Leadership Institute Recap: Talking Tough

The 2020 WILMA Leadership Institute held its second session February 26 at nCino, with a focus on navigating difficult conversations.

Speaking as part of a panel, Wilmington International Airport Director JULIE WILSEY  pointed out the importance of having ongoing communication with co-workers before tough situations arise.

“Because they know you’re sincere in the good times, they also know you’re sincere in the difficult times,” Wilsey says.

Difficult conversations can come into play with negotiating, particularly for women negotiating their salaries, said RUTH RAVITZ SMITH, president of RR Smith Strategic Solutions (R2S3).

Men are four times as likely to negotiate a first salary, she says, citing the book Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, which also states that by not negotiating a first salary, a person stands to lose more than $500,000 by the time they turn sixty.

“Knowing what you can negotiate is very important,” Ravitz Smith advises. “You have to have the data behind you.”

The panel also pointed out that the skill of navigating difficult conversations hinges on how you actually have the talk.

“I’m big on prep, practicing, bullet points, getting to the chase, and cutting it off before you get to dysfunctional delivery,” says LISA LEATH, president of Leath HR Group, who shared a communications model for objectively addressing difficult conversations.

Leath goes into more detail on effective teams, how to define roles within a team, and lessons to be learned after resolving a conflict in a recent Q&A.

The Leadership Institute, which started this year in January, is made up of thirty-two women going through the nine-month program. To see the program’s agenda for 2020, including skills topics, site locations, and guest speakers, click here.

Next month, the cohort meets at Live Oak Bank to talk with chairman and CEO Chip Mahan about thinking strategically as a leader.

The institute is part of WILMA’s Women to Watch Leadership Initiative, which has a mission is to help develop more women leaders in the region.

Applications for next year’s class open in the fall.

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