Leadership Lecture Series - Conversations With The Leadership Diva

Qualities of Effective Teams and Avoiding Team Dysfunction
Thursday July 16th 9am-11am

Gwen Webber-McLeod, President/CEO Gwen, Inc. works with many of the best and brightest teams in the country. In her work she discovered being effective is sometimes easier said than done when it comes to team work.

When teams are chosen as the vehicle for advancing an organization’s mission and goals, organizations must invest in building teams with the willingness and capacity to work together. This requires paying strategic attention to requirements for being an effective team.

Effective teams intentionally develop philosophies, skills, and behaviors to help the team work together. The goal is to create an atmosphere that combines the use of the team’s collective talents and stands on a culture of accountability, pride and results to achieve organizational goals.

Today’s organizations are challenged to thrive through a number of significant changes. Change challenges teams and impacts effectiveness of even great teams. When this happens it helps to refocus on being effective and exploring if team dynamics are negatively affecting or helping your collective ability to achieve outcomes. 

During the work session you will:

• Participate in an interactive presentation, Qualities of Effective Workplace Teams.

• Learn about skills needed to be an effective team member. 
   
• Learn five team dysfunctions and how to avoid them as a team.

• Develop strategies for applying work session concepts to improve team effectiveness.

Gwen Webber-McLeod is frequently sought after to design and facilitate work sessions for teams, deliver lectures and conference keynote addresses based on her perspectives about the development of emerging and established leaders. Gwen, Inc. serves leaders across the country. A core company practice is to create safe “spaces and places” to engage in straight talk about real-time issues affecting the head, heart, and spirit of a leader.

For more information on Gwen, Inc, visit. www.gweninc.com.



Gwendolyn (Gwen) Webber-McLeod, M.S., CPC, is President/CEO of Gwen, Inc. Gwen has over 40 years of experience in leadership, team and organization development, professional facilitation, strategic planning, and the development of effective coalitions/collaborations. Gwen is a known DEI strategist. Gwen is a seasoned executive coach providing this specialized support to leaders across industries. In 2024, Gwen achieved certification from the International Coach Academy; She is now an internationally certified Professional Executive Coach. This enhances her ability to build her legacy by developing a specialty executive coaching practice for emerging and established women leaders of color. (Unexpected Leaders®). Gwen is a frequently sought-after lecturer and conference keynote speaker on leadership. Her clients are CEOs, executive and mid-level managers, and leadership teams in public, private, healthcare, and education businesses and organizations. Gwen, Inc. exists solely to help leaders achieve business goals by focusing on the personal and team competencies of confidence, competence, courage, and calm. Gwen is also a board member of many prominent local and state economic development and nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, Gwen founded You Can’t Fail: Because Your History Says You Can’t. A unique one-of-a-kind conference designed to provide leadership development experiences for professional women of color. It was founded to honor her success and to support new generations of Black women leaders. In 2015, You Can’t Fail was incorporated as a 501(c) (3) charitable organization, You Can’t Fail, Inc. The organization hosts its signature program, the You Can't Fail Leadership Learning Community, for emerging black women leaders nationwide. Since the inception of the original concept, the You Can't Fail Conference and Leadership Learning community have combined to impact over 1000 Black women leaders.

Gwen is a published author. Her book, Your Leadership Journey: Living and Leading In and On Purpose, published in 2023, is making a significant impact. This leadership development book, designed for women leaders with an emphasis on the unique experiences of women leaders of color, is well-received by readers. Gwen hosts book signings and related events in person and virtually to ensure that as many women leaders as possible are exposed to the idea that they are the most important leaders in their lives, and are enlightened and informed about their leadership potential. In 2025, Gwen launched a successful book tour and piloted Conversations with The Leadership Diva, an online leadership development series for women leaders.

Gwen has earned prominent recognition throughout her career. In 2019, Gwen was the first Black woman to run for the Cayuga County Legislature since the founding of her hometown, Auburn, New York, in 1793. She followed in her mother's footsteps, who was the FIRST Black woman to serve as a County Legislator in Jefferson County, NY. Of special note, Auburn is Harriet Tubman's final home and resting place. Gwen believes she is guided in her work and legacy building by the spirit of this important Black woman leader. Gwen is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In January 2024, Gwen was appointed by the Mayor of Auburn to the position of Chair of the Auburn Industrial Development Authority, a testament to her unique achievements and inspiring journey. Gwen attributes her success to her loving family's support and unwavering commitment to her mission. She takes great pride in being a legacy-building Black woman leader focused on deepening, amplifying, and continually refreshing her personal and professional impact on the lives of those she serves. Gwen is living her wildest dreams!