Keynote Descriptions

Take Hold of Your Future | Presented by Dr. Patrick Dixon                                                          

The future of work, workplaces, team leadership, motivation, engagement and new business development in a post-COVID world... Why have so many predictions about future patterns of work been so widely “off the mark” over the last two years?

In this session,

  • Apply practical lessons from COVID to help turbocharge rapid growth, innovation, and transformation
  • Understand the opportunity for increasing efficiency and agility in uncertain times
  • Learn why the key to connectivity is through emotion in an increasingly digital world 
Inside the Organizational Politics Playbook | Presented by Dr. Allison Vaillancourt                  

Good things do not always come to good people who deliver on their promises, act with integrity, and behave responsibly. Unfortunately, it takes more than a strong work ethic and long hours to get ahead or even survive in most organizations. Organizational survival often requires mastering organizational politics. But how are we supposed to learn how to navigate the often-treacherous world of tight coalitions, unwritten rules, and secret agendas?

Dr. Vaillancourt will share practical strategies from her recent book, The Organizational Politics Playbook. Learn how to:

  • Uncover and understand secret sources of power
  • Promote success by making others look good
  • Enhance your value by creating a sense of scarcity
  • Build a protective brain trust
Who is Gen Z? | Presented by Dr. Corey Seemiller                                                                          

Determined. Open-Minded. Compassionate. These are just some of the many characteristics of Generation Z, those born from 1995 through 2010. Despite some similarities with the Millennial Generation, Generation Z has a unique set of attributes, experiences, preferences, and expectations about how they communicate, learn, and engage with others. This session showcases the context within which members of Generation Z have come of age and what we need to know about Generation Z to best mentor, support, and supervise them to leverage their potential for success. Session objectives include:

  • Understand the context within which members of Generation Z have come of age. 
  • Describe the characteristics, motivations, values, and preferences of the Generation Z cohort. 
  • Differentiate between defining characteristics of Generation Z and those from older generations. 
Vulnerability, the Birthplace of Courage | Presented by Ret. Lt. Col. DeDe Halfhill                      

News of the pandemic, climate change, and other critical challenges has led to many of us feeling vulnerable on a regular basis. Fortunately, it's from this place of vulnerability that we can find the courage to grow and even lead. A focus on language has been at the heart of Halfhill's work since 2014 when she noticed that words such as feel, compassion, kindness, mercy, friendliness and even love that were present in the 1948 Air Force manual had been lost.

DeDe Halfhill's unique leadership in the U.S. Air Force got the attention of renowned researcher and author Brené Brown, and her story was told in Brown's bestselling book, Dare to Lead. Halfhill’s presentation will stimulate thought-provoking conversations about inspiring teams, provide new insights on leadership development, demonstrate how to connect with purpose and engage with employees, and share tools and best practices to innovate leadership strategies.

Learn approaches to enhance your abilities to:

  • build meaningful connections with others,
  • develop stronger communication skills, and
  • implement new strategies to resolve challenges and lead more effectively. 
Civility in a Time of Crisis | Presented by Nolan Finley & Stephen Henderson                                 

Since March 2020, celebrated journalists and writers Stephen Henderson and Nolan Finley have been bringing The Civility Project sessions to diverse audiences across the country, landing the duo features within MSNBC, Fast Company, and countless other media. The Civility Project’s goal: build healthy disagreement and constructive dialogue by creating a judgment-free zone, or safe place, to talk, express yourself, and be OK with the outcome.

  • Learn what civility is, why we need it, how we create it, and why it’s even harder to be civil in a time of crisis.
  • In addition to “agreeing to disagree,” you’ll understand how to build respect for each other’s humanity, use what you hear to challenge or affirm your own views, and agree to always return to the conversation.