Dr. Amer Kaissi, Ph.D.

Agility and resilience during turbulent times: Key behaviors for high-performing leaders
This session builds on evidence from leadership and management studies, and on Dr. Kaissi’s experience as an executive coach, consultant and researcher to enable the participants to develop the skills needed for agile leadership during turbulent times. Agile leaders combine flexibility in adapting to change, speed in making informed decisions, and resilience through challenges and change. The participants will learn specific self-leadership behaviors that will enable them to drive high performance. A behavioral change toolkit is presented at the end of the session.

Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of the principles of agile leadership including resilience, flexibility and speed.
- Develop agile leadership skills and behaviors to inspire change and drive high performance during turbulent times

Difficult conversations: How to get your point across without damaging the relationship
This session builds on evidence from leadership and management studies, and on Dr. Kaissi’s experience as an executive coach to enable the participants to develop the skills needed to have difficult conversations that involve strong emotions and high stakes. Leaders often avoid having difficult conversations for fear of damaging the relationship with the other party. This session provides a path for difficult conversations based on confidence, humility and skills. A behavioral change toolkit is presented at the end of the session.

Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of the principles of difficult conversations
- Master getting your points across without damaging the relationship with the other party

How to build a culture of kindness and accountability
Many people mistakenly believe that kindness doesn’t have a place at work, and they think that kind employees and leaders are weak, non-confrontational, and non-accountable. This session will argue, based on research evidence and case studies, that when compassion and kindness are combined with strength and accountability, employees and leaders can maximize their performance individually, for their teams, and for their organizations. The session ends with specific take-home behaviors on applying kindness and accountability in everyday workplace and leadership situations. Supported by real-life case studies and interviews, this presentation is based on the speaker’s book, “Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Leaders.”

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of kindness and accountability in leadership
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how kindness and accountability can lead to high performance
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with kindness and accountability

Employee engagement in times of uncertainty: the role of leader humility
Employee engagement is vital, especially during times of uncertainty. Building on the latest research, case studies and stories, the speaker argues that humble leaders that model and stimulate learning, open-mindedness and experimentation can play a major role in improving employee engagement in difficult times

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of humble leadership in impacting employee engagement
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how humility can lead to employee learning, experimentation , meaning and engagement
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with humble leadership, learning, open-mindedness and experimentation

Leadership intangibles: how humility and compassion can drive high performance
Despite strong evidence of arrogance and narcissism in society, humility and compassion are making a surprising comeback in business and leadership. Built on research from different fields, this session suggests that leaders who combine humility and compassion with ambition and determination can lead themselves, their teams, and their organizations into high performance.

Supported by real-life case studies and interviews, this presentation is based on the speaker’s book, “Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Leaders.”

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of humility and compassion in leadership
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how humility and compassion can lead to high performance
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with humility and compassion

Leading with Self-Awareness and mindfulness to maximize performance
This session shows that self-awareness is the starting point of leadership and that mindfulness is a highly needed skill that leaders can develop. Self-aware leaders understand their own values, their patterns of behaviors, and their impact on others. Mindful leaders remain calm under pressure and are present and know how to listen to others. The presenter uses research evidence and case studies to show that self-awareness and mindfulness can maximize a leader’s performance. The presentation ends with specific take-home behaviors.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of self-awareness and mindfulness in leadership
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how self-awareness and mindfulness can lead to high performance
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with self-awareness and mindfulness

Building High-performing teams: The role of safety, trust and candor
This session shows that building an environment of psychological safety, trust, and honest feedback is essential for creating high-performing teams. When people feel that their team is a place where they can speak up, offer ideas, and ask questions without fear of being embarrassed or punished, trust is developed. Once trust is in place, leaders can then provide periodic, honest, and direct feedback which leads to high performance at the individual and team levels. The presenter uses research evidence and case studies and ends the session with specific take-home behaviors.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of psychological safety, trust, and honest feedback in teamwork and leadership
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how psychological safety, trust, and honest feedback can lead to high team performance
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with psychological safety, trust, and honest feedback

Generosity and servant leadership
Generous leadership is rooted in the concept of servant leadership. Generous leaders give their time, their energy, and their talents to grow and develop those around them while making sure they protect their time to get things done. This session will argue, based on research evidence and case studies, that when generosity is combined with competence and strength, employees and leaders can maximize their performance individually, for their teams, and for their organizations. The session ends with specific take-home behaviors on applying generosity in every-day workplace and leadership situations.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of generosity and strength in leadership
- Discuss the latest research evidence that shows how generosity and strength can lead to high performance
- Implement behavioral changes that are compatible with generosity and strength