Towards (Better) Leadership:

Centering Compassion, Wellbeing & Belonging

Special Virtual Event Recording: Towards (Better) Leadership: Putting Compassion, Wellbeing & Belonging in the Center for Being a Better Leader
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023

In this very special virtual event, our senior executives and leadership experts explored how being a (better) leader starts with a focus on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging — for both self and others. They discussed our (Better) Leadership Project and how what made organizations successful yesterday isn’t enough for tomorrow, so leaders must continue to evolve from good to better. Watch the recording our explore our collection of leadership resources on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging, with actionable tips gleaned from our research.

Virtual Event Schedule

11:00 AM ET — Welcome to The (Better) Leadership Project

Highlighting how the definition of good leadership is evolving, we’ll share the ways that (better) leadership strengthens organizational culture, improves engagement, and increases retention. 

Lynn Fick-Cooper
Lynn Fick-Cooper
Chief Equity & Societal Impact Officer
Fara Francis, CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of Center for Creative Leadership
Fara Francis
Chief Information Officer
Going beyond empathy and towards compassionate leadership enables leaders to create space to care for themselves and others.
Chris Zintel
Chris Zintel
Dr. Shelley Thompkins
Shelley Thompkins
Stephanie Wormington
Dr. Stephanie Wormington

12:00 PM ET — Break

Being a better leader requires a focus on cultivating employee wellbeing for the collective, instead of over-relying on individual resilience and self-care.

Jessica Davidson
Jessica Davidson
Jeneva Patterson
Jeneva Patterson
Michael DePass
Michael DePass

Building a sense of belonging at work is an often overlooked, yet essential, part of success in organizational diversity & inclusion efforts.

Andrea (Andi) Williams
Andi Williams
Darren L Johnson
Darren Johnson
Jayke Hamill
Jayke Hamill

1:30 PM ET — Break

1:35 PM ET — Closing Keynote: Cultivating the Collective

Outlining the day’s key takeaways and connecting the dots between compassion, wellbeing, belonging, and being a (better) leader, we’ll close by sharing how individuals and organizations can do better at developing leadership.

Deirdre G Robinson
Deirdre Robinson
Chief Human Resources Officer
Marcia Dawkins
Dr. Marcia Dawkins
Senior Research Scientist

About the Presenters

Jessica DavidsonJessica Davidson
Senior Faculty
Center for Creative Leadership

Jessica came to CCL with over 20 years of consulting and industry experience as a thought and strategy partner to executives and senior leaders, with an emphasis on talent and leadership development. Since the start of her career in Human Resources and Organizational Development, Jessica has worked across industries in the public and private sector, transforming leaders and organizations through culture, strategy, and operations. As senior faculty at CCL, Jessica leverages her skills and experience to design programs that drive individual and organizational transformation.
Darren JohnsonDarren Johnson
Organizational Leadership Practitioner
Center for Creative Leadership

Darren has been practicing organizational development for over 35 years. In his role as Organizational Leadership Practitioner at CCL, he works with executive and senior leadership teams using a client-centered approach to define and activate enterprise-wide strategic objectives, and to build equity, diversity, and inclusion. Prior to joining CCL, Darren worked in Organizational Development at GM, Ford, and Nissan. He was also formerly the Deputy Director of the Office of African American Affairs for the state of New Mexico and the Deputy Director for National Minority AIDS Council.
Shelley ThompkinsShelley Thompkins
Senior Faculty
Center for Creative Leadership

An Associate Certified Coach recognized for leveraging best practices across diverse industries and markets, Shelley brings more than 20 years of experience with market-leading organizations and Fortune 500 corporations. As a collaborative leader, design thinker, developer, and learning experience facilitator, she helps leaders become extraordinary performers, visionaries, and collaborators, as well as critical and strategic thinkers.
Andi WilliamsAndi Williams
Portfolio Director & Faculty
Center for Creative Leadership

Andi designs and delivers transformational development experiences, with a particular focus on developing public health leaders. Before joining CCL, Andi served as Deputy Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)’s Substance Abuse Policy Research program and the RWJF-funded Executive Nurse Fellows program, which increased the effectiveness of American nurse leaders. She has also authored a book chapter, “Culture of Health Leaders: Building a Diverse Network to Advance Health Equity” in  Leading Community Based Changes in the Culture of Health in the US.
Chris ZintelChris Zintel
Leadership Solutions Parter
Center for Creative Leadership

As Leadership Solutions Partner, Chris facilitates open enrollment programs as well as customized in-person, online, and blended solutions for all leader levels. Chris has a diverse background in the areas of leadership, organizational transformation, corporate sustainability, and project management. His experience includes leading global projects, working with multicultural teams, coaching senior executives, and facilitating action learning in diverse contexts ranging from outdoor expeditions to design thinking workshops.
Lynn Fick-CooperLynn Fick-Cooper
Chief Equity & Societal Impact Officer
Center for Creative Leadership

Lynn leads diverse teams responsible for the design and delivery of leadership solutions for social sector organizations focused on K–12 and Higher Education, Nonprofits, and Population Health; social sector research and evaluation; fundraising; and program operations. She’s also Executive Sponsor of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Practice, working to develop and deliver effective leadership solutions that help CCL and our clients create equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizational cultures.
Fara FrancisFara Francis
Chief Information Officer
Center for Creative Leadership

Fara is our Chief Information Officer, leading a global team committed to providing the technology solutions needed to create world-class, human-centered leadership development experiences that ignite transformational and sustainable change for individuals, organizations, and the communities they serve.
Dr. Stephanie WormingtonStephanie Wormington, PhD
Director of Global Strategic Research & Senior Research Scientist
Center for Creative Leadership

Stephanie Wormington is a Senior Research Scientist and Director of Global Strategic Research at the Center for Creative Leadership. Her current research focuses primarily on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures; exploring collective leadership through networks; and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.
Michael DePassMichael DePass
Vice President, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Practice
Center for Creative Leadership

As leader of our global EDI practice, Michael combines his extensive professional experience and passion for social change with his gifts for strategic leadership, innovative thinking, and business development. Previously, he served as director of our K-12 education portfolio, designing and delivering transformative educational leadership development. Prior to joining CCL, he worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and at several international development organizations.
Jayke HamillJayke Hamill
Faculty, Societal Advancement
Center for Creative Leadership

Jayke is the Deputy Director of the Colorado Collective Leadership Initiative and a faculty member on CCL’s Societal Impact team. Working with nonprofits, foundations, and other social sector organizations, they are vested in growing the field of leadership development to be more accessible and inclusive of all leaders — including BIPOC leaders, individuals with disabilities, neurodiverse learners, LGBTQIA+ folks, first-generation college students, and beyond. Jayke also serves as a co-chair of CCL’s LGBTQ+ Global Employee Resource Group.
Marcia Alesan Dawkins, PhDMarcia Alesan Dawkins, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Center for Creative Leadership

Marcia is a senior research scientist and co-leads our Latinx-Hispanic ERG. Her current research focuses on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures through strategic communication. Her thought leadership and award-winning books and articles have been featured in media outlets such as BBC World, NPR, AOL Originals, ABC News, and HuffPo Live, along with several podcasts.
Deirdre Robinson Deirdre Robinson
Chief Human Resources Officer
Center for Creative Leadership

Deirdre brings a wealth of HR and executive coaching experience to CCL, with experience spanning a wide range of sectors including education, energy, healthcare, and engineering. As CCL’s Chief Human Resources Officer, she uses her business acumen, strategic and innovative thinking, change management skills, analytics management experience, and trans-disciplinary thinking to meet the global HR needs of our constantly evolving business.
Jeneva Patterson
Leadership Solutions Partner
Center for Creative Leadership

Jeneva works with business and political leaders worldwide to help them motivate, mobilize, and lead in volatile markets. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College, an MA in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard University, and an MA in Organization Development from American University. She also holds Certificates in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), in Board Strategy and Leadership from the Wharton School of Business at UPenn, and in Medicine and Leadership Coaching from Harvard Medical School/McClean Hospital, where she’s a Founding Member of the Institute of Coaching.
Previous slide
Next slide

Sign Up for Newsletters

Don’t miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

Related Content

Photo of leaders considering how leadership works and the leadership philosophy of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)
White Paper
How Leadership Works

This introduction to our leadership philosophy explains how direction, alignment, and commitment (the elements of our DAC framework) are key in how leadership works, connecting exponential potential with collective progress.