WICT Leadership Conference

On March 5-6, I had the opportunity to attend the WICT Leadership Conference in NYC.  This year’s theme was “Leadership Excellence in Changing Times.”  Since I have about 20 pages of notes, I’m just going to discuss some of the highlights!

Wednesday morning started out with a brief opening from Benita Fitzgerald Mosley and then a mesmerizing keynote by Dr. Maya Angelou!  She read poetry and told stories of her life experiences.  One of her main messages to us was that teaching others is very important because it can help influence generations (leadership and legacy). 

 The rest of the day was filled with breakout sessions and more keynote addresses.  We covered topics such as retaining valuable employees, career planning, surviving change and following your passions.  That afternoon, I also had the opportunity to attend a technology session that broke down some of the confusing acronyms and filled us in on what is new in our ever-changing industry.  Another highlight of the day was the Mentoring Lunch, where there was one cable exec at each table.  I had lunch with Brooke Johnson, President of the Food Network.  She shared her personal story of how she got to her current position.  Additionally, we all had the opportunity to ask questions and share our stories.  Since this was such a large conference, it was really nice to have that level of personal interaction with other attendees.

Thursday consisted of three general sessions - ”Communication Across Generations”, “A State of the Industry” and “Guys Do it All the Time”.   The session on Generations was very interesting.   The panel discussed realities and perceptions about the different generations in the workplace.  Knowing this sort of information can help with appropriate communication.  The State of the Industry panel was also very informative.  We learned what Wall Street values from our companies and how the economic slowdown and digital transition may affect us.  The final general session, titled ”Guys Do it All the Time” was about negotiation skills for women.  Personally, I’ve read books and attended sessions on this, but what made this conversation different was that the panel consisted of two men and two women who are all senior level executives.  Hearing their personal experiences and advice in this area added relevance and awareness to the topic.

The WICT Leadership Conference definitely exceeded my expectations!  Thank you to WICT Atlanta for the opportunity to attend!