Integrity by Design: Everyday Courage as a Leadership Skill
Paula R. Shannon
Founder & Owner | Whole Leader Lab
OKC
Devon Energy Tower 50th Floor
Wednesday, April 29th
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Networking Time: 10:45-11:15
OK ETHICS will host a half-hour networking event in the adjacent room to the Infinity Room beginning at 10:45 a.m. The buffet will open at 11:15 a.m., and the meeting will start at 11:30 a.m.
Downtown OKC VENUE!! (w/ FREE parking!)
Devon Energy Tower 50th Floor
333 W Sheridan Ave
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Premium Members: Free for the number of pre-paid registrants included in membership
Members: $60
Non-Members: $70
CPE Details:
1. Instruction Delivery Method: Group Live Instruction
2. Prerequisites: None
3. Category: TBD
4. Attendance requirement: 50-minute presentation
5. Refund or cancellation policy: refunds are not available after the event
6. Complaint resolution policy: email mary@okethics.com with concerns
7. Advanced preparation: none
Content reviewer: Executive Director & CPE Coordinator
Program Description:
Most ethical breakdowns in organizations do not begin with dramatic misconduct. They begin in small, everyday moments when pressure, reactivity, or avoidance quietly pull leaders out of alignment with their values. Integrity by Design reframes ethics as a practical leadership discipline, one practiced daily through judgment, communication, and everyday courage. This session helps leaders build self-awareness around how they lead under pressure and equips them with practical tools to navigate difficult conversations, strengthen judgment, and model integrity in the moments that matter most.
Key Takeaways:
1. Recognize how ethical drift most often occurs in everyday leadership moments, particularly under pressure, rather than only in major decisions or crises.
2. Increase self-awareness of their own leadership communication patterns, including how motivation and stress influence judgment, behavior, and ethical decision-making.
3. Understand four primary leadership patterns that shape how leaders communicate, build trust, and practice integrity under pressure.
4. Identify how unmanaged stress can pull leaders out of alignment with their values, and apply practical strategies to interrupt that drift.
5. Apply concrete tools for navigating difficult conversations with clarity, steadiness, and everyday courage.
6. Identify small, values-aligned leadership behaviors that compound over time to strengthen accountability, trust, and organizational culture.
About the Speaker:
Paula R. Shannon is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and former senior education leader with nearly three decades of experience leading large-scale organizations, high-performing teams, and transformational change. As the founder of Whole Leader Lab, Paula partners with mission-driven leaders who refuse to choose between high expectations and deep care—leaders who want to achieve results without sacrificing themselves in the process.
Paula spent much of her career leading at the highest levels of urban public education and focused upon organizational strategy, and leadership development. She served as Deputy Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, a PK-12 system with 34,000 students, 90 campuses, and 6,000 employees. As a key member of the executive cabinet managing a $500M+ annual budget, she oversaw district-wide strategy, school leadership, talent development, and major cross-sector initiatives. She previously held cabinet-level leadership roles in Providence Public Schools and Syracuse City Schools, spearheading academic innovation, organizational transformation, and leadership pipeline development.
She knows firsthand what it means to lead under pressure:
- Managing large, complex teams while fostering a culture of trust and collaboration
- Navigating organizational change, conflict, and high-stakes decision-making
- Balancing leadership ambition with personal sustainability
- Bridging divides across stakeholders to create aligned, mission-driven action
At Whole Leader Lab, she works with executives, senior leaders, and rising change-makers across education, philanthropy, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations.
Her expertise includes:
✔ Executive Coaching – Helping leaders gain clarity, confidence, and strategic direction
✔ Team Development – Strengthening leadership teams to enhance collaboration, trust, and performance
✔ Organizational Strategy & Change Management – Supporting leaders in driving aligned, sustainable impact
✔ Emotional Intelligence & Leadership Resilience – Equipping leaders with practical tools to sustain their energy and decision-making under pressure
