Jen Fry, PhD (she/her)

This high-impact workshop is designed for people who want to master the art of leveraging conflict as a powerful leadership tool. True leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about managing tension, balancing diverse perspectives, and transforming conflict into a source of growth rather than division. Yet, many leaders underestimate the role of conflict in shaping trust, collaboration, and performance. Handled poorly, conflict erodes morale and stalls progress. Handled well, it fuels innovation, strengthens relationships, and drives team success.
This session will equip leaders with the insights, strategies, and skills to confidently engage in difficult conversations, identify their natural conflict response, and turn disagreements into opportunities for growth. Participants will hear real-world conflict scenarios and learn how to lead with clarity and control in moments of tension.
Conflict shouldn’t be feared or avoided—it should be understood and harnessed.

At the senior level, leadership is not only about delivering results but about navigating complex interpersonal dynamics, maintaining alignment across departments, and steering teams through shifting priorities. In athletic departments, where performance and pressure intersect daily, the ability to manage tough conversations is an indispensable leadership skill. These moments—whether addressing misaligned goals, handling team or staff underperformance, or facing difficult budgetary decisions—are often where leadership either breaks or builds trust.

This session is designed for high-level leaders who are ready to elevate their leadership game by leaning into the hard conversations that come with the role. Participants will explore the psychology behind trust and accountability, learning to foster an atmosphere where teams feel empowered and valued while maintaining high standards of performance and integrity.

This workshop is designed for leaders ready to dig deep into the connection between conflict and organizational culture. We’re not just talking about surface-level fixes—we’re getting into the heart of how conflict, big or small, shapes the very fabric of your organization. Leaders will explore how conflict can either derail your team or drive it toward greatness, depending on how it’s handled. We’ll identify where conflicts typically arise and uncover the real issues fueling them. More importantly, we’ll dive into strategies to turn those challenges into opportunities to build a culture rooted in open communication, respect, and trust. By the end of this session, you’ll have actionable tools to take conflict and use it as a lever for cultural transformation. This isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about creating an organization that thrives under pressure, stays true to its values, and builds stronger, more unified teams. If you’re ready to stop avoiding conflict and start using i

In a world that often pressures women to accommodate others at the expense of their own needs, self-advocacy can feel like an uphill battle. This session is designed to help women reclaim their voices, assert their worth, and advocate for their needs with confidence and clarity. Through reflective exercises, interactive discussions, and actionable strategies, participants will learn to challenge societal expectations, set empowering boundaries, and communicate their needs effectively.

By addressing the internal and external barriers that hinder self-advocacy, this workshop creates a supportive environment where women can redefine what it means to lead authentically. Participants will gain insight into how societal norms and personal experiences shape their approach to conflict and decision-making. They’ll also learn to reframe boundary-setting as a powerful act of self-respect and empowerment, rather than a source of guilt or selfishness.

This empowering workshop is designed specifically for women to strengthen their ability to set clear boundaries and advocate effectively for themselves in both personal and professional settings. Many women are taught that they cannot say no to people who are nice or kind because they will be thought of as “mean”. Participants will explore the importance of saying no, establishing and maintaining boundaries, developing strong self-advocacy skills, confidently expressing their opinions, making informed decisions, and pursuing their goals assertively. Participants will learn how to identify situations where their boundaries are being tested and discover practical strategies for asserting themselves in a respectful and effective manner. The session aims to create a supportive environment where women can gain the confidence to stand up for themselves and navigate the complexities of various interpersonal dynamics with poise and self-assurance.

During the session, we explore the complexities of conflict management at work. We will unpack the weaponizing of words, exploring how specific language can undermine professional credibility and discussing strategies to effectively navigate and counteract this. We will explore the concept of triangulation in conflicts – understanding its mechanics and learning how to identify and address it. Lastly, we'll focus on the art of documentation, a crucial skill in conflict resolution, which involves intentionally recording events and communications to provide clarity for any future problems. This session aims to empower professionals with practical tools and insights to manage office conflict assertively and tactfully.

Conflict is an inevitable part of any team or workplace, but when handled effectively, it becomes a powerful tool for growth and connection. In this session, participants will explore how to identify their personal triggers and emotional responses to conflict, gaining insight into how their reactions shape team dynamics and decision-making. Attendees will learn strategies for emotional regulation, equipping them with tools to stay grounded, resilient, and focused during challenging situations. Finally, the session will delve into fostering compassionate leadership practices—emphasizing empathy, accountability, and trust-building—to create a culture where difficult conversations lead to stronger relationships and shared success. This session offers actionable steps to transform conflict from a source of tension into an opportunity for meaningful change.

This session empowers leaders to tackle challenging leadership scenarios head-on with advanced communication strategies that drive results. Participants will master the art of conducting effective, difficult conversations—addressing tough issues while fostering accountability and respect. They’ll learn to set clear expectations and own them, ensuring alignment and trust within their teams. The session dives deep into the critical difference between earning respect and seeking to be liked, equipping leaders to prioritize respect as the foundation for strong, high-performing teams. This isn’t just about managing conversations—it’s about transforming leadership into a tool for building accountability, professionalism, and lasting success.

Conflict isn’t the problem—how we avoid it is. This session explores how unresolved tension, miscommunication, and avoidance silently shape workplace culture far more than policies or mission statements ever could. Rather than fearing conflict, strong organizations recognize it as a critical tool for building trust, accountability, and clarity.
Participants will learn how to identify their personal conflict responses, understand how those responses influence team dynamics, and develop the language and skills to lead through tension. This session goes beyond theory—we’ll engage real scenarios, challenge assumptions, and practice reshaping conflict into a leadership tool, not a liability.
Whether you’re managing a team or navigating peer dynamics, this session will help you see conflict as a powerful lens for growth and alignment. Because culture isn’t built in easy moments—it’s built in how we show up when it gets hard.

This comprehensive workshop series is tailored for student leaders and SAAC representatives, focusing on the critical aspects of leadership communication. The curriculum is divided into three key areas: managing self-emotions and understanding personal conflict styles; mastering difficult conversations, fostering accountability, enhancing work ethic, regulating emotions, providing constructive feedback, and managing team dynamics; and effectively navigating conversations with people in power. Participants will start by exploring their own emotional triggers and learning how to maintain composure and assertiveness in heated situations. The sessions aim to equip leaders with tools to recognize and adapt their conflict styles for more effective dispute resolution and enhanced interpersonal engagements.