Leading Mindfully: Mastering Difficult Conversations

Learn evidence-based practices to effectively lead under pressure and build your team’s resilience with compassion and communication.

Counts toward the Certificate in Leadership & Management
Counts toward the Management Development Certificate

Upcoming Dates

Program Dates

Format

Time Commitment

Program Fee

2-25 Jun 2025

Live Virtual, Online

4 weeks, Monday & Wednesday, 1-2:30pm EDT

$3,600.00

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Overview

Gain the essential self-awareness to achieve personal growth and build your leadership capabilities. This interactive program will give you the practical tools to effectively meet the inner and outer dimensions of difficult conversations. You will learn how to take situations often fraught with high emotion and complexity and find greater clarity, calm and resolve for action. Designed for business leaders, you’ll come away from this interactive program with proven mindfulness practices you can implement right away.

Designed for busy professionals, live virtual sessions with faculty will be held Mondays & Wednesdays, 1-2:30pm EDT.

Intended For

Individual Contributor, Team Leader, Senior Management, Executive

Focus

Leadership

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Program Overview

Embark on a personal leadership journey that is designed for leaders at any level who need to master the art of a difficult conversation. Discover proven techniques to manage your internal reactions to complex situations and use those tools to become a stronger leader.

Bring your own personal leadership challenges and work on them directly through experiential learning.
Identify and transform personal triggers and habits of attention that influence your ability to take effective action.
Engage in exercises - inspired by meditation, yoga, improvisation and acting - all designed to help you observe your own leadership in action.
Discover how to balance "grit and grace" by cultivating the focus and determination of grit and the calm and kindness of grace through mindful and compassion practices.

Format & Time Commitment

This program is designed for busy, working professionals. The entire program will run online over a four-week period with live virtual classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-2:30pm EST.

Between live virtual classes, participants will have the opportunity to practice daily exercises, apply learning in real-time in their own settings, and check-in with peers and instructors via an online learning platform.
Session Topics
Introduction to Leading Mindfully

Managing Your Survival Reactions

Steadying for Action

Navigating Crisis, Change, & Transitions

Seeing What's Real & Taking Action

Adapting & Leading on the Fly

Practicing Your Moves

Learning Done, Learning Yet to Come
Impact & Outcomes
By the end of this program, you will be able to:

Incorporate daily, practical methods for centering yourself and projecting a leadership presence that rings true in you and with others.

Become more present so you can focus on the right priorities for yourself and your organization.

Increase your resilience and ability to self-manage while increasing your team’s resilience and ability to self-manage.

Engage your people and communicate with greater clarity and effectiveness.

Create a resilient organizational culture.
Participant Profile

Leading Mindfully: Mastering Difficult Conversations is designed for business leaders at any level in every industry who would like proven techniques to manage stress, thrive in disruption and lead more resilient teams.

In order to be awarded full credit hours, you must be present for the entirety of the program.
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Sponsorship
UVA Darden Executive Education offers continuing education credits as part of our commitment to encourage lifelong learning.

Instructional Delivery: Group Live

CPE Credits: 18.0

Field of Study: Personal Development

Program Level: Beginner

There are no prerequisites for participation. Advanced preparation includes:

Pre-reading

Reflective Writing: Leadership Challenges

The selected case studies, readings, assessments, and exercises will be sent prior to the program for all participants to read and prepare for discussion on the first day of the program.

Refund/Cancelation/Concern Resolution Policy:

All cancellations and transfers must be received in writing. Submit your request via email to Darden_ExEd@darden.virginia.edu with the name of the program, followed by "cancellation" or "transfer" in the subject line. Cancellation or transfer fees may apply. Visit our Registration & FAQ page for full details on transfers and cancellations.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints, please contact us at 1-434-924-3000 or Darden_ExEd@darden.virginia.edu to resolve your issue.

UVA Darden School Foundation - Executive Education is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Concerns regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

This program is designed for busy, working professionals. The entire program will run online over a four-week period with live virtual classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-2:30pm EST.

Between live virtual classes, participants will have the opportunity to practice daily exercises, apply learning in real-time in their own settings, and check-in with peers and instructors via an online learning platform.

By the end of this program, you will be able to:

Incorporate daily, practical methods for centering yourself and projecting a leadership presence that rings true in you and with others.
Become more present so you can focus on the right priorities for yourself and your organization.
Increase your resilience and ability to self-manage while increasing your team’s resilience and ability to self-manage.
Engage your people and communicate with greater clarity and effectiveness.
Create a resilient organizational culture.

Leading Mindfully: Mastering Difficult Conversations is designed for business leaders at any level in every industry who would like proven techniques to manage stress, thrive in disruption and lead more resilient teams.

In order to be awarded full credit hours, you must be present for the entirety of the program.

UVA Darden Executive Education offers continuing education credits as part of our commitment to encourage lifelong learning.

Instructional Delivery: Group Live
CPE Credits: 18.0
Field of Study: Personal Development
Program Level: Beginner

There are no prerequisites for participation. Advanced preparation includes:

Pre-reading
Reflective Writing: Leadership Challenges

The selected case studies, readings, assessments, and exercises will be sent prior to the program for all participants to read and prepare for discussion on the first day of the program.

Refund/Cancelation/Concern Resolution Policy:

All cancellations and transfers must be received in writing. Submit your request via email to Darden_ExEd@darden.virginia.edu with the name of the program, followed by "cancellation" or "transfer" in the subject line. Cancellation or transfer fees may apply. Visit our Registration & FAQ page for full details on transfers and cancellations.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints, please contact us at 1-434-924-3000 or Darden_ExEd@darden.virginia.edu to resolve your issue.

UVA Darden School Foundation - Executive Education is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Concerns regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

We are currently in an extremely challenging and changing environment. While there are many advantages to working remotely, managing associates in this way presents unique challenges. Creating trust, open communication, and the connection necessary for collaborative work relationship requires specific strategies and tools. This class arms you with what is needed to be successful.

D. Grace Mendoza

Sr. Manager of Operations, Capital One Auto Finance

Earn Your Certificate

The Leading Mindfully: Mastering Difficult Conversations program counts as one program toward a noncredit Darden Certificate in Leadership & Management. Complete this program and three additional programs within a four-year period to earn your certificate.

Faculty

Elizabeth A. Powell

Julie Logan Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Director, Compassionate Care Initiative

Elizabeth A. Powell

Julie Logan Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Director, Compassionate Care Initiative

Communication

Specializing in mindful communication and leadership presence, Lili Powell teaches in Leading Mindfully, Women in Leadership and Managing Individual and Organizational Change. As a consultant, facilitator, instructor and coach, Professor Powell has assisted in industries ranging from banking to biotech. She has worked with numerous national and international businesses, organizations, and universities.

Full Bio

Jeremy Hunter

Associate Professor of Business Administration, Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University

Jeremy Hunter

Associate Professor of Business Administration, Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University

Hunter serves as the Founding Director of The Executive Mind Leadership Institute and has designed and led leadership development programs for a wide variety of organizations. He works with participants to create a "culture of calm", resulting in more effective team performance as well as creating better firm-wide solutions.

Full Bio