What if there are no “difficult people”—only dysregulated people navigating the pressures of a fast-paced, ever-changing world? What if the key to stronger collaboration, compassion, and trust is looking beyond surface-level judgments to understand why people show up the way they do? In this talk, Vanessa McNeal shows how to recognize dysregulation in real time, regulate your own responses, and shift interactions from reactivity to connection.

Facilitator Bio: Named a Top 10 Rising Speaker of 2026, Vanessa McNeal is a resilience and well-being expert at the intersection of burnout, nervous system regulation, and human connection. She hosts Rewired Live, a live coaching experience and holds a Master's in Social Work specializing in Trauma-Informed Care. Vanessa teaches neuroscience-backed frameworks that help leaders think, lead, and live differently

The purpose of the Leadership SIG is to explore new possibilities, share best practices, and build relationships in order to develop your leadership ability and develop leadership capacity in others.  

The Leadership SIG meets the third Friday of each month from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  The SIG is hosted by Aaron Barber (Sammons Financial Group, abarber@sfgmembers.com) and Tony Giudicessi (ITA Group, tgiudicessi@ITAGroup.com).  If you have any questions, comments or ideas for the SIG, please connect with one of them.

Cost: FREE for ATD Central Iowa Chapter Members, $20 for non-members