Member since November 2024
A former elected official who navigated working with VERY oppositional viewpoints in one of the most polarizing spaces today -POLITICS. Edina is a keynote speaker and the author of "Make Humanity Great Again"βa book about being a better citizen in a divided world. She works with organizations navigating polarization - without discussing political affilations - teaching leaders how to:
---- Build empathy and show respect to others, even while holding different viewpoints
β De-escalate conflict without avoiding difficult conversations
β Build functional teams when people fundamentally disagree
β Make decisions and move forward even when consensus isn't possible
β Lead with clarity and respect in polarized environments
Inspiring people to build bridges and work together; helping people foster better communication & connection, especially where it didn't exist before.
It was a long night of disagreement. Our panel of elected officials always seemed to be divided. Feeling worn out and ready to call it quits, I remember seeing one of my colleagues on the "other side of the isle", as I turned to leave the council chambers. He and I began having a candid conversation and quickly discovered that we had similar perspectives about the work we were doing. No, we didn't vote the same way, but we wanted the best for all the employees we were responsible for, and the community we served. Though there were a few political colleagues that insisted on making sworn enemies, I found out how to find agreement with others so I could gain knowledge and achieve bigger goals.
Growing up, I often felt voiceless. I started to look at how people engage with one another and realized I had the power to become more of a leader than a bystander. As often happens, that shift from being passive to present is not without challenges. It took years to understand the balance of being assertive and authentic, calm but communicative. And discovering how to harmoniously access all of those qualities, has changed the quality of my relationships - personal and professional - for the better. All of these discoveries culminated in me making the big decision to run for office, and to become a leader in other political/community spaces.
It was a long night of disagreement. Our panel of elected officials always seemed to be divided. Feeling worn out and ready to call it quits, I remember seeing one of my colleagues on the "other side of the isle", as I turned to leave the council chambers. He and I began having a candid conversation and quickly discovered that we had similar perspectives about the work we were doing. No, we didn't vote the same way, but we wanted the best for all the employees we were responsible for, and the community we served. Though there were a few political colleagues that insisted on making sworn enemies, I found out how to find agreement with others so I could gain knowledge and achieve bigger goals.
Growing up, I often felt voiceless. I started to look at how people engage with one another and realized I had the power to become more of a leader than a bystander. As often happens, that shift from being passive to present is not without challenges. It took years to understand the balance of being assertive and authentic, calm but communicative. And discovering how to harmoniously access all of those qualities, has changed the quality of my relationships - personal and professional - for the better. All of these discoveries culminated in me making the big decision to run for office, and to become a leader in other political/community spaces.