Five Leadership Skills for Managing High-Functioning Operations

Because administrative professionals keep organizations functioning at a high level, even when there’s chaos and complexity, leadership skills are no longer optional. But what does it mean, really, to be a “leader”? Among the vast array of leadership skills and theories you’re likely to come across, the most critical can be summed up in a handy acronym: P.A.N.D.A.: Persuasion, Assertiveness, Negotiation, Delegation, and Accountability.

In this presentation, you’ll learn the key skills and best practices for becoming a leader with P.A.N.D.A. skills. Specifically, you’ll learn how to:

• Better persuade others by using effective communication techniques
• Effectively use assertiveness techniques, including basic, empathic, consequence, discrepancy, negative feelings, and broken record assertion
• Negotiate with leaders, employees, and clients using both ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement) and BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) approaches
• Hold others accountable by employing best practices in delegation and follow-up

Hot Tip: Use empathetic assertion—or the acknowledgement of a person’s situation, needs, or feelings before requesting something—when you can sense a person is frustrated, upset, or otherwise affected in a way that is preventing them from accomplishing something you need. This can make the person feel heard and understood as you move into your request.

About Curtis Newbold: Curtis Newbold is a passionate educator, speaker, and award-winning corporate consultant in business and strategic communication. Curtis has delivered over 200 live trainings, webinars, and workshops for small businesses, multinational companies, and government organizations and is the author of a forthcoming textbook in business and professional communication (2025). He is the owner and chief content architect for the popular blog, TheVisualCommunicationGuy.com. Curtis has taught at universities in the U.S., Korea, and China and has led student strategic communication projects for non-profits on five continents. He has a PhD in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design (RCID) from Clemson University and currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at the University of Utah.