Chapter 2
The Inner Work of Leadership
Mindset, Resilience & Inclusive Project Cultures — Total of 3.5 PDUs
Focus Areas and PDUs: Power Skills (1.75 PDU) | Business Acumen (0.75 PDU) | Ways of Working (1 PDU)
This chapter brings the human side of leadership to the front. Through expert keynotes, you’ll explore how mindset impacts performance, how to lead through uncertainty, and how ethics and inclusivity improve outcomes—and the bottom line. You’ll also realign your focus with a guided work break to integrate and reset.
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Setting Your Mind Up For Success
2. Complete this Reflection Worksheet
3. Watch This Video
Leading Through Change and Uncertainty
5. Read about the SCARF Model and BRAVING Trust
5. Complete this Reflection Worksheet
6. Watch This Video
Ethical & Inclusive PM through Leadership and Tools
7. Complete this Reflection Worksheet
8. Watch This Video
Break Session Hosted by DoubleDesk
9. Share Your Takeaways (Accountability & Community)
Post your insight, question, or worksheet reflection on the Project Management Empowered LinkedIn Group:
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Speaker Spotlight
🎤 Speaker: Damian Salas
Damian Salas is Co-Founder of GREW and Partner at Open Minds Psychological. In 2022, GREW became the first evidence-informed mental health program supporting the entrepreneurial community, and stands as one of the many counseling services at Open Minds Psychological.
Damian is Professor at the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University. Appointed as the first-faculty in 2010, Damian’s focus areas include healthcare entrepreneurship and enterprise growth.
Damian spent 23 years in community behavioral healthcare with 17 years as Director of Organizational Development at Horizon House, Inc. He led the digital transformation of Human Resources and the enterprise transformation to Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). He was the Founding Chair of the Philadelphia Alliance Workforce Domain, leading the human capital strategy of over 30,000 employees throughout the Philadelphia region for 13 years.
During the pandemic of 2020, Damian directed two State Department-funded projects for Financial Services Volunteer Corp, providing technical expertise to startups in North Africa. He sits on the board of Gnostech, Inc., a cyber-security firm.
Damian received his MBA from Drexel University, and lives with his wife in the Philadelphia suburbs.
[Biography from Psychology Today]
🎤 Speaker: Florisa De Leo Magambi
Florisa De Leo Magambi is a leadership and development practitioner with over 20 years of international experience spanning Europe and Africa. Born and raised in Italy, she spent a decade in London working in corporate and financial services before making a radical transition to social impact. Together with her husband, she co-founded start-ups in Malawi focused on refugee social entrepreneurship, development, and advocacy.
Her years in Malawi were marked by systemic challenges: shifting legislation, funding volatility, economic instability, and barriers to global markets. Leading in this environment required not only adaptability, but also a deep commitment to values-based leadership. Florisa emerged from these experiences with a clear belief that authenticity, empathy, and resilience are essential qualities for leaders navigating uncertainty.
Now living in Europe, Florisa shares practical tools and insights drawn from lived experience to help leaders anchor themselves, cultivate trust in their teams, and adapt with purpose. Known for her warm and human-centered approach, she empowers professionals to turn uncertainty into a pathway for growth, relevance, and meaningful impact.
🎤 Speaker: Oxana Loseva
Oxana Lovesa is a Senior Researcher with eight years of experience in fintech, accessibility, and inclusive design systems. She helps cross-functional teams make confident, equitable decisions through evidence, strategy, and empathy. Passionate about systems thinking, she designs inclusive experiences that drive product decisions and work for everyone. A frequent speaker and educator, Oxana has shared her expertise on inclusive UX methods and accessibility-centered design at conferences such as Convey UX ’24 in Seattle, WA, and has engaged over 100 design professionals through lectures and workshops since 2019.