The Essentials of Leadership and Management (ELM) Power Hour PLUS: Expand Your Impact series equips public health leaders with the strategic insights, practical tools, and real-world strategies needed to lead with confidence and drive meaningful change. Building upon the success of the traditional 60-minute Power Hour format, Power Hour PLUS expands each session to 75 minutes, creating additional time for deeper exploration of leadership concepts, meaningful discussion, practical application, and peer-to-peer engagement.

Description: This session builds on crucial conversation skills by introducing the “Third Space” as a psychologically safe way to navigate disagreement, competing interests, and emotionally charged moments with greater influence. Participants will work through realistic scenarios, using conversational frameworks related to managing up, peer-to-peer conflict, and giving feedback that will prepare them to de-escalate tension and guide conversations toward shared purpose and productive next steps.

Upon successful completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain the Third Space and its role in fostering productive dialogue during conflict or disagreement.
• Practice creating the Third Space and applying communication strategies that reduce defensiveness, surface interests, and maintain focus on shared purpose.
• Use next-step language to resolve conflict, strengthen accountability, and move work forward.

Speaker: Dawn Morriston, MPH, Director of Faculty Advancement, Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development, UNC School of Medicine

Registration for Session 2 will close on Monday, October 26, 2026.