Businesses have had to pivot this past year away from traditional models and adapt to survive in a rapidly changing world. The pandemic disrupted operations, employment and client relations, but it also created unforeseen opportunities.
What are some of these opportunities, and how can organizational leaders, entrepreneurs and employees succeed and grow in the digital realm.
University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Discovery Center is hosting the 2021 Leadership Speaker Series, a free virtual series connecting attendees with regional, national and international experts through conversation.
The new series, offered through the Leadership Institute, a resource of the Discovery Center, will cover a range of topics on how the pandemic has affected customer relations and service, changed cybersecurity and the manufacturing industry, and impacted nonprofit organizations and health care.
Spring and summer virtual sessions will be held on Thursdays April 8; May 13; June 17; and July 15. All sessions are from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Sessions are not recorded for copyright and privacy reasons.
Upcoming conversations include:
- The Internet of Things in the Service Environment by Joseph Kenny, senior vice president of ServiceMax in Houston
- Why Can't We Do That? by Mark Wilson, 1994 alum, operations manager for Ford Motor Company’s North American Vehicle Personalization group in Detroit
- Applying Futures Thinking for Nonprofit Organizations by April Riordan, independent consultant, and Jen Thorson, chief operating officer of the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys
- Energy and Healthcare Leaders: Boosting your Resiliency by Andy Hillig, professional coach with Andy Hillig Solutions, LLC
Registration is open and free to attend. Contact Marya Wilson, director of the Leadership Institute, at wilsonma@uwstout.edu or profed@uwstout.edu with any questions.
The first interactive session, Succeeding in the Market by Building Digital Trust, was presented by Priya Abraham on March 11. Abraham, founder of Cyberconnecting and presenting from Vienna, Austria, discussed how leaders can expand into new markets in digital spaces, adopt new technologies and build their online clientele.
“These sessions are great opportunities for those working in both the public and private sectors,” said Anna Smith, outreach program manager at the Discovery Center. “These topics are timely and necessary in this ever-changing professional landscape and poignant for the changing workplace. Being able to hear speakers with expertise, at no cost, is a no-brainer.”
Fall and winter presentation dates have not been announced, but include:
- Using Cultural Intelligence to Strengthen Your Organization
- Adaptive Leadership and the Female Leader
- Utilizing Diversity Across the Geographic Possibilities
- Mindfulness, and Leadership
- Leading Through a State of Flux
Partial funding for the series is provided by the Economic Development Administration’s CARES Act grant, which supports leadership opportunities, the pandemic response and recovery. The Discovery Center received the $300,000 federal grant last spring.
Additional spring and summer offerings include Leadership Growth and Development Series Level 2, April through August; Customer Service Series in June; and Manufacturing/Cybersecurity Series in June.
The Leadership Institute serves its clients with leading-edge research and initiatives that positively transform people, teams and organizations.
