Wema Hoover

In this keynote session, Wema demonstrates how to harness diversity to unlock an organization’s skills and abilities through inclusive practices leading to increased employee engagement and collaboration, breakthrough thinking, and enhanced innovation. Wema also discusses unconscious bias, how to create a culture of belonging, overcoming unconscious bias, cultural competence, and global leadership.

In this interactive and engaging 45-minute keynote, Wema will share how female leaders can build skills to empower themselves and others through self-advocacy, tapping into their full talent, skills, and ability in work and life to elevate, advance, and be successful in any environment. This keynote will explore how female leaders can create value both personally and professionally through effective advocacy skills by harnessing their competence, abilities, and personal life experiences to excel and by managing common pitfalls and derailers that get in the way. These derailers, such as imposter syndrome, over-analyzing readiness to take new opportunities, and believing their life choices are obstacles instead of their greatest assets, will be explored and dispelled as myths. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to address unconscious bias, discover how to successfully leverage emotional intelligence, and identify ways to embrace personal power and purpose to lead authentically, grow, develop, and thrive in the workplace and environment. Attendees will ultimately learn how to use these strategies in work and life to create value for themselves and others through game-changing advocacy skills to reach their full potential in everything they do. Expected Outcomes:

• Harness the full spectrum of skills and lived experiences to learn, lead, and grow.
• Empower self and others through using emotional intelligence as an asset and strategy.
• Identify and mitigate unconscious bias and microinequities affecting women
• Develop a culture of allyship and support through mentoring and sponsorship
• Understand personal strengths and power to lead authentically
• Build workplace practices that empower & develop women at every level
• Create a new norm and framework to amplify the voice, success, and impact of women

Wema explains the critical link between emotional intelligence and inclusion. This discussion explores the practical ways to build EQ in leaders, activate inclusion, and promote equity to address racial injustice and embed equitable practices in organizational culture.  Wema also discusses unconscious bias: how to identify it, how to acknowledge it, how to overcome it, and how to prevent it.