2018 Southern Tier Leadership Summit

Pamela Witter, Trocaire College

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This presentation demonstrates the significant impact that leaders and followers experience when their full potential is released through the application of transformational leadership. This new and emerging approach to leadership has been shown to produce significant results in employee engagement, financial performance, goal achievement, new product development, and much more. This presentation explores the following key elements of this leadership approach: the history and development of the theory of transformational leadership; demonstration of what transformational leadership looks like in the workplace; and ways to be transformational in your personal leadership style. As part of this workshop, participants will be given the opportunity to explore their own experience with transformational leadership as well as participate in an activity that can be used to make their own leadership style more transformational. Ultimately, there is no single best approach to leadership; however, understanding those leadership applications that can yield significant results will benefit anyone serious about being a leader.

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As a manager or leader, we all dream of making a difference in the workplace; but all too often we hold ourselves back from becoming extraordinary … a super hero! When we start to look deep inside we discover what our unique strengths are and how they can be developed for “good and not evil.” Like superheroes, every manager has unique skills, abilities, and experiences that can be transformed into superpowers. Imagine using your superpowers to help your team or colleagues achieve company goals, or better yet, help turn your company around. This session will provide information, techniques and hands-on activities to unlock your superpowers. Of course, you will not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, stop a bullet or outrun a speeding train…but you will learn what your unique superpowers are!

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As a leader we need to both give and accept, receive feedback. In this interactive presentation you will learn: - the importance of preparing to give feedback - how feedback can be misinterpreted - the value of maintaining a positive conversation - how to relate the impact of behavior, performance - when and how to accept, receive feedback Included is a self-assessment on your view of feedback, and how to identify a work-related feedback opportunity.

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In this highly interactive workshop, participants will get to be engaged in a number of different activities specifically designed to enhance team creativity. Team creativity is similar to individual creativity, but also requires certain ground rules to assure that an exercise designed to promote ideas and solve problems is structured in a way that feels safe and inclusive to all participants. We will look at several different models for encouraging team creativity using different adult learning styles so that participants can judge which kind of activity will be best for their teams at work.

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In both business and life we often encounter events that are out of our control. Whether it is a cataclysmic downturn in the market, a self-serving coworker, or a family emergency, things will happen that we cannot predict or plan for. All we can control is how we choose to respond in these situations. All too often that response is a victim mindset that puts us at a disadvantage. Instead, we can look to the ancient practice of stoicism to help guide us through turbulent times with vigor and purpose. A tool that is used by NFL coaches, military leaders, and top level executives, stoicism can help us navigate even the most adversarial circumstances.

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Managing teams may be the greatest challenge we face on our road toward achieving outcomes for our organizations. Sure, examining our market, defining the strategy, casting a vision, building operations, and identifying and rooting out risk are all major undertakings in our quest toward mission fulfillment. However, the common denominator in all those phases of business development are PEOPLE. It takes people to create the strategies, cast the vision, build the processes and get the work done. Having led fundraising teams for many years, Witter understands the pressure of trying to reach BIG stretch goals. She’s fine tuned a management process from a leadership philosophy that has allowed her team members to reach their full potential — many of whom became incredible leaders in their own right. In this session, she will delve into concepts of management from a visionary perspective to ensure accountability, constant visibility of goals, and coaching as a tool to support or move employees along. She will even share language and sample conversations that have helped her to face challenges with employees headon. This is a great session for managers and team leaders.

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For the first time in history, there are five generations active in the workforce. Experienced leaders are challenged to find effective ways to meet each generation’s demands and leverage their unique values, gifts and expectations. As such, leaders must be nimble in order to manage, coach, mentor, and inspire their team. It is no longer sufficient to expect one leadership style or approach to work with people of all ages. Dealing with 76 million Millennials and their helicopter parents, while balancing the stress of replacing work-centric Boomers as they retire, is stretching leaders to their breaking point. Add to that the elevated expectations of work being fun, flexible, and engaging, it becomes clear leaders need help. In this session, I will help participants enhance their personal leadership skills by providing them with an interactive exploration and understanding of how each generation sees the world, how each generation communicates and interacts with customers, colleagues, and collaborators, and how they, as leaders, can optimize their time, energy, and communication choices to resonate with each generation and motivate them to succeed. Furthermore, this session will help participants develop their skills as civic trustees dealing with different, often competing, generational needs and demands of their communities.

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Exceptional leaders are intentional about simplifying their life’s work by focusing on the Mission, Vision and Values of the organization. Mission and Vision statements can play a critical role in leading people; they communicate the purpose of the organization, clarify strategy development, and establish the quantifiable goals and objectives by which to measure the success of the organization’s strategy. As far as leading with Values goes, the statement “if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything” shouldn’t be the way you are described as a leader. This session will provide theory and application around these three topics, as well as how leading with intentionality can provide a platform for you to better connect within your organization and find real purpose in your work.

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It is easy to put your career and others first and not realize that you’ve lost yourself. People often experience difficulty finding balance between work and life outside of the office. It is important to find time for yourself to do the things that you’ve put on the back burner or find something new to be a part of. We’ll explore avenues that lead us to finding a healthier way to balance work and life.

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Interest in collaborative problem-solving – the act of engaging diverse people to develop and/or deliver products, goods, or services beyond the scope of individual actors – has increased dramatically over the past several decades. Yet, despite this interest as well as evidence highlighting myriad benefits of collaborative problem-solving, many leaders express frustration or experience challenges in their efforts to maximize its creative potential. This presentation focuses on the use of social networks and network weaving as a critical resource in collaborative problem-solving efforts. Session participants will learn the difference between network leadership and more traditional approaches while gaining insight into their personal preferences. Particular attention will be paid to building key capacities including: individual capacity (characteristics, abilities, and skills); relational capacity (communication, shared vision and goals, shared decision-making, boundary spanning); environmental capacity (culture and structure), and organizational capacity (needed support for collaborative problem solving).

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Would you be more productive at work if you had more “down time?” Do you feel pushed to come in early and stay late? Are you missing out on life experiences because you are always at work? A survey from the Deloitte Millennial Survey in 2017 found that 82% of millennials express a positive impact on overall wellbeing, health and happiness, and an 81% impact on their productivity when their employer fosters an environment of flexibility. Hear from a local millennial about why this is true, why you should take your life back, and the health implications of imbalance. We will take a deep dive into where the ideas of overworking came from and why Americans take that too seriously.

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Ever feel afraid to discuss issues of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc., because you’re afraid of making a mistake? This workshop will outline how exploring one’s own identity can make a person more open to other perspectives. Being able to navigate difficult conversations about identity requires a commitment to a deeper understanding of how one’s privilege shapes their own views on these topics. Participants will discover ways in which they can develop this deeper understanding over time. Additionally, this workshop will give participants the opportunity to reflect on and confront their fears about making mistakes.

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