NANCY’S KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
Nancy Parsons captivates her audiences in a vivid, yet compelling and relatable way. She uses stories, images, fun quizzes, history, research data, and brainstorming to engage participants and to help them formulate their own action plans.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:
FRESH INSIGHTS TO END THE GLASS CEILING
NEW RESEARCH PROVIDES CLEAR SOLUTIONS
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
In Nancy Parsons’ eye-opening, dynamic presentation and book, Fresh Insights to END the Glass Ceiling, she reveals stunning new research that sheds new light on why the glass ceiling really exists. She explains why so few women make it to the top, the staggering costs, and provides practical solutions to bring it down swiftly. At the start, she’ll also test audience assumptions about the glass ceiling. Odds are — most people miss the mark on the real reasons behind this phenomenon and that is why today’s solutions are not working.
Despite the many “Women In Leadership” and “Diversity” councils appointed by company executives, little progress has been made in the past 40 years. Nancy points out that, “If we don’t change the current trajectory, it will take another 400 years for women to attain 50 percent of the CEO positions. This is simply unacceptable.”
The good news is, this research-based presentation is not a blame game nor do men executives need to feel uneasy. Rather, they will feel significant relief when they understand what has actually caused this phenomenon, and more importantly, that it is quite fixable.
Nancy uses stories, images, fun quizzes, history, research data, and brainstorming to engage audiences and to help them begin formulating their own action plans to bring the glass ceiling down.
Nancy – I thought your Glass Ceiling presentation was the best! It was so refreshing. I plan to read the book as well!
MARRAN OGILVIE
Board Member, Four Corners Property Trust
2020 Women on Board Conference
Nancy’s new book, “Fresh Insights to END the Glass Ceiling” uncovers the true root causes of this barrier and proposes to end the glass ceiling, within the decade, by providing research-based solutions to women, men, leaders, and organizations.
TRANSFORMING LEADEROCRITY™

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will understand:
- What “Leaderocrity™” is and the huge toll it is taking on the bottom line
- How to transform Leaderocrity™
- Why clearly measuring, deploying & developing authentic talent is a must
- Why it is essential to anchor performance expectations in reality
- Action steps to take to begin transforming Leaderocrity™
WHAT IS LEADEROCRITY™?
There is a dirty little secret about leadership. For decades, studies have consistently shown that 50% to 75% of leaders are ineffective. Yet, we invest billions of dollars in leadership systems with little ROI, failing to recognize the scope of the problem. Leader performance ranging from ineffective to mediocre is referred to as Leaderocrity™. Nancy cuts to the chase and explains what is causing Leaderocrity™, the toll it is taking, and what to do to transform leader effectiveness and minimize Leaderocrity™ within your organization.
NANCY’S SOLUTION
During this presentation, the audience will learn how to turn around these trends in their organizations and how they can be part of the change as leaders and professionals. Nancy Parsons will push audiences to a slight level of needed discomfort while piquing their interest. Parsons will reveal in a vivid, yet compelling and relatable way, “Transforming Leaderocrity™.”
NANCY’S APPROACH
Nancy Parsons uses the right combination of stories, data, humor and real world practical solutions to make this presentation a hit and transformative for audiences.
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY BONE?
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Most of us assume that everyone has a “Funny Bone” and enjoys laughter especially to reduce stress at work. Surprisingly, this is not the case. We measure intrinsic motivation, and one of the ten facets is “Amusement & Hedonism.” People with high scores have a need for fun, humor, personal indulgence, a zest for good times and want to live to the fullest. Those with low scores are just the opposite – serious, button down, and usually business focused.
During this session, Nancy will share examples and impact of these opposing needs for fun in the workplace, and what training and development professionals need to consider in training designs. This presentation will also reveal the other 9 key “Drivers & Reward” needs that motivate people to perform well, or when not honored and endorsed, can result in turnover or subpar performance. Attendees will learn how employee “Drivers & Reward” needs to impact culture, business relationships, performance, employee retention, and training designs.
PRESENTATION AGENDA
- Do You Have A Funny Bone?
- Fun true stories about high scoring Amusement & Hedonism leaders and organizations. Case studies and positives about leaders and organizations who lack funny bones. Share data to support examples.
- Impact of Amusement & Hedonism scores and considerations for effective training designs.
- Introduce 10 Drivers & Reward motivational needs and explain the impact of high and low scores for individuals and culture. Discuss what motivates you.
- Clarify the importance and impact of intrinsic motivators on performance results and training.
- Share ideas and tactics on how to reward intrinsic motivators and how these can be used in training.
- Bottom line – doing what you love will keep you at the top of your game!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
- Break the assumption that everyone has a “Funny Bone” and enjoys laughter especially to reduce stress at work
- Learn what training and development professionals need to consider in training designs
- Understand the 10 key “Drivers & Reward” needs that motivate people to perform well
- Learn how employee “Drivers & Reward” needs impact culture, business relationships, performance, employee retention, and training designs
YOUR PERSONALITY BASED RISK FACTORS THAT UNDERMINE SUCCESS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
- Understand why it is of crucial importance to identify their own risks
- Learn how these risks negatively impact their performance, development, career, personal fulfillment, and upward mobility
- Gain a usable template to begin to analyze and develop a game plan to manage and neutralize their own risk factors more productively
- Develop tactics and skills so that these traits will no longer undermine their performance, success or goals
- Hear insights on how to deal more effectively with other people’s risk behaviors
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Speaker Nancy Parsons helps audiences see that most people are oblivious to fact that there are eleven inherent personality-based risk factors that negatively impact performance and working relationships. She helps them quickly see, first hand, that everyone, including each of them, has their own assortment of risk factors. It is clear, Nancy contends, that as humans we all make missteps, particularly when facing adversity or conflict. Yet, somehow we just go through these bad experiences hoping we will magically improve the next time. Unfortunately, this merely allows one’s risk factors to repeat and continue to run amok.
WHAT ATTENDEES CAN EXPECT
Nancy, in her highly energetic and down-to-earth way, will introduce the eleven inherent personality-based risk factors. She also describes these as “ineffective coping strategies,” (if you prefer psycho-babble) that impede performance and success. She will share vivid real life examples and stories of the fall out, consequences and, sometimes, derailment caused by these risk factors. Fortunately, she will offer suggestions on what attendees can do about their own risks to keep them in check. These risks include: Egotist, Pleaser, False Advocate, Worrier, Cynic, Rule Breaker, Eccentric, Upstager, Hyper-Moody, Detached and Perfectionist. Nancy’s session will include colorful slides, real stories (some pretty wild!), sample data & trends, include a (humorous) quiz, and participant involvement.
Attendees will learn why it is of crucial importance to identify their own risks and to understand how these may negatively impact their performance, development, career, personal fulfillment, and upward mobility. Next, they will gain a usable template to begin to analyze and develop a game plan to manage and neutralize their own risk factors more productively. In doing so, they can develop tactics and skills so that these traits will no longer undermine their performance, success, or goals. Last, she’ll also provide insights on how to deal more effectively with other people’s risk behaviors too.
DEEP DIVE INTO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
WOKSHOP OVERVIEW
This session will reveal your unique leadership talent, strengths, and acumen. Parsons will guide participants through a deep dive of their own leadership capability, strengths, gifts, and gaps.
She will introduce what highly effective leaders really do and how diverse leader competencies need to be for performance success. Parsons will then debrief each participant’s CDR Character Assessment. Group results for the CDR Leadership Risk and Drivers & Rewards Assessments will be shared during the session. This is a 2.5 hour workshop and pre-work assessment completion is required.
By attending this dynamic session, you will:
- Take your leadership self-awareness to a whole new level with the unmatched CDR Character Assessment
- Accurately identify inherent leadership characteristics, strengths, gifts, and gaps to a nuanced perspective
- Help leaders acquire a fresh appreciation for what type of leader you are; honing in on your forte, leader voice and operational and strategic capabilities
- Use accurate data to begin building a no spin, personalized leadership development action plan
- Understand how personality dark sides, or risk factors, impede leader performance
- Gain appreciation for the power of intrinsic motivation and its impact on performance and culture
- Experience how a personalized learning approach that accurately identifies and focuses on your inherent capabilities is the best way to accelerate development and performance success