MEL #002 | Navigating Challenging Conversations with Dr. Joy Harris

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Joy Harris, Executive Officer of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.  Dr. Harris's journey into engineering started early. As a child, she was identified as being gifted at higher math and attended a boarding school for teens talented in math and science. That led her to a dual enrollment program at Spelman for math and Georgia Tech for electrical engineering. From there, she had many exciting experiences working in the field, including stints at NASA and Oak Ridge National Lab.  She continued her studies, earning a Ph.D. at Princeton, and has spent most of her career in academic leadership,  first at Georgia Tech, and now at Georgia State.  She highlights how important having a strong community and diverse professional network has been to her success.  In our leadership segment, Joy draws on her nonprofit experience, where she serves as director of the Council for Schools and Services for the Blind. She shares a recent conflict with a new board president, who made a decision that negatively impacted her work. She emphasizes the need for self-regulation during times of peak emotions and the value of suggesting multiple options when seeking a resolution.  Finally, Dr. Harris shares advice for aspiring leaders including the importance of adding value in your current role as a means to opening doors for advancement. **Takeaways, transcripts, and more in the show notes: https://drangeliqueadams.com/insights/