A Season of Leadership with Jahmad Canley

A Leadership Journey with Jahmad Canley: Launching a New Chapter in WAMOA’s Professional Growth Series

This fall marked the beginning of a bold new initiative for WAMOA—a season-long leadership journey designed to deepen member engagement and provide sustained professional development. Kicking off this series was the Fall Conference’s closing keynote by Jahmad Canley, a nationally recognized speaker and organizational consultant known for his dynamic approach to leadership and equity.

Jahmad’s keynote, Navigating Change and Preparing to Do More with Less, was more than a moment of inspiration—it was the first step in a multi-part series that continues through the spring. His session challenged attendees to think critically about how they lead through change, support their teams through transition, and identify the internal factors that either propel or hinder success.

Change vs. Transition: Leading with Intention

Jahmad began by guiding attendees through a conversation around three essential questions:

1. Are change and transition the same?
2. Are they easy?
3. Do they happen at the same time?

The discussion revealed that while change is often fast, external, and beyond our control, transition is slower, internal, and requires our permission. This distinction helped reframe leadership as a practice of guiding people through the emotional and cognitive journey that follows change.

HABEs: Unlocking Team Potential

Jahmad introduced a powerful framework called HABEs—Habits, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Expectations. These four elements, he explained, are present in every individual and team, and they can either serve as barriers or catalysts for growth. The key is recognizing whether our current HABEs are helping us move forward—or holding us back.

“When the environment changes,” Jahmad noted, “most people or teams don’t transition their HABEs to match the new reality. That’s where leadership makes the difference.”

Scotomas: Seeing What We’ve Been Missing

In a memorable closing activity, Jahmad explored Scotomas, or blind spots. Through a fun and eye-opening exercise, he demonstrated how our perceptions can limit our effectiveness. Sometimes, doing more with less isn’t about working harder—it’s about seeing differently and uncovering innovative solutions hidden in plain sight.

A New Model for Member Engagement

This year marks the first time WAMOA has launched a season-long leadership arc, designed to build momentum and deepen learning over time. Leadership Chair Paul Harrison shared his vision for the initiative: “We didn’t want to just inspire our members—we wanted to go deeper. This series is about helping leaders truly embrace new ideas and walk away with tactics they can bring back to their teams and apply right away.”

Conference Chair Alicia Lawver echoed the excitement. “We’re thrilled about this partnership with Jahmad,” said Lawver. “It’s already providing incredible value, and we’re just getting started. Our goal is to offer content that’s not only relevant but transformative for our members.”

What’s Next: Continuing the Journey

The leadership arc continues with two virtual lunchtime seminars open to all WAMOA members:

• December 3, 2025 (12-1 p.m.)
• February 4, 2026 (12-1 p.m.)

These sessions will build on the fall keynote and offer practical strategies for leading through change and fostering resilient, high-performing teams. 

The season culminates in the Spring Leadership Seminar, a two-day in-person experience March 19-20, 2026, where Jahmad will guide participants through a deeper exploration of leadership and organizational transformation.

Come to One or All!

Importantly, this series is designed to be flexible and accessible—whether you attend one session or all of them, you’ll walk away with valuable insights and tools to support your leadership journey.