Aspire. Motivate. Activate.
Igniting Your Leadership through Deliberate and Strategic Communication
Purpose Statement
Highly effective leaders are not only able to develop a vision and action plan, but are master communicators. Hosted by the American Academy of Nursing’s (Academy) Institute for Nursing Leadership (INL), this workshop is designed to strengthen one’s ability to wield the power of words, data, and storytelling towards influence and action. Whether addressing colleagues, potential partners, or those in seats of decision-making authority, understanding how to navigate key elements such as interpersonal dynamics, tailoring your language to be audience-specific, and approaching conversations with a “win-win” mindset are vital for successful leadership.
Participants will hear an inspiring keynote on how to utilize communication tools to meet these goals and will have the opportunity to join a breakout discussion of their choosing that builds off one of the themes incorporated into the keynote address. Participants will feel more empowered to be the decision-maker others turn to when the stakes are high.
Understand how communication can drive impact.
Identify effective communication tools to have one’s message resonate with a wide array of audiences.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this event, attendees will:
Opening Keynote:
What They Don't Know Will Hurt Us
Information is power, and the language we use to communicate that information can ignite change. In an era when endless voices compete for time, energy, and resources, leveraging nursing’s credibility and reputation requires the ability to cut through the noise. In this opening keynote, Academy Fellow and North Carolina State Senator Gale Adcock will invite participants into a conversation on how nurse leaders can command the attention of different audiences, earn the trust of powerbrokers, and ensure that our policy priorities are heard, understood, and implemented. Sharing her own personal experiences, Senator Adcock will make clear why it is critical for nurses to be present and active in spaces where decisions about the health of our communities are made.
Sponsored by Symplr
BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS
Each breakout room moderator kicks off the discussion with 10 minutes of speaking, then moves the group into a 50-minute group discussion.
BREAKOUT 1 — Communicating for Maximum Impact: Tailoring Your Message to Policymakers
Nursing leaders embody the knowledge and expertise to inform sound policy. As constituents, nurse leaders have a responsibility to understand their role as educators and advocates for the profession and their patients. To do so, they must understand the culture, intricacies, and expectations for communicating with federal policymakers and their staff. In this breakout session, participants will learn how to effectively tailor their communication skills and style to maximize their message, deliver their request, and use their communication savvy to establish oneself as a trusted expert constituent.
BREAKOUT 2 - Board Savvy:
Effective Strategies for Optimal Engagement
Board service provides opportunities for advancing the work of an organization while simultaneously amplifying one’s influence. Whether looking to serve on a board for the first time or aiming to serve in a new capacity, intentional engagement is key. In this breakout session, participants will learn and discuss tips and points for successful service throughout the board lifecycle, from nomination, to actively serving, to seeking bigger and bolder opportunities.
Moderator
Jim D'Alfonso
DNP, RN, Ph.D.(h), NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Executive Director
Professional Excellence and the Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy Kaiser Permanente Northern California Regional Patient Care Services
Adjunct Faculty
University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions
BREAKOUT 3 - Mentors, Champions, and Sponsors:
Building the Profession’s Future Bench
Nurse leaders recognize those who have supported them during their career journey. Mentors, sponsors, and champions each have a distinct but critical role in developing future generations of nurse leaders. In this breakout session, participants wishing to “pay it forward” can explore how they can guide others in through their career journey, and participants seeking this guidance can learn how to effectively approach a potential mentor, sponsor, or champion.
BREAKOUT 4 - Navigating Politics and Power Dynamics
Strategic leaders don’t shy away from politics; they lean into them. At times, however, navigating politics, interpersonal relationships, and power dynamics can be daunting. In this breakout session, participants will explore methods to be more empowered when engaging with others within actual or perceived hierarchies, building relationships, and breaking down barriers preventing successful collaboration.
BREAKOUT 5 - Forging Partnerships: Moving From “You and Me” to “We”
Collaboration is part of nursing’s DNA. However, a common critique of the profession is that we “talk to ourselves,” thus limiting our potential to forge powerful partnerships across other disciplines. In this breakout session, participants will converse and ideate how they can think more boldly to move away from individualistic thinking and toward expanding their influence and impact through proactive outreach, dialogue, and implementation of non-traditional collaborations.
BREAKOUT 6 - Purposeful Storytelling: Fostering Relationships through Connection and Understanding
Beginning. Middle. End. All stories follow this trajectory. While plotlines may differ, the common core all stories share is that they are powerful tools for fostering connection and understanding, and they all have worth. In this breakout session, participants will learn how the art of storytelling enhances one’s leadership by demonstrating authenticity, breathes life into a shared mission and vision, and can serve as a motivator to unite a team toward advancing a goal or outcome. In the digital age where meaning and intent can be easily lost in translation, storytelling is a powerful tool for communicating to audiences effectively and intentionally.
INL National Advisory Council
Hussein Tahan, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCM (Chair)
Gale Adcock, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN (Vice Chair)
Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN
Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN, FADLN
Aisha Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FAAN
Sharon Lamberton, MS, RN
Laura Reichhardt, MS, APRN, AGPCNP-BC
Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Jing Wang, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FADLN, FAAN (Board Liaison)
Event Partners
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 INL Workshop
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