Nadira A. Hira

The post-pandemic workplace is tricky to navigate on all sides. Management must learn to effectively lead teams that are miles away rather than steps away. Seasoned employees must work harder to maintain open communication and collaboration with their teams. For the recent graduate, the complexities of remote work are an added burden to the already uphill battle of acclimating to the workforce. With bosses still grappling to find their footing in this new era, there is an increased risk of young talent slipping through the cracks. In this talk, Nadira Hira sheds light on the challenges faced by managers and new employees alike and offers insights that will revolutionize your management approach to ensure no promising young talent gets left behind. Do not allow the limited visibility of remote workplaces to prevent you from providing the structure, guidance, and professional development opportunities new talent needs to both thrive in their careers and take your business to the next level.

It can feel at times as though the world is burning down around us as we’re stuck in the monotony of normal life. Studying for exams as forests are ablaze. Commuting to work after the latest school shooting. We become numb to tragedies because they happen so often and we begin to feel powerless to do anything about it. But rather than settling into apathy because you can’t possibly fix everything, Nadira asks that you reframe your approach. Look beyond the daunting “all caps issues” like poverty and climate change that a single person could not possibly solve. Refrain from doing a little for a bunch of causes and instead do a lot for single issue. There is no need to don your superhero cape to end world hunger, fight for animal rights, and solve gender inequality all before dinnertime. But there is value in identifying and committing to small actions that make a big impact. There is power in teaming up with passionate individuals around you to perform direct action with immediate results in your local community. Inspired by her years of work with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and equipped with examples of success and the tools available to make things happen, Nadira provides a roadmap to finding your cause and determining the actionable, achievable, and measurable steps you can take to make a huge impact.

There are countless recipes out there for finding happiness and building a fulfilling life. But in the same way we may deviate from a cookbook to match our unique palette, we should also develop practices for success and happiness that are tailored to us. Nadira is not interested in providing yet another prescriptive outline for happiness. Instead, she wants to equip you with the tools and strategies to strengthen your intuition and cultivate your inner voice. As students prepare to enter the workforce and prepare for adult life, and the structure that has been present throughout years of schooling fades away, it is crucial they learn to rely on their own sense of self. You already know the life you want to lead; all you need is the confidence to make the necessary choices to turn it into reality.

We sit in an era where women are more educated, more highly paid, and occupying more high-level positions than ever before. But for young women just entering the workforce, the path to these successes isn’t always obvious. In a world where tools as important as seatbelts and medications are predominantly tested on men, with deviating effects on women, it follows that the one-size-fits-all advice we often encounter does not consider the unique challenges faced by women. The formula for achievement is different. In this talk designed for young women and those in positions to support them, Nadira Hira provides practical advice and actionable strategies to empower the next generation of women with the knowledge and confidence to step into the power offered by this unique moment and thrive in their careers.

Increasingly, organizations are beginning to understand the value of diversity. They’re vocal in their support of progressive issues and proudly outline their commitment to diversity on their websites. But for far too many organizations, this is where the action ends. Their staff is still overwhelmingly one race, one gender, similarly educated, and from similar walks of life, with the broadest level of diversity shown only in lower-level support positions. In the modern day, this simply will not do—and it will leave you behind the talent curve. It’s time to make sure the reality of your business matches your public values and that you’re building the best teams for your organization’s goals. Nadira Hira is here to lead the way. In the 21st century, diversity is more than hiring a few people of color; it’s ensuring diversity of thought at all levels of the organization. It means creating an environment where the voices and contributions of people from all races, genders, generations, abilities, and beyond are heard and valued. With the insights presented in this talk, you’ll be motivated and equipped to move beyond obligation toward celebration and recognize that diverse teams are winning teams.