Member: From Polite to Powerful: Lead the Conversation Without Losing Your Warmth

Most of us were taught to be agreeable, accommodating and easy to work with, quick to soften the hard thing or avoid it altogether, often at our own expense. Yet the conversations we shy away from are often the ones that create the biggest opportunities for growth: asking for what we're worth, naming tension, and giving feedback that drives real change.

In this practical, interactive session, Emma Gibbens, Culture and Conversations Expert shares how to influence without force, navigate difficult dynamics, and ask for what you want with clarity and confidence. You'll discover why challenging conversations rarely unravel because of what we say, but because of how we show up, and you'll leave with practical tools you can put into action straight away, including Emma's SPARK framework for feedback that lowers the stakes and inspires meaningful change.

Expect less people-pleasing and more presence.

You'll walk away able to:
• Influence and persuade through curiosity rather than force
• Navigate tension, challenging personalities and high-stakes moments while maintaining both authority and warmth
• Deliver feedback that is direct, thoughtful and kind using the SPARK framework: say it sooner, say it smaller, say it kindly