Cultivating Resiliency and Boldness in Uncertain Times

Howard Teibel - Teibel Education Consulting
Nico Washington - Haverford College

Higher education stands at a defining crossroads. Financial strain, public skepticism, and cultural divisions have exposed fault lines between faculty, administrators, staff, and the communities we serve. What were once quiet tensions have become heightened distrust, leaving many leaders and their people torn between retreating into the safety of routine versus stepping forward to create genuine positive change.

Yet this moment also presents a profound opportunity. To move beyond incremental fixes, leaders must cultivate in themselves and their people a sense of resiliency and boldness - resiliency as the ability to adapt and recover in the face of disruption and the courage to act decisively in the face of uncertainty. This is not about pushing harder on systems already stretched thin. It is about showing up differently with presence, empathy, and a sense of purpose versus avoidance or deflection.

In this interactive session, participants will learn practices exercised by two thought leaders and practitioners in higher education – Nico Washington from Haverford College and Howard Teibel from Teibel Education. Nico and Howard will share ways to strengthen executive presence and expand influence that leads to accelerated decision-making. We are living through tumultuous times where leaders need to focus less on the things that need to get done and focus more on ways to inspire their teams for a positive future.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify ways to practice resilience and boldness in order to adapt to disruption and act with courage in uncertain contexts.
  2. Discuss how to demonstrate executive presence and influence to inspire trust, accelerate decision-making, and engage others with empathy and purpose.
  3. Articulate a future-focused mindset by shifting from routine-driven responses to practices that motivate and energize teams toward positive change.

CPE Available

  • 1 Credit: Personal Development