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Flagship Keynote

FROM CONFLICT TO CONVERSATION:
Must Disagreement Be Disagreeable?

“Disagreement isn’t only natural, it’s necessary,” asserts Matt Lehrman, as he equips leaders with the skills to gather consensus around shared goals. Now, more than ever, municipal, civic, and nonprofit leaders must master the art of fostering inclusive decision-making environments where every participant feels connected, respected, and truly heard.

In an era marked by deep division, the mantle of community leadership calls for a transcendent approach. Leaders must rise above the pervasive cynicism, outrage, and exhaustion to become champions of civility, courage, and genuine community engagement.

Key Takeaways:

How to Conduct a "Courageous Conversation": Learn to tackle tough topics with confidence and empathy.
Distinguishing "Governance" from "Politics": Navigate the complexities of leadership with clarity and integrity.
6 Principles for Bringing People Together: Practical strategies to unify diverse groups.
Addressing Obstinance & Anger: Overcome barriers to inclusivity and cooperation.
8 Useful Skills of "Emotional Intentionality": Enhance leadership effectiveness.
Practical Social Media Engagement Tips: Leverage digital platforms to foster community and dialogue.
Exploring Creative Options Beyond Binary Choices: Inspire groups to consider innovative approaches.
And More!

Audience comments:

Sensational and moving talk about community involvement and connection. Worth listening to!
Excellent keynote...Entertaining, engaging, positive, while acknowledging the challenges facing school boards, he also provided solutions and ideas to keep the communication lines open.
Energetic, engaging, informative. Good take-away tools and follow up. Conference speakers are hit or miss; you were a big hit. Thanks!
Matt put us in the shoes of the people we serve ... opened my eyes to new opportunities.
Informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Gave good insight.
Matt brings to the surface what's most important … there's always something that can be done to help.”
Pointed, matter of fact, and satisfyingly interactive.

Here's what association leaders are saying about

"From Conflict to Conversation"

Michelle Gowdy, Executive Director, Virginia Municipal League

“Over the course of our 2022 Mayors Institute and Annual Conference, Matt presented to our members several times in varying formats. First, he offered “A Courageous Conversation About Civility” to a group of about 50 mayors from across the state. Then he delivered “From Conflict to Conversation” as the keynote speaker on the opening day of our conference which he followed the next day with a panel discussion on the topic. In every instance, our members hung on every word and obviously enjoyed interacting with Matt through his adept use of smartphone real-time feedback and interactive dialogue. His presence at our conference, which included hallway conversations with attendees, joining sessions as an audience member, and willingness to follow-up with individual...

MashIt
Todd Glover, Executive Director, Municipal Association of South Carolina

"With an energetic pre-conference workshop and an inspiring opening keynote, Matt Lehrman was an essential partner in the launch of our Civility Initiative. And even more impressive. he fully attended our entire annual conference. Many speakers show up, speak, and disappear, but every time I turned around he was participating in a session, engaging in the exhibit areas, and speaking with our members. That speaks volumes. He cares deeply about his subject matter and invests back in the organizations and people he serves.”

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Tom Belshe, Executive Director, League of Arizona Cities and Towns

"Matt Lehrman isn’t just a compelling speaker, he’s an exceptional facilitator. He combined technology and an interactive style to actually engage several hundred municipal leaders in a candid, instructive, and inspiring conversation about their own responsibilities for leading civility. In 2018, we were the very first municipal association to present Matt’s FROM CONFLICT TO CONVERSATION keynote and it was a delight to welcome him back to our 2022 Annual Conference to re-energize our members.”

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Karen Rosen, Meetings and Events Planner, Colorado Municipal League

"Matt presented From Conflict to Conversation at our 100th annual conference. The feedback from our members was nothing short of outstanding. Many said it was their favorite session of the conference. Matt is an excellent speaker who is thought-provoking and inspiring, and he incorporated an interactive portion to his session that our members loved. We will look forward to welcoming Matt back to Colorado soon.”

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CHAT WITH MATT

Michelle Gowdy, Executive Director, Virginia Municipal League

“Over the course of our 2022 Mayors Institute and Annual Conference, Matt presented to our members several times in varying formats ... In every instance, our members hung on every word and obviously enjoyed interacting with Matt through his adept use of smartphone real-time feedback and interactive dialogue. His presence at our conference, which included hallway conversations with attendees, joining sessions as an audience member, and willingness to follow-up with individual attendees, proved to be a positive thread running through our successful event."

MashIt
Todd Glover, Executive Director, Municipal Association of South Carolina

"With an energetic pre-conference workshop and an inspiring opening keynote, Matt Lehrman was an essential partner in the launch of our Civility Initiative. And even more impressive. he fully attended our entire annual conference. Many speakers show up, speak, and disappear, but every time I turned around he was participating in a session, engaging in the exhibit areas, and speaking with our members. That speaks volumes. He cares deeply about his subject matter and invests back in the organizations and people he serves.”

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Tom Belshe, Executive Director, League of Arizona Cities and Towns

"Matt Lehrman isn’t just a compelling speaker, he’s an exceptional facilitator. He combined technology and an interactive style to actually engage several hundred municipal leaders in a candid, instructive, and inspiring conversation about their own responsibilities for leading civility. In 2018, we were the very first municipal association to present Matt’s From Conflict to Conversation keynote and it was a delight to welcome him back to our 2022 Annual Conference to re-energize our members.”

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Karen Rosen, Meetings and Events Planner, Colorado Municipal League

"Matt presented From Conflict to Conversation at our 100th annual conference. The feedback from our members was nothing short of outstanding. Many said it was their favorite session of the conference. Matt is an excellent speaker who is thought-provoking and inspiring, and he incorporated an interactive portion to his session that our members loved. We will look forward to welcoming Matt back to Colorado soon.”

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CHAT WITH MATT

A Community of Possibilities: Leading with Generosity

Civility is the floor of community leadership. Visioning is the roof.

Every municipal leader possesses the potential to become a champion of possibility – someone who brings community members together, igniting opportunities and fostering consensus.

Discover the power of "ideastructure" – the means by which cities and towns construct resilient pathways and systems that engage residents in shaping long-term priorities. Don’t let your community succumb to divisiveness and distrust. It is never too late to acquire practical strategies and inspiring insights founded on the core belief that where people work together courageously, their potential is unlimited.

Key Takeaways:

● Generosity is always a choice

● 3 strategies to seek common ground with fellow Council members

● Gain trust by inviting opinions and seeking advice

● Prepare to work with these 4 personality types in your community

● How to deal respectfully (but not get bogged down) with persistent naysayers

Audience comments:

It is critical that we build courageous conversations into the cycle of civic engagement.
This spoke to me not just as an elected official but also as a Presbyterian Pastor. So much of this information can be used to create civil conversations.
It was a very interactive presentation, full of laughter points as well as critical thinking moments. The presentation kept us completely engaged.

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Futurecast: A Collaborative Exercise in Forward-Focused Leadership

The future is unknowable, but it’s incredibly malleable. So, let’s elevate our focus beyond today’s worries and constraints and recognize how the world (and our communities) may soon be different. In a dynamic and 100% interactive exercise, local leaders will inspire each other to identify a variety of responsibilities and opportunities along with the leadership qualities necessary to bring them about.

Key Takeaways:

● Why your organization's vision statement really matters

● 8 ways your world will soon be profoundly different

● What 5 future-focused leadership skills you should develop now

● How to gather & organize future priorities

● Find and eliminate 3 key points of friction that hamper agility and impede innovation in your organization

Audience comments:

Fast paced, dynamic, practical, and future-oriented. Extraordinary education.
It was smart, but it also brought the audience together in a very human way.
It was reassuring to speak with others who are experiencing similar struggles—it gave me hope that maybe we can collaborate and do better.
Great use of tech to engage. Well done!
Matt is a great workshop leader who made me comfortable and engaged right off the bat.
Dynamic workshop; love all the small group conversations—walking away with so many great ideas!
It really gets you thinking about difficult truths in a positive way.

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Need help convening a courageous community conversation?

As a professional facilitator my expertise is serving communities and organizations responsible for strategic decisions that require consensus among multiple stakeholders.

What can I help your team achieve together?

CHAT WITH MATT