Symposium: Key Concepts in Leadership and Organizational Health and the Context of Multi-Generational Organizations

Facilitator: Brenda Huber

Saturday, April 26
2:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Credits Available: 2 CE
Instructional Level: Intermediate and Advanced Psychologists

Three panelists (Harris, Mendoza-Denton, and Grzanka) will each introduce a key concept of human centered leadership and organizational health that has emerged in their work, (i.e., organizational eco- systems, ambiguity, and power respectively), and describe how it has been relevant in the context of their populations of focus. After an opportunity for discussion with the panelists, we will reflect on the relevance of these and other concepts learned throughout the conference to multi-generational organizations.

Beyond the Individual: An Eco-System Approach to Leadership Coaching

Nancy Harris

Leadership coaching often focuses on individual growth, yet leaders operate within systems shaped by policies, practices, and power dynamics that impact their success. Without assessing these factors, coaching efforts often fall short. This session will explore why focusing solely on a leader’s perceived weaknesses can be ineffective and how assessing the ecosystem in which they operate can lead to more impactful outcomes. By taking an eco-system approach, we can set leaders up for sustainable success and drive meaningful change in organizations.

A Structured Approach to Human Centered Equity

Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton

In this talk, I will summarize how a human centered inquiry must also include attention to the social and institutional environment where humans interact. Human flourishing occurs when people feel a sense of psychological safety to be able to focus on shared group activities (e.g., learning, working). I will discuss here the role of clarity and structure in human-centered equity, where the criteria and standards for success are clear, transparent, and available to all. The role of administrators and group leaders will be discussed.

Intersectional Structural Competency: Organizational Health as/for/and Social Justice

Patrick Grzanka

Over the past decade, psychologists have begun to consider how the concept of “structural competency,” which emphasizes humility and sensitivity to power over the acquisition of specific knowledge about marginalized social groups, may inform psychological practice that aspires to be inclusive, affirming, and equitable. In this talk, I will introduce structural competency as an intersectional tool for promoting organizational health, with a focus on changing systems, structures, and policies so that leaders can achieve their often-stated but rarely achieved goals of inclusive organizational culture. I will argue that it is important to think about organizational health as a social justice project—that is, we cannot achieve healthy organizations without a sustained and well-resourced commitment to addressing systemic social inequalities, which shape both the broader society and the places we work.