The Aligned Leader

A T-Group Experience for Women Reclaiming Their Leadership from Within

Nov 13-15 2026 • Sacramento Area
24 Hours of Transformative Group Work • 10 Participants

The Aligned Leader

A T-Group Experience for Women Reclaiming Their Leadership from Within

Nov 13-15 2026 • Sacramento Area
24 Hours of Transformative Group Work • 10 Participants

You don’t have to lead from a borrowed identity.

We were taught to be agreeable. Strategic. Quietly strong.

Then, as leaders, we’re told to be bold.
To speak up.
To ask the hard questions.
To give feedback.
To take up space.

And yet, when we try, it’s often not enough. Or too much. Or not quite the “right” way. It often feels off.

We’re left navigating a maze of mixed messages, trying to lead in ways that were never truly ours to begin with.

This program is not about learning how to fit into a mold. It’s about returning to what’s already true.

Each of us has a unique way of leading that is most natural, most powerful, and most effective when we come home to ourselves.
This is a space to unearth that truth, and lead from it.

The ancestry and lineage work made me aware of how they shape the way I relate to power and belonging, and how deeply connected we all are beneath our different stories.

I literally think you opened new neural pathways in my brain

What Is The Aligned Leader?

The Aligned Leader is a 3-day immersive T-group retreat for women, especially those navigating the complexity of being daughters of immigrants or straddling multiple cultural worlds. You’ll gain the tools, self-awareness, and emotional fluency needed to lead with greater clarity, courage, and connection.

This program is based on the T-group methodology used in the Stanford Graduate School of Business’s legendary elective, Interpersonal Dynamics, often referred to as the most impactful class students take at Stanford.

What Are T-Groups?

T-groups (short for training groups) are experiential learning labs that focus on how we show up with others in real time.

Each group consists of about 10 participants and 1 facilitator. There’s no set agenda. Instead, the group engages in unstructured dialogue to explore:

How am I being perceived?
How do I impact others?
What gets in the way of honesty, connection, or trust?

With live feedback, emotional honesty, and guided facilitation, T-groups create powerful insights about interpersonal behavior, emotional patterns, and leadership presence.

This isn’t a classroom. It’s a practice ground. You’ll learn by doing, and leave with skills that stick.

What Are T-Groups?

T-groups (short for training groups) are experiential learning labs that focus on how we show up with others in real time.

Each group consists of about 10 participants and 1 facilitator. There’s no set agenda. Instead, the group engages in unstructured dialogue to explore:

How am I being perceived?
How do I impact others?
What gets in the way of honesty, connection, or trust?

With live feedback, emotional honesty, and guided facilitation, T-groups create powerful insights about interpersonal behavior, emotional patterns, and leadership presence.

This isn’t a classroom. It’s a practice ground. You’ll learn by doing, and leave with skills that stick.

This experience was incredibly grounding and empowering for me. Through the three highly immersive, intense days, I was given a new framework for thinking and interacting that has impacted all my relationships. It gave me words to articulate what I had never been able to say and the comfort to do so. If you're ready, this is an experience that will shift your mindset towards yourself and others.

The T-group work challenged me to notice how I impact others in real time, how I protect myself from vulnerability, and what genuine connection actually asks of me. I developed practical skills around giving feedback, staying present in difficult conversations, and leading from a more grounded and authentic place.

What You’ll Gain

Communication Skills: Speak clearly, listen deeply, and express what’s true without reactivity.
Emotional Intelligence: Understand, name, and work with your emotions in service of connection.
Psychological Safety & Group Development: Learn how trust is built and lost in groups.
Giving + Receiving Feedback: Say what’s real, and hear what’s useful, without spiraling.
Self-Regulation + Embodiment: Come back to your body when things get intense.
Identity Integration: Begin to lead from who you truly are, rather than from roles, performance, or pressure.

What You’ll Gain

Communication Skills: Speak clearly, listen deeply, and express what’s true without reactivity.
Emotional Intelligence: Understand, name, and work with your emotions in service of connection.
Psychological Safety & Group Development: Learn how trust is built and lost in groups.
Giving + Receiving Feedback: Say what’s real, and hear what’s useful, without spiraling.
Self-Regulation + Embodiment: Come back to your body when things get intense.
Identity Integration: Begin to lead from who you truly are, rather than from roles, performance, or pressure.

I’ve been taught to ignore my anger in the name of ‘processing’ it. You are the first coach who taught me to listen to it.

I came in knowing something was getting in the way of how I was showing up. I left with language for it, and proof I could do it differently.

Because of this experience I expect to show up with more courage and thoughtfulness. As a facilitator, I've learned the importance of pacing, timing and meeting the needs of the group. I'm also carrying more empathy around developmental growth and confronting your shadows for the first time.

The most important skills I developed were those around identifying how I limit connection and communication. The boundaries I created to feel safe created distance and I learned how to navigate those in a way that still felt safe.

I was surprised to see myself through other's eyes- life changing. Being myself, since I had no way to be the expert or to "lead" and then seeing how others experienced me was such an amazing experience. Can't imagine I will ever forget it.

It is hard to articulate in words about the program because it is truly one experiential process. It is emotionally intense and filled with tremendous internal reflection and growth. I came out of this program understanding and knowing myself better, learning how I am seen by others, and how I relate to others - both in ways that are connecting, and areas that I could lean into more. A very well organized and facilitated program. I would recommend to anyone really looking to reflect and grow on a very deep level.

What’s Required from You

If you're a leader who wants to show up more fully and honestly, in your work and in your life, this is the room to be in.

The Aligned Leader was one of the most honest and transformative leadership experiences I’ve ever had. I came into the weekend thinking leadership was primarily about competence, and holding everything together. I left realizing that real leadership is relational and it requires self-awareness, courage to be clumsy, emotional honesty, and the willingness to be fully seen.

Retreat Logistics

Dates: Nov 13-15, 2026 (in person) Dec 16th, 2026 4pm-6pm PST (on zoom)
Location: A private retreat space in the Sacramento area (exact address shared upon acceptance)
Schedule:
- Friday & Saturday: 9:00am–10:00pm
- Sunday: 9:00am–4:30pm
Group Size: 10 participants

Meals

Included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, tea and refreshments
Dinner: On your own; we’ll share a curated list of nearby restaurants

Cost

$3000

Includes:

The full 3-day retreat and professionally facilitated group experience
All printed materials and leadership reflection tools
Daily breakfast, lunch, snacks, and refreshments
A group post-retreat integration session to support real-world application
A private post-retreat integration coaching session to support real-world application

This is the Founding Rate offered to cohorts helping shape The Aligned Leader into what it’s becoming. Future offerings will be higher.

Payment in full is required upon acceptance.

Meet the Facilitator

Chanchal Garg is an executive coach, leadership facilitator, and author of Unearthed: The Lies We Carry and the Truths They Bury. She has guided leaders at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, in global nonprofit organizations, and across diverse industries. A lifelong student of power, identity, and healing, she integrates deep interpersonal work with cultural wisdom and embodied presence.

Chanchal has facilitated hundreds of hours of T-group learning and brings a rare blend of fierce insight and grounded compassion. She is especially passionate about supporting women, particularly those straddling multiple cultural narratives, in reclaiming their voice, power, and leadership from within.

I was in awe of Chanchal’s navigation and how she pulled us to the next levels. To hold an entire group like this was such an elevated art and so professional. Her connection with each person allowed us all to feel her compassion and love, even when things got harder.

Chanchal held a beautifully safe space and attuned to everyone's feelings so beautifully while simultaneously holding her own.

Chanchal created a container that felt both brave and deeply caring: a space where I could take real interpersonal risks while feeling supported. The weekend was thoughtfully designed, emotionally impactful, and applicable to both leadership and relationships. I would recommend The Aligned Leader to any woman who wants to lead with more authenticity, emotional intelligence, and alignment, not just professionally, but in every part of her life.

Chanchal's ability to create safety quickly is a rare gift. She holds the room with a presence that is calm, steady, and non-reactive balancing structure with genuine space for what emerges. She challenges without making people feel exposed. That combination is what made the real work possible.

Why This Work Matters

80% of employees say they want to work somewhere they feel connected to the purpose and the people.
Yet only 4% of HR leaders say they’ve solved for meaningful connection at work.
Emotional intelligence is one of the most in-demand leadership skills, and one of the least developed.
Most leaders say it’s not the technical parts of their job that are hard, it’s the people stuff.

The Aligned Leader addresses this gap, not by offering strategies, but by reshaping the way you lead, connect, and respond in the moment.

Hear from a participant:

Karen Ferguson, CEO at CORA- Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a daughter of immigrants to participate?

No. The program is open to all women. While it’s designed to resonate deeply with those navigating multiple identities, any woman ready for real-time learning and honest self-inquiry is welcome.

I’ve never done a T-group. Will I be behind?

Not at all. Many participants are new to this work. You’ll be guided gently but clearly. No prior experience required, just willingness.

Is this therapy?

No. This is not therapy, and we are not therapists. While the experience can feel therapeutic, we won’t be diagnosing or exploring your past unless you choose to. We stay focused on what’s happening now, in your relationships, your reactions, and your leadership.

What’s included in the cost?

The full facilitated program, all printed materials, breakfast/lunch/snacks, and a 1:1 post-retreat session to support your integration.

How can I learn more about T-groups and the methodology?

We’ll share a short primer with your acceptance. You can also read more about the Interpersonal Dynamics course at Stanford here.

Is lodging included?

No, but we’ll share recommended nearby accommodations once you’re accepted.

Apply Now

Space is limited to 10 participants. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Still have questions? Book a 15 minute call with Chanchal.

The Aligned Leader gave me something I didn't know I was missing: a container safe enough to be fully honest with others and with myself.

I have already shown up more at ease and trusting as well as more clear in my communication of my needs. People around me have noticed that I am different and are asking what I did.

I developed the ability to see the value in giving space and understand many different versions of what leadership in a group can look like. I was able to understand when I was able to support others and what things I did that were not as useful in that service. I was able to see truly what I can most bring to a group which is not what I thought before was the most useful. Wow.