Ann’s speaking engagements draw on her significant expertise, experience, gravitas, curiosity and humor to engage audiences of all sizes in learning that makes a difference.  Ann is dedicated to supporting teams and individuals to reach their full potential and attain their goals.  She focuses on core capabilities such as building trust, managing productive conflict, and building gravitas and confidence.  She weaves in stories to effectively illustrate core concepts and in particular focuses on critical behaviors that often hold us back from reaching our goals and how to shift those behaviors so they stick.  Ann works with clients to customize content so participants realize high value for their time.  

Biography

Ann is a speaker, coach, leadership advisor, facilitator and speaker who helps people and teams realize their full potential by breaking through barriers, solving problems, and making a lasting impact personally and professionally. She brings 30+ years of leadership experience coupled with expertise in executive coaching and conflict management to help unlock the capabilities that drive success for individuals and teams. Ann has experience as an individual contributor, a leader of teams and as a consultant in the human experience and in high performing teams. She held positions at Press Ganey, Vizient (formerly VHA), McChrystal Group and the National Health Service in England. She's experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of the professional world and knows what it’s like to be a part of and to lead a great team, and what it’s like to feel like you’re not in the right place professionally. Like many women, she's faced the challenges of navigating a man's world and brings that expertise to her engagements. Through lived experience with multiple twists and turns, Ann has carved out a path to success and personal happiness.

Throughout her career, Ann has presented to both large and small audiences, designed & facilitated workshops, and delivered small group coaching programs both virtually and in person. Ann brings her vulnerability, curiosity, authenticity, humor and experience to all her engagements to the delight of participants. Clients engage Ann for her practical, interactive sessions and workshops that blend concepts, stories, activities, and tool practice.

Ann holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. She is a certified Executive Coach (Center for Executive Coaching) and a certified mediator (Southern Methodist University).

Example Talks:

The Power of Productive Conflict: What High Performing Teams do Differently   

Did you know that your conflict style is rooted in your family of origin? We bring our conflict styles to the workplace, and many times the clash causes us to shut down or avoid discussion in the name of harmony. High performing leaders and teams do the opposite. Conflict when rooted in trust is anything but destructive. It's a vital source of innovation, accountability and team cohesion. This highly interactive session is designed for all audiences seeking to understand conflict better, get comfortable with conflict and embrace its value in driving higher performance. 

Key areas of focus and takeaways include:

• Explore the 5 different conflict styles, each style's strengths and weaknesses, and identify our own preferred style

• Examine the elements of productive conflict and its importance to high performing teams

• Learn the skills of connective listening and perspective taking

• Identify the ways leaders should foster productive conflict on their teams

• Explore how to shift behaviors so they stick

Gravitas: The Elusive Edge for Rising Leaders    

In every room of decision-makers, there’s an intangible presence that sets certain people apart. It’s not just expertise. It’s not just confidence. It’s something deeper, subtler, and often described in one word: Gravitas. If you’re a individual advancing into leadership, you’ve probably heard the feedback — directly or indirectly: “You need more executive presence.” “Be more assertive.” Or the most nebulous of all: “You need gravitas.” At its core, gravitas means a certain weight, seriousness, or credibility that makes people listen — and trust your judgment. It’s the quality that helps a leader command respect without demanding it. Technical skills and expertise get you to the table. Gravitas keeps you there and moves you to the head of the table. This interactive session is designed for professionals at any level of an organization.

Key areas of focus and takeaways include:

• Understand your own gravitas with an individual self-assessment

• Discern what true gravitas looks and feels like, and its benefits to your work situation

• Learn practical ways you can cultivate your gravitas and expand your influence

• Explore how to shift behaviors so they stick

Female Ambition, Unburdened: Smarter Habits for Achieving Your Professional Goals   

There's no doubt that women have made great strides in the workforce. And yet, for all that progress, we still know the story isn’t complete. We’re still navigating systems largely built on a male model—frameworks that weren’t designed with women in mind, coupled with systemic bias, conscious and unconscious. While organizations have evolved, they continue to carry the weight of their origins. Unfortunately waiting for the system to catch up simply isn't a strategy. Women need to claim their agency—to recognize and shift the patterns and behaviors that while well-intentioned, keep us stuck. This interactive session is designed for female professionals and anyone who is stuck in their professional life.   

The areas of focus and key takeaways include:

• Recognize the habits that keep us stuck and get in the way of our professional objectives

• Understand where these habits originated

• Learn practical strategies to shift behaviors to achieve our professional objectives

• Determine where to start for yourself and the tools you need to sustain behavior change

This program can be customized for specific audiences and is offered as an interactive presentation or a workshop.

Against All Odds: Navigating the Healthcare Maze as a Parent and Professional   

When a child is critically ill, parents expect the healthcare system to be a source of support. Instead, many discover a confusing, bureaucratic maze where every decision feels high-stakes. In this talk, I share my journey as a working mother - ironically in the health care world - whose prematurely born daughter spent six months in the hospital and required four years of in-home nursing care.  We saw the best and the worst of healthcare.  We experienced doctors and nurses who rallied to save our daughter and give her wonderful care - care our insurance provider attempted to take away despite her need for 24-hour support.

Without a law firm willing to take our case, we represented ourselves in court. We faced the system head-on and ultimately prevailed. Today, my daughter is a thriving 28-year-old—but the lessons learned along the way have shaped how I lead, advocate, and support others through high-pressure challenges.

This talk blends personal storytelling with practical guidance for anyone who find themselves navigating complex systems when the stakes couldn’t be higher.  My clear message is:  when the system says "No," don't give up.  

Key Takeaways:

• How to advocate effectively when you're up against a large institution—and why courage, clarity, documentation, and persistence matter more than perfect expertise.

• Strategies for staying grounded while juggling work, caregiving, and crisis decision-making.

• Common pitfalls within the healthcare and insurance systems and how parents and caregivers can anticipate and navigate them.

• What leadership looks like in real life, not just the boardroom—especially when courage and resilience are required daily.

• Why storytelling and self-advocacy are powerful tools, and how sharing your voice can change outcomes for those who come after you.

To find out more or to book a speaking engagement, please call me at 703.350.6444 or email me at ann@baileyleadershipgroup.com