Breakout Sessions

WLC Focus Sessions

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In addition to our morning, luncheon, and afternoon keynote speakers, we invite you to attend two WLC Focus Sessions, where you can dive deeper into REimagining areas of your personal and professional life.

Read below to learn about our four focus sessions being offered at the 2022 WLC. When you register you'll be able to sign up to attend two of the four sessions.

Session 1: The Misfit’s Guide to Managing, Surviving, and Thriving at Work with Jennifer Romolini

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Conventional career advice overwhelmingly teaches that office-politicking extroverts are best set up for success. As a result, if you’re offbeat, you’ve probably felt that the parts of your personality that seem out of sync are weaknesses you need to overcome.

But this logic is flawed, dated and untrue. What companies really need are passionate, original thinkers. Businesses need “disruptors” — Silicon Valley’s favorite word — and they need employees and managers who are too odd to understand the ways things are “supposed to work.” Fellow misfits, do not fear: You do not have to change your fundamental being in order to thrive in your career, nor to be an incredible boss — even if you don’t feel particularly bossy.

This session will help you understand:

How to stop feeling like a freak at work
How to start using your misfit nature as a strength in the workplace
Why you don’t need the confidence to thrive in your career and what you need instead
Mistakes all misfit bosses make and how to avoid them
How your sensitivity and empathy can make you a boss who not only succeeds but who affects real change.

About Jennifer Romolini

Image of speaker Jennifer Romolini Jennifer Romolini is a writer, speaker, senior digital media strategist, author of the book “Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits”. She was formerly the chief content officer of Shondaland.com, a site founded by television producer Shonda Rhimes. Previous to this, Romolini was the editor-in-chief of Zooey Deschanel’s HelloGiggles; the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Shine; oversaw all editorial operations for Yahoo’s Lifestyle sites, including Yahoo Health and Yahoo Food; and was the deputy editor of Lucky Magazine. In 2019, South Sound Magazine called Romolini a “media powerhouse.” Her work has appeared in The New York Times, ELLE, Vogue, Fast Company, and many others.

https://www.jenniferromolini.com/

@jennromolini

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/people/jennifer-romolini-careers-inspirefest

http://behindthebrilliance.com/158-jennifer-romolini/

Session 2: The Power of Meaning: Making Your Life, Work, and Relationships Matter with Emily Esfahani-Smith

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To Emily Esfahani-Smith, there’s more to life than happiness. But we won’t find it through chasing esoteric secrets, reading the latest self-help book, or following some cultural standard for ‘the good life.’ In fact, our culture’s relentless pursuit of status, wealth, and ‘happiness’ can actually have the opposite effect: loneliness, dissatisfaction, regret. Instead, she says, the key to living a richer, more fulfilling life is through the search for meaning.

Ultimately, Smith believes, a meaningful life lies in connecting and contributing to ideas beyond yourself—whether it’s your family, your job, or humanity at large. Our most meaningful pursuits—from starting a business to nurturing our relationships to mastering a musical instrument—require hard work, sacrifice, and long-term vision. We don’t necessarily do them to be happy; we do them because they’re meaningful.

In this inspiring focus session, Smith presents the latest in psychology and neuroscience (as well as the wisdom of our greatest philosophers) to help us live more satisfying lives. She unpacks what she calls the “four pillars of meaning”—belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence. Building some or all of these pillars in our lives and in our communities helps us give back, forge deep relationships, set purposeful goals, and make sense of who we are and our place in the world.

For individuals seeking something more, or for institutions looking to build a culture of meaning at work or school, Smith’s talk gives us the tool we need to build resiliency, gain a broader perspective, and truly deepen our lives.

Objectives related to finding purpose

Understand what the difference is between finding happiness and finding fulfillment in life and work
Self-awareness is (and isn’t) and how it’s foundational to becoming a successful leader
Identify and unpack the 4 pillars of meaning, and use them to help us set purposeful goals and deepen relationships
Learn about the latest in neuroscience and psychology as it related to leading more satisfying lives
Gain insight on how to find belonging in communities in a broader sense, as well as how to cultivate micro-connections with strangers

Objectives related to finding meaning at work

Evaluate what you can do to electrify a stagnant environment
How to feel more intrinsically motivated and encourage the same in your employees and team members
Explore how the Four Pillars of Meaning apply to one’s work life as well

About Emily Esfahani-Smith

Image of Emily Esfahani-Smith Emily Esfahani Smith, Journalist and Author of The Power Of Meaning: Crafting A Life That Matters.

The richest, most fulfilling Lives are those led by a search for meaning – not the pursuit of happiness.

Meaning, not happiness, is the key to a good life. That’s the vital message at the core of EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH’s book, The Power of Meaning, which outlines four pillars essential to living a life that matters: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling. From her popular TED main stage talk—viewed over 7 million times—to her viral Atlantic article “There’s More to Life Than Being Happy,” Smith helps us develop genuine cultures of meaning: both at work, and in our lives at large.

“Combining cutting-edge research with storytelling, The Power of Meaning inspires us to zero in on what really matters.”

— Arianna Huffington

We’re all striving for happiness—but our culture’s obsession with instant gratification is only making us miserable. Drawing from over one hundred interviews, and years of research into positive psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Emily Esfahani Smith has discovered a more enriching way to live a good life: through the search for meaning. It’s the subject of her compelling and acclaimed book The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters: called “persuasive” and “elegant” by the Wall Street Journal, and “a life-transforming experience” by Susan Cain, it’s now been published in over 15 languages. In keynotes, Smith offers methods for individuals to let go of unreasonable, unattainable standards of happiness, and pursue goals that reward over the long haul. And for organizations, it means embedding a sense of purpose into corporate culture—making beliefs and values align for personal wellbeing as well as the bottom line.

“Beautifully written and rigorously researched, The Power of Meaning speaks to the yearning we all share for a life of depth and significance. In a culture constantly shouting about happiness, this warm and wise book leads us down the path to what truly matters. Reading it is a life-transforming experience.”

— Susan Cain

With a TED main stage talk listed as one of the top ten most popular of 2017—and currently viewed over 7 million times—Smith is a keynote speaker who helps us think differently about the stories we tell ourselves and help us identify what makes life worth living.

The former managing editor of The New Criterion, Smith’s articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and other publications. Her articles for The Atlantic “There’s More to Life Than Being Happy” (about the Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl) and “Masters of Love” (about romance and marriage) have reached over 30 million readers. In 2017, The New York Times published her article about the novel Middlemarchcalled “You’ll Never Be Famous—And That’s OK.” Her essay for The New Criterion titled “Eleanor Clark’s Rome” sent her deep into the archives of Yale’s Beinecke Library to research the life and work of a nearly forgotten writer. And her profile for the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine of Joe Rago, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who tragically died at the age of 34, was shortlisted for a Folio magazine award in 2018.

Smith is a reporter for the Aspen Institute’s Weave project, an initiative founded by The New York Times’ David Brooks to address the problems of isolation, alienation, and division. At Weave, Smith finds and tells the stories of people who are working to rebuild the social fabric. Between 2013 and 2018, she served as an instructor in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Smith grew up in Montreal, Canada. She graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a masters of applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

http://emilyesfahanismith.com/

Quiz http://emilyesfahanismith.com/quiz/whats-your-pillar

http://emilyesfahanismith.com/about

Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/

https://www.businessinsider.com/emily-esfehani-smith-finding-meaning-life-4-pillars-2017-9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZchRUJZqSkk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ig7d7W4R0

@EmEsfahaniSmith

https://www.facebook.com/authoremilyesfahanismith/

Session 3: The Real Role of Gut Instinct Managing Complexity and Extreme Risk with Laura Huang

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It’s one of the most polarizing pieces of advice that we hear: go with your gut. But Harvard Business School Professor Laura Huang knows there’s really something to it: she dives deep into the world of what drives people to succeed, and her findings might surprise you. Her research has found that success isn’t so much about the amount of talent you have or effort you put in—but about making the most of what you do have. And that’s what her groundbreaking concept of “edge” is: hard work, plus.

In this talk, Laura discusses her research on decision-making in organizations, and why the question shouldn’t be about data-driven decisions versus gut feel-based decisions. Instead, effective organizational outcomes are the result of understanding the set of rules that are inherent in any complex decision—which dictates whether more data actually helps us make better decisions. Bringing her diverse work and research background (having conducted dozens of interviews with investors and observing pitch meetings with entrepreneurs) to analyzing the role of gut instinct in making choices, Laura developed an in-depth understanding vital role that gut feel plays in managing complexity and risk—and the difference between big wins and playing it safe.

How can you work in a way that creates the most value for your efforts, and leads to the most success? In this compelling, cutting-edge keynote, she’ll show you how to access your own edge, and harness your gut feelings and natural grit to work for you—and enable others to do the same.

Objectives related to disrupting and innovating

Understand what the difference is between engaging in disruptive work, and simply being disruptive
Thinking of oneself as a “builder” as a more efficient alternative, and what the entails practically

Objectives related to cultivating grit, edge and gut instinct

Evaluate what you can do to modify decision-making processes in the work environment to be a symbiosis between data-drive and gut-driven choices
Learn how to manage complexity and risk in an informed way

About Laura Huang

Image of Laura Huang In the elusive pursuit of success, you need an edge, says Harvard professor LAURA HUANG, one of the top business school professors in America. Huang defines edge as “hard work, plus” and her talks illustrate how you can refine that “plus”—beyond talent, hard work, grit, and luck—as an individual, team, or organization. And if you don’t have an edge, you can create one, recognizing your strengths (as well as challenges) and leveraging them to your advantage. Huang’s talks show how you can make your hard work “work harder for you” by comprehending the factors that have little to do with your talent and effort—and everything to do with making the most of them.

How can our paths to success be a little easier? We all have biases working for and against us, says Laura Huang—author of EDGE, a hotly-anticipated book on the subject—whether it’s born confidence, or a lack thereof; established networks, or no professional contacts to speak of. If we learn what these biases are, we can empower ourselves to create personal success. In short: we’ll find our edge. “Hard work suggests something internal, whereas edge suggests that it’s both within you and contextual,” says Huang. “You need to own the context and your hard work.” Named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors by Poets & Quants, Huang’s talks will equip you to know who you are and how to use that knowledge strategically. Drawing on examples from the likes of previously-overlooked Olympians to Louis Vuitton assistants-turned-executives, Huang teaches you how to find your edge and keep it.

Huang’s groundbreaking research includes her work on “gut feel”—that sixth sense often written off as extraneous to success. In conducting dozens of interviews with investors and observing pitch meetings with entrepreneurs, Huang proved the vital role that gut feel plays in managing complexity and risk—and the difference between big wins and playing it safe. Prior to joining the Harvard Business School, Huang was an assistant professor of management at the Wharton School. Her research on gut instinct has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as featured in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. Huang earned a PhD in management from the University of California, Irvine; an MBA from INSEAD; and an MS and BSE in electrical engineering, both from Duke University. Before entering academia, she held positions in investment banking, consulting, and general management for organizations like IBM Global Services and Johnson & Johnson, and served as an advisor to several start-ups in the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and China.

Session 4: Staying Sane with Disruptive Personalities in the Workplace with Dr. Ramani Durvasula

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Anyone who has ever had a job recognizes that certain personality styles can make our working lives a challenge. This can happen whether we are in an entry-level job, or in the C-suite, and it can happen in any type of employment situation. Disruptive personalities in the workplace can comprise people who are combative, overly competitive, intrusive, defensive, deceitful, dishonest, volatile, manipulative, and antagonistic. These personality styles can also become one more issue to manage at work, and pull us away from more pressing issues related to our jobs and advancement in our careers. The impact of disruptive personalities can vary based on their role in the workplace, and it may not be restricted to just our colleagues, employees and supervisors, they may also be our clients, students, or customers. How do we stay sane when working alongside these personalities? This focus session offers a fundamental survival guide to staying sane and protecting our own interests in a workplace characterized by one (or many) disruptive personalities. Disruptive personalities are inevitable, and learning how to protect yourself, your mental health, and your professional development under these conditions is essential.

Focus Session objectives:

Understand what a disruptive personality style looks like and how it may affect you
Learn how to manage disruptive personalities in your workplace; what works (and doesn’t work)
Understand how systems and people enable disruptive personalities in the workplace
Become familiar with a 10-step plan designed to give you the tools to manage disruptive personalities
Articulate and focus on your true north so the disruptive personalities don’t pull you off track
Identifying your vulnerabilities to these personality styles so you can be aware of your implicit risk and be better able to self-monitor

Who should attend:

Managers
Teams
Individuals working with a disruptive personality

About Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Image of Dr. Ramani Durvasula Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, CA and Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. In 2019 her new book entitled “Don’t You Know Who I Am”: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility was released. She is also the author of the modern relationship survival manual Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist, and of You Are WHY You Eat: Change Your Food Attitude, Change Your Life. The focus of Dr. Durvasula’s work is the impact of high-conflict, entitled, antagonistic personality styles on human relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx, and on a wide range of media platforms including Oxygen, Investigation Discovery, Bravo, Lifetime Movie Network, CNN, and a range of digital media. Dr. Durvasula is an honest, authentic, and brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.

MedCircle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Qixc77KhCo88E5muxUjmA?view_as=subscriber

Contact Info

Women's Leadership Conference

588 Longmeadow Street
Longmeadow MA, 01106 wlc@baypath.edu