Effective Leadership in Action 2026 Series 2

Summer Training: May 14, May 28, June 11

Are you ready to elevate your leadership skills? Are you an employer looking to support your staff in their professional development?

This three-session leadership foundation class will feature relevant leadership topics in today’s workplace to help you maximize your potential and advance your team to success. Develop your communication, collaboration and leadership skills by learning from the experts and local leaders through interactive sessions and discussions. Network and engage with other professionals. Successful completers will receive a certificate of completion from Wor-Wic Community College.

Session 1: The Courage to Lead: Building Trust, Navigating Conflict & Encouraging Voice

Presented by Robin Hall, SPHR, Founder & Owner, Mariposa Training & HR Consulting, LLC

Date & Time: Thursday, May 14; 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(Meets ½ hour earlier on the first session)

Location: Wor-Wic Community College, Room FOH300

Lead Smarter. Inspire More.

Leadership is often tested in everyday moments—when someone challenges an idea, when tensions rise, or when difficult conversations must happen. These moments shape a team’s psychological safety: whether people feel confident contributing to their ideas or choose to stay silent. In this interactive session, leaders will explore how their communication style, conflict navigation, and trust-building behaviors influence whether teams speak up, collaborate effectively, and perform at their best. Participants will leave with practical strategies and tools they can immediately apply to strengthen psychological safety, encourage open dialogue, manage tension constructively, and build trust.

What You Will Learn:

• Identify leadership behaviors that create (or erode) psychological safety and how it impacts team voice and performance
• Strengthen communication practices that invite open dialogue and diverse perspectives
• Take away practical approaches for navigating difficult conversations and conflict
• Reframe conflict as a productive tool for collaboration and better decision-making
• Build trust through transparency, follow-through, and everyday leadership
  behaviors
• Apply a simple framework leaders can use to repair trust when leadership missteps occur

Instructor Robin Hall, SPHR, has many years of human resources experience which has made her an invaluable asset to the organizations she has assisted. Her ability to align HR initiatives with overall business growth and strategy has been instrumental in driving success. Throughout her career, Robin has predominantly worked in the high-tech industries, including international settings. This exposure has allowed her to develop a keen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with leading in a rapidly evolving landscape. Her passion for leadership development is evident in the impactful programs she has implemented to nurture and empower employees at all levels. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Robin is known for her dedication to fostering a positive and inclusive work environment. She believes in creating a culture where every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.

Session 2: Leading with AI & Automation

Presented by: Justin Kelley, Founder of IMPACT Technology Group

Date & Time: Thursday, May 28; 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Location: Wor-Wic Community College, Room FOH300

A Leadership Course for Leaders at Every Level

This isn’t a course about how AI works — it’s about how leaders use it. You will learn how to make smarter decisions, guide your team through change, and apply AI in ways that move your organization forward. Through demos, scenarios, and hands‑on planning, you’ll leave with a 30‑day action plan and the confidence to lead in an AI‑driven world.

What You Will Learn:

• Make confident AI decisions without needing technical expertise
• Identify where AI creates the most leverage in your role
• Lead your team through AI-related change with clarity and trust
• Build and launch a 30‑day AI pilot for your team or organization
• Model an AI‑ready leadership culture that encourages smart adoption

Instructor Justin Kelley founded IMPACT Technology Group in 2006 with a mission to give Delmarva businesses a trusted technology partner that truly understands their challenges. With nearly two decades of experience in managed IT services, Justin has grown IMPACT into an award-winning firm serving hundreds of organizations throughout Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Today, Justin is at the forefront of helping business leaders navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape — guiding organizations on how to strategically adopt AI and automation to improve efficiency, empower their teams, and drive meaningful growth, along with using technology to help their businesses grow instead of holding them back. Justin's leadership philosophy is rooted in his military service. He served in the United States Marine Corps and later as an Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard — an experience that instilled the discipline, accountability, and systematic thinking he now brings to helping businesses.

Session 3: Mastering Change: Empowering Leaders to Navigate Transformation with Confidence

Presented by Steve Grem, Leadership Consultant and retired CEO

Date & Time: Thursday, June 11; 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Location: Wor-Wic Community College, Room FOH300

Navigate Change. Lead with Confidence.

In a changing business landscape, the ability to lead through change is a critical leadership competency. This high-impact course provides a hands-on deep dive into change models, including Kotter’s 8 Steps, and uses interactive exercises with peer-to-peer & real-world simulations to apply what you have learned. Move beyond theory to practice, using real-world diagnostic tools to assess your organization’s current state. Identify specific leadership behaviors needed and use communication/conflict resolution techniques learned from previous sessions to overcome resistance and sustain momentum.

What You will Learn:

You Will Learn to:

• Lead your team with a Change Management playbook that provides a structured guide to planning, implementing, and adopting organizational change
• Design a plan that reduces risk and disruption with a clear roadmap, better communication and repeatable tools
• Model the 5 Cs of Change Management - Clarity, Communication, Collaboration, Consistency and Commitment – to enable Leaders to lead transitions successfully
  

Instructor Steve Grem is a results-focused leader with many decades of experience in Human Capital Management and Servant Leadership. He has a proven record of leading organizational transformation, optimizing operations, and building high-performing teams that produce measurable growth. Steve recently retired as CEO of an HCM Consulting business that first transitioned from an entrepreneur owner to a 100% ESOP and the second transition was through the acquisition of a major Assurance, Tax & Consulting firm. Previously, through several positions and many initiatives, he led and managed several organizational changes of HCM systems, inclusive of selection, implementation and deployment, driving internal & external efficiencies across platforms with a focus on employee engagement and positive employee experience. Steve always fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration with a dedication to empowering people to achieve their full potential. As an Independent Consultant, Steve provides consulting support, advice and strategic guidance to help develop leadership and management skills and to effectively leverage Human Capital Management practices. Specialties include Human Capital Management technology solutions, Leadership development, organization transformation, and customer-centric operations.

$150 (plus Eventbrite fees) for 3 sessions; includes lunch

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Host or Publisher Eastern Shore Leadership Institutue