Member in our community THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE. 

 

To become a member of our community THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE you need to:

 

  1. Apply HERE to check if you’re a great fit for us.
  2. Once approved, you will be invited to cover your yearly Premium Membership fee: 797 EUR or 19,997 CZK + VAT. 
  3. Once we receive your payment, you receive instructions on how to join our community and you can start accessing our program.

 

Your investment: 797 EUR / 19,997 CZK + VAT
Program market value: 5,000 EUR / 125,000 CZK

Roi: ≥ 10x.

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

See what our members have to say

  • I appreciate the thorough feedback from you, Cristina, very much. It’s so nice to see the constructive and thought-provoking feedback from other members as well.
    This a great insight into men’s influence over us, how we should conduct ourselves, dwelling in our own behavior and what gets to us and how should approach then to show them that we are not threats for them but an enrichment and enhancement of the companies. That we complement each other and can co-create.

    ~ Pavla Eaton, Project Manager, TSYS-Global Payments, UK

  • If this friend is more than 35, she knows 80% of the content from trainees in the companies or/and by experience. 20% related to stakeholder management is still a fruitful repetition. If she is younger than 35, please go ahead with it.

    ~ Farzaneh Abbaspourtorbati, Head of Data Science & Optimization, Fortum, Switzerland

  • If you participate, you’ll understand better what is happening to you every day at work.

    ~ Adina Balea, COO, red to blue, Romania

  • If you want to develop your career and grow in your current company and indirectly in your personal life, join us! Thank you for creating this wonderful space for women.

    ~ Ana-Maria Isar Lupu, Senior Training Consultant, Murex, France

  • The course is not really about talking to men; it’s about talking to everyone – successful communication and engagement with stakeholders.
    It was great to have the male ally interviews shared in public domain. I shared the link to those to a friend mid-course.

    ~ Outi Teräs, Head of Technology Commercialization, Chemical Recycling, Neste, Finland

  • Rather than talking about the program, I would ask her for her experience with male stakeholders and if I found that she is struggling with them, I would tell her to check out the web about it as it contains all the information she needs to decide.

    ~ Tereza Fukátková, Group Data Insights Manager, FEG, Czechia

  • I do believe that the onboarding process was excellent, and I find the website to be super intuitive. My experience has been fruitful, and I appreciate the effort put into making both aspects user-friendly and efficient.
    It is a strategic career accelerator program particularly designed for women leaders looking to enhance their communication and leadership skills in male-dominated environments. It provides a unique blend of practical strategies, insights, and tools tailored to help women effectively communicate, negotiate, and lead in diverse workplace settings. ‘Talking to Men’ comes together with a community providing full support from women leaders who share experiences, exchange ideas, and offer mutual support throughout the program.
    I love asynchronous mentoring, feedback, and guidance received under the post sharing.

    ~ Alexandra Serban, Senior Finance Professional, SAP, Czechia

  • I attended the accelerator “Talking to Men” and it proved to be an invaluable experience, challenging me to step out of my comfort zone and engage in meaningful reflection and self-awareness exercises. It started with a good dose of diagnosis before jumping into action points and tools. Emphasis was placed on identifying and understanding biases (from others and our owns); mapping difficult situations/stakeholders; strategizing approaches from objectivity, assertiveness and confidence; and equipping attendees with practical tools and mechanisms for effective communication.

    One of the program’s most commendable aspects is its blend approach with structured exercises; set-reflection book; continuous async feedback and mentoring; live calls with break-out rooms; and interviews from men allies sharing their perspective from the other side of the table. All in a safe yet stimulating environment for ambitious women to refine their communication skills and navigate male-dominated spaces with assurance and authenticity.

    Overall, the “Talking to Men” accelerator is a must for ambitious women seeking to excel in leadership roles. Its challenging yet supportive environment, emphasis on self-awareness, and provision of practical tools make it a valuable investment for professional growth and development.

    ~ Vanda Patricia Vieira Vicente, Project Manager, Insud Pharma, Spain / Turkey

  • You remember your conversation/issue/X with Person X?’ – See! You must attend this! 🙂 I’ve been trying to get some women in my network (work, LinkedIn, friends) in, and they potentially see value but are set back because of price (joining the community).

    ~ Emel Idriz, Senior Manager Business Strategy & Transformation, Pricefx, Czechia

  • After this course, you will understand better the men around you and probably to you as well. Thanks to Cristina’s feedback, you can find answers to some of your questions about men and how to cooperate with them.

    ~ Olga Pincová, Co-founder & Head of Marketing MoyaKybeon, Czechia

Who Will Facilitate Your Program Talking to Men?

Throughout the program Talking to Men – Strategic Stakeholder Management for Career Growth your executive mentor, coach and strategic thinking partner is Cristina Muntean.

Cristina is the founder and CEO of VORNICA®, a company on a mission to triple the number of women CEOs in Europe by 2030, and the founder of THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE, a global community of women leaders active in Europe who aim to grow into the C-Suite and, ultimately, to become the next CEO.


Cristina is a complex people developer with over 14 years of experience training, mentoring and coaching some of the most visible leaders and future leaders in TOP 100 companies in Europe.

She works regularly with women leaders from companies such as Alior Bank Poland, Asahi Breweries, Avon Cosmetics, Banca Comercială Română, B. Braun, Česká spořitelna, Československá obchodní banka, Coca Cola, DM Group, Erste Group, Foxconn, HSBC, IBM, IKEA Retail, IKEA of Sweden, Komerční banka, Microsoft, Moneta Money Bank, Naspers, Nespresso, Novartis, O2, Raiffeisenbank Czech Republic, RWE/Innogy, Salesforce, UniCredit Bank, Unilever, Ursus Romania, Wrigley/Mars and many others.

Since 2010 Cristina conducted more than 3 000 people development training and facilitation sessions for over 50 000 people.

Cristina is an accomplished professional mentor; she regularly volunteers for numerous local and international women empowerment organizations: Business and Professional Women Czech Republic, Equilibrium, My Odyssey, Agender, (Czechia), Femme Palette, Polaris and EMCC (regional and global organizations).

Transform Your Leadership and Your Life. Join Our Strategic Career Accelerator Talking to Men

You are one simple step away from joining our ROBUST AND TRANSFORMATIONAL virtual strategic career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH. 

 

Apply right now to check if you’re a good fit for our community THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE and for our program. As soon as you apply, we will let you know within 24 hours whether your application has been accepted, and we will send you further instructions on how to join us in the leadership development program of this year. 

IS THIS FOR YOU? APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH?

    The strategic career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH is a month-long intensive, complex, and robust leadership development program for women leaders working in male-predominant teams, organizations, and industries.

  • What is the purpose of the career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH?

    The career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH aims to help women leaders to navigate male-predominant environments with more ease and to figure out how to work with men in a co-creative manner that will lead them, their teams, and organizations to success without stress, conflict, or burnout.

  • Who can attend the career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH?

    The strategic career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH is created for women leaders who are working and delivering value in a predominantly male company or industry, who lead predominantly male teams, or who are part of executive teams that are also predominantly male.

  • What is the detailed content of the career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH?

    Please check the detailed content of our program above these questions on this page.

  • What is the cost of attending the career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH?

    In order to attend our career accelerator TALKING TO MEN – STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FOR CAREER GROWTH you need to become a member of our community of practice THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE. The cost of yearly Premium Community Membership is 14 997 CZK / year for residents of the Czech Republic, and 597 EUR / year for colleagues residing outside of the Czech Republic. This investment includes access to all other community resources, events, video courses, community library, and more. The total value provided to our members per year overcomes 10 000 EUR.

  • Who should pay for this program – me or my company?

    In our community we have a mix of both individual payers and company-sponsored members. Do feel free to talk to your manager about wanting to join our career accelerator and community. However, if negotiations stall or if your company is not inclined to cover your program, you can cover it from your own pocket. If the yearly membership cost of 597 EUR / 14 997 CZK is too much for you to pay in one instalment, please reach out to us directly via email Cristina.muntean@vornica.com to figure out other sustainable payment options.

  • What are the benefits of joining THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE?

    Our new members gain access to a network of powerful women leaders, personal branding opportunities, psychological safety, belonging, dedicated career tracks, premium education, role models, peer support, curated content, significant discounts on VORNICA® services, and more.

  • How does THE CEO ELEVATION CIRCLE ensure confidentiality and privacy?

    The community adheres to strict confidentiality and privacy policies to protect member information and discussions. Respect for privacy is paramount, and all members are required to uphold these standards.

  • What happens if I join and I don’t like the program?

    Upon acceptance you are provided with a 30-day community membership FREE TRIAL period. During this time you can cancel your membership and exit the community anytime at no additional cost. After 30 days, once your yearly membership payment has been processed, you become a fully-fledged member of our community. NO REFUNDS are possible after this date.

  • What should I do if I have questions that are not answered on this page?

    You should drop a personal email to Cristina Muntean, our founder, at Cristina.muntean@vornica.com. She will be happy to answer them for you.