Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership

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02 Mar

Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership

Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership

Monday, March 2, 2026 (12:00 AM) to Thursday, December 31, 2026 (11:59 PM)
2 PDCs
Provider: My HR Extension
Course Name: Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership

Speaker: Gina Wilson & Casey Webster
Program Type: Reoccurring Seminar/Workshop
Registration URL: http://www.wright.edu
Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership, Celina, Ohio
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At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to: Explain the concept of the “Courage Gap” and identify how avoidance of difficult conversations impacts trust, accountability, and execution in the workplace. Differentiate between business content and the interpersonal communication “channel,” and assess how breakdowns in the channel affect performance and engagement. Identify common defensive behaviors (aggressive and avoidant) and analyze the underlying drivers that contribute to defensiveness in professional settings. Recognize and distinguish between five forms of workplace resistance (deflection, confluence, introjection, retroflection, and projection) and apply appropriate response strategies. Apply a structured “Naming It” framework to address communication breakdowns clearly, directly, and constructively. Deliver feedback that raises awareness, encourages behavior change, and strengthens professional relationships. Evaluate execution challenges using a practical framework to determine root causes, including clarity, skill gaps, buy-in, resistance, or goodwill. Demonstrate communication techniques that balance clarity, support, and appropriate intensity in difficult conversations. Practice emotional courage by initiating and sustaining conversations that address performance, engagement, or accountability concerns. Develop an action plan to implement courageous communication strategies in their own leadership context.

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The Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership is a structured, instructor-led professional development program designed to strengthen leaders’ ability to engage in clear, direct, and accountable communication—especially when conversations become difficult, uncomfortable, or emotionally charged. In organizational settings, performance issues, resistance, defensiveness, and breakdowns in execution are frequently rooted not in technical incompetence, but in communication avoidance. Leaders often recognize that something needs to be addressed but hesitate due to discomfort, fear of conflict, or lack of a practical framework. This hesitation creates what is referred to as the “Courage Gap”—the space between awareness and action. When this gap persists, it undermines accountability, erodes trust, and weakens organizational performance. This program equips participants with evidence-informed frameworks and repeatable communication models that allow them to close that gap responsibly and effectively. The training integrates behavioral psychology, communication theory, and leadership development practices to help professionals navigate defensiveness, manage resistance, strengthen execution, and improve relational dynamics across teams. The program is highly interactive and incorporates facilitated discussion, case analysis, structured reflection, scenario-based learning, small-group exercises, and guided skill practice. Participants engage with real-world examples drawn from workplace scenarios such as performance concerns, missed deadlines, disengagement, peer conflict, and cross-functional misalignment. Core Content Areas Covered: Understanding the Psychology of Defensiveness Participants examine the defensive cycle and explore how defensiveness typically presents in professional settings—either through aggression (attack behaviors) or avoidance (withdrawal behaviors). The session explores the psychological drivers of defensiveness, including ego protection, fear of judgment, perceived threat, and identity preservation. Participants learn to recognize defensive behaviors without escalating them and to respond in ways that de-escalate rather than intensify tension. Managing Workplace Resistance The program introduces five distinct forms of resistance that commonly emerge when individuals are taken outside of their comfort zone: deflection, confluence, introjection, retroflection, and projection. Participants learn to identify these behaviors in real time and apply structured strategies to surface underlying concerns, reopen communication channels, and restore engagement. Managing the Communication Channel Participants are introduced to the concept that every workplace interaction contains both business content (the task, issue, or objective) and a relational “channel” (the emotional and interpersonal dynamic). Leaders practice identifying breakdowns in the channel and learn how to pivot from content to process when communication becomes blocked. The “Naming It” Framework A core component of the program is a structured communication model that enables leaders to address communication breakdowns clearly and constructively. The framework teaches participants how to: State observable behavior without interpretation or judgment Articulate why the behavior matters to the individual, team, or organization Provide appropriate support to maintain psychological safety Calibrate intensity to match the situation Invite response and create mutual agreement moving forward Participants practice applying this model in simulated workplace scenarios. Strengthening Execution and Accountability Execution failures are examined through a five-factor diagnostic framework: clarity, skill gaps, buy-in, resistance, and goodwill. Participants learn to assess whether breakdowns in execution stem from unclear direction, lack of skill or framework, insufficient buy-in, emotional resistance, or deeper disengagement. This diagnostic approach shifts leaders from frustration to structured problem-solving. Feedback as a Leadership Responsibility The session emphasizes feedback as a core leadership function rather than a discretionary activity. Participants explore how to deliver feedback that raises awareness, drives change, and maintains trust. Emphasis is placed on balancing clarity with support, increasing emotional courage, and following up to reinforce accountability. Emotional Courage in Leadership Participants examine the role of emotional courage in effective leadership. The program addresses the internal barriers leaders face—fear of being disliked, fear of conflict, discomfort with emotion—and provides strategies to move forward despite discomfort. Leaders practice holding boundaries while remaining open, curious, and respectful. Instructional Methods: Facilitated lecture with visual models and structured frameworks Real-time analysis of workplace case studies Small group discussion and peer learning Scenario-based role play and guided rehearsal Reflective exercises focused on personal leadership application Structured debrief conversations to reinforce learning The instructional design emphasizes skill development over theory alone. Participants are encouraged to bring real workplace challenges into the discussion and to leave with a concrete plan for immediate implementation. Competency Alignment: This program primarily supports SHRM Behavioral Competencies, including: Leadership & Navigation: Strengthening leaders’ ability to influence, direct, and hold others accountable. Relationship Management: Improving the ability to manage interactions constructively and maintain trust. Communication: Enhancing clarity, directness, listening, and feedback delivery. Ethical Practice: Encouraging transparency, accountability, and responsible confrontation of issues. Outcomes: Upon completion, participants demonstrate increased confidence in initiating difficult conversations, improved ability to manage defensiveness and resistance, and stronger execution outcomes through clearer expectations and deeper buy-in. Leaders leave equipped with practical tools that can be immediately applied in performance conversations, team meetings, coaching discussions, cross-functional collaboration, and conflict resolution situations. By closing the courage gap, organizations benefit from stronger accountability cultures, improved performance management, increased engagement, and healthier workplace relationships.

Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership
Closing the Courage Gap: Mastering Difficult Conversations for Stronger Leadership
7600 Lake Campus Dr
Celina, OH 45822-2921

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