The Gift of Excellent Leadership

Today on Conflict Managed, we are joined by Dr. Daniela Brancaforte, student Ombuds at Georgetown University. Daniela gives an eloquent explanation of what an Organizational Ombuds is and does.  We also discuss:

• The effects of excellent leadership
• The importance of pivoting, adapting, and learning new skills
• Dealing with the uncertainty of the future
• Approaching conflict by considering desired outcomes

Daniela grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has lived in many different locations in the U.S. and internationally before settling (for now) in the Washington, DC area. She has had a winding career path since receiving her Ph.D. in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Princeton University in 2000. Daniela taught German, Italian and Business Anthropology at various universities, worked as a consultant, co-founded a service-disabled veteran-owned consulting firm, which she managed for 10 years, and then decided to return to higher education. She has been at Georgetown University since 2014 serving first as an advising and academic dean in the business school and then moving to the Provost’s Office to set up Georgetown’s inaugural Office of the Student Ombuds serving more than 16,000+ undergraduate and graduate students on the main campus. Daniela never thought of being an “Ombuds” (pronounced om-budz or ahm-buds) when she was growing up, but she feels that her work as an Ombuds is truly a calling that brings together her lived and educational experiences in meaningful new ways. Her academic interests include the intersection of business and culture, workplace dynamics, immigration and entrepreneurship, social justice, and power inequities.

Although work is important, Daniela finds joy in playing soccer at least twice a week, taking walks with her dog, visiting her close relatives in Sicily and Germany, and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to #podcasts.

Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.