The Hidden Skills That Separate Good Leaders from Great Ones

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Technical degrees might open doors—but it’s the soft skills that keep them open. In the face of disruption, evolving workplace dynamics, and rising expectations of leadership, soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and presence have become core business essentials—not nice-to-haves.

Inspired by stories from her father coupled with her own career journey, seasoned executive Chandra McCormack breaks down how to lead with impact, connect with purpose, and cultivate a workplace culture that energizes rather than exhausts. Whether you’re navigating friction, driving change, or trying to elevate your team, you’ll walk away with clear strategies to strengthen how you show up and how others respond.

Key Takeaways:

🧩 Put People First, Effectively - Make soft skills your super power by blending empathy and execution for leadership that works.
🗣 Speak So People Listen - Master communication that connects across roles and personalities.
⚡ Show Up, Stand Out - Building leadership presence that inspires without overpowering.
🌧️ Steady in the Storm - Handle disruption with clarity and confidence.
🌱 Grow a Resilient Culture - Build teams that thrive in change, not just survive.

Join us for a high-impact session on how to lead with strength, communicate with purpose, and build momentum where it matters most. Register today!

📆 June 18, 2025 at 11:00 am PDT, 2:00 pm EDT, 7:00 pm BST

Brought to you by:

Chandra McCormack, CPA, MBA, NACD.DC

Chandra McCormack is a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Board Director with 30 years of financial leadership, including in public and private equity companies representing multiple industries, including Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). As CFO Executive Partner for Gartner (NYSE:IT), Chandra leverages her career journey as a strategic advisor, including her prior role as CFO for The Acosta Group, a private equity backed full-service sales and marketing B2B/B2C agency with 30K employees and 2500 clients, where she led through a successful period of doubling revenue and earnings. She also serves as Board Member for PE-owned Premium Natural Food Holdings, Advisory Board Member for Everde Growers--one of the nation’s foremost horticultural producers; and OptimEyes.AI, an innovator in governance (GRC) and cyber security.

Chandra is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and earned her MBA (with an emphasis in IT) from University of Texas, Arlington. She is NACD Director-certified and was named in 50 Women to Watch by 50/50 Women on Boards 2023. She has also been honored as CFO of the Year from the Dallas Business Journal, Top Women in Grocery 2021 Executive from Progressive Grocer, National and Tx Diversity Council, and 2021, 2022 D CEO Dallas 500. She is also the Chair Emerita for Youth with Faces, a non-profit serving justice-involved youth in North Texas.

Chandra co-authored Rao’s Real American Dream with her father, Dr. TRN Rao, chronicling his own celebratory story, escaping from poverty, food insecurity, and discrimination in colonial India. He relays a heroic account in pursuit of education amidst the hardships of World War II, and recording a representative history of one man’s son, navigating through Indian Independence, winning a gold medal, and moving to America. Rao went on to publish an important book in the field of Cryptography and was twice honored by the United States government as a Fulbright Scholar, lecturing at universities around the world. His lessons in leadership, resilience, kindness and determination have been well-received as entertaining, insightful, heartwarming and inspiring.

Professional Development Brief