Syracuse University Women in Leadership Initiative Announces Spring 2020 Pilot Programming

Last semester, attendees at the Women in Leadership Fall 2019 Forum were surveyed about their interest in future leadership programming. Key findings from survey respondents included:

• Wanting the opportunity to know in advance what upcoming programming is being offered.
• Multiple options for workshop day and times should be offered to accommodate schedules.
• Those interested in Women in Leadership opportunities come from many sectors of the campus community and are at various stages of development. Some want to learn a concrete skill, others like hearing stories and being inspired, and some want a cohort experience to provide an intensive opportunity.

The Women in Leadership Initiative listened to this feedback and, in an effort to be responsive, are offering pilot courses in the spring semester in two tracks: Leadership Development and Coaching and Leadership Communication. Details about the pilot course offerings, and how to register, follow.

Track 1: Leadership Development and Coaching Opportunities

Amy P. Kelly and Jack Slavinski

A series of two-hour workshops and follow-up coaching sessions facilitated by leadership experts Jack Slavinski and Amy P. Kelly will be offered to all interested faculty and staff members. Each of the four sessions below is part of a comprehensive leadership system and builds upon each other from session to session. There will be multiple offerings of each workshop over a two-day period, as well as opportunities to receive personal coaching for your leadership performance and development.

• Feb. 18-19: Positive Mindsets
  Positive Mindsets covers the impacts of keeping a positive mindset, what happens when we put our brain in a negative place and how that impacts decision making and development. Our attitudes and approaches to complex conditions and situations stem from our mindset and how we “choose” to look at them. Key principles and behavioral actions that keep us positive, while learning from negativity, will be discussed. Approaches and actions to get others to change their mindsets will also be addressed.
• March 3-4: Character Strengths
  Character Strengths leverages over 20 years of work at the VIA Institute on Character, where they have identified the true 24 strengths of character. Virtually everything we do occurs through the use of our character strengths, including building trust through relationships and demonstrating competence. The impacts of recognizing and using our character strengths, individually and in teams, will be discussed.
• April 20-21: Personal Style Adaptability
  Personal Style Adaptability speaks to communication and interaction tendencies that each of us leans on when faced with diverse situations and circumstances. Some tend to be more direct and some more detailed; while others are more reserved, energetic or big picture communicators. This directly impacts our ability to persuade and influence in today’s highly dynamic, complex world. This training focuses on the importance of knowing our learned tendencies and the necessity to situationally adapt our communication and interaction style.
• May 19-20: Emotional IQ and Resilience
  Emotional IQ is about self-awareness, emotional management and how that affects personal development, decision making, interactions and social relationships. Research has identified that upwards of 80 percent of our ability to be effective in our roles is determined by our emotional IQ. Attributes of Emotional IQ are interrelated to becoming more resilient to the stress, anxiety and adversity that we face. Anyone can improve in these areas through this training.

Supportive and informative development assessments will be leveraged to increase personal reflection and self-awareness. The assessment link will be provided in advance of each session.

Track 2: Professional Skills – Leadership Communication

The following opportunities are open to all Syracuse University faculty, staff and graduate students.

Sheila Johnson-Willis

Emotional Intelligence
Feb. 19, 9-11 a.m., or Feb. 28, 1-3 p.m.
Learn about the components of emotional intelligence, explore the personal and professional benefits of emotional intelligence—including its impact on building leadership skills—and gain strategies to increase and develop your emotional intelligence. This session will be facilitated by Pam Gavenda, associate director, organizational development and training, and Sheila Johnson-Willis, associate vice president and chief equal opportunity and Title IX officer.

Introduction to Crucial Conversations
March 10, 9-11 a.m., or March 27, 9-11 a.m.

Pam Gavenda

Crucial conversations take place every day in our work and personal lives. They occur when there are differences in opinion, high stakes and strong emotions. The way individuals react and respond in critical moments affects many outcomes. In this session, you’ll learn to recognize and develop skills around moments in conversation that impact healthy dialogue, including personal motives and the stories we tell ourselves. This session will be facilitated by Pam Gavenda, associate director, organizational development and training, and certified trainer of Crucial Conversations.

Strategic Conflict Management
April 6, 1-3 p.m., or April 7, 9-11 a.m.

Catherine Gerard

Conflict is an essential aspect of leadership, and the most effective leaders learn to be comfortable with conflict and strategic in how they deal with it. This workshop will first introduce a situational model of approaches to conflict and when to choose a particular approach. Equally important is managing the emotion of conflict and maintaining the ability to both listen and assert a point of view. In this session, you’ll participate in short listening and assertion exercises, plus address patterns of communication that may be risky in a conflict situation. The session is facilitated by Catherine Gerard, director of the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC).

Workshop locations are to be determined. Sign up to receive direct notification of Professional Skills-Leadership Communication track workshops once details are finalized.

Academic Leadership and Empowerment/Self-Discovery

Additional pilot courses, currently under development, will be offered in two other tracks: Academic Leadership and Empowerment/Self-Discovery.

Michele Wheatly and Isisara Bey

Academic Leadership pilot offerings are being finalized with input from the Special Assistant to the Chancellor Michele Wheatly. Topics, taught by distinguished Syracuse University faculty, will include Developing Impactful Collaborations, Academic Leadership Opportunities, and Current Issues and Opportunities in Higher Education. Details about these courses will be announced in February, with courses offered in March and April.

The Empowerment/Self-Discovery track offerings will be facilitated by Isisara Bey, journey agent. Workshop topics will be announced in February and offered in late spring or summer.

Workshops Sign Up

Use this form to register your interest in a workshop and to receive additional information about Women in Leadership Initiatives.

Questions about spring 2020 pilot programming may be submitted to Kim O’Brien at womeninleadership@syr.edu.