General Overview
For over a decade, Leila has provided proactive and reactive conflict resolution services to a diversified portfolio of clients. She brings a wealth of experience in mediation, facilitation, teambuilding, conflict coaching, training, change management, and external Ombuds, serving federal government, construction, retail, auto-manufacturing, public affairs, marketing, nonprofit, and education sector clients. Leila’s unique approach combines her extensive knowledge of human behavior with practical strategies to address and resolve conflicts effectively.
Leila holds a Master’s of Dispute Resolution (MDR) degree from Pepperdine University’s top-ranking Straus Institute and has undergone comprehensive training in mediation and facilitation. Her career is marked by a series of successful interventions and training programs that have significantly improved organizational dynamics and interpersonal relationships within her clients’ teams. She is known for her ability to create a safe and supportive environment where all parties feel heard and respected, facilitating sustainable and positive outcomes.
Leila serves as a senior practitioner of two professional rosters of practitioners: Pollack Peacebuilding Systems and the Department of Interior (DOI) Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution (CADR) through Collaborent LLC. As a compassionate peacebuilder, Leila is focused on utilizing data to identify and bridge gaps in information, communication, system design, structure, culture, and needs. As a highly skilled facilitator, Leila is passionate about ideating through multi-perspective narratives and untangling the people-side of change to elevate the organization from the current stage to the future state. Her passion for peace and her comprehensive skill makes her an invaluable asset to any team or organization seeking to resolve conflicts and foster a harmonious work environment.
Business Experience
Leila began her career with a triad of experiences in psychology of conflict, cross-cultural relations, and community building through mentorship. She then delved into the world of corporate retail addressing organizational culture, diversity and inclusion, and employee relations issues. Her wide array of mediation experiences prepared her to lead a department in an international auto-manufacturing corporation focused on contracted employee and consumer disputes. Her success pivoted her to workplace consulting with a wide range of clients in different industries, which earned her a spot at the Solutions Stage of the California HR Convention. During COVID, Leila was recruited by a management consulting firm that serves the construction industry and was able to expand her skills into leadership development and succession planning. For the past two years, as a federal government contractor, Leila has had the privilege of serving the US Bureau of Reclamation, US National Park Services, US Fish and Wildlife, US Bureau of Land Management, and US Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Senior practitioner and Deputy Program Manager.
Specializations
- Mediations yielding an agreement or a communication plan
- Small group teambuilding and experiential learning trainings
- 360 interview, survey or trend-based assessments to identify challenges and opportunities
- Team action-planning and strategic ideation sessions
- Leader labs and Action Leadership Challenges (ALCs) around enterprise or field-level challenges
- Conflict-based developmental coaching and assessment-based leadership coaching (MBTI, HAB, TKI, Hogan, DiSC, and EcoSpan)
- Change management strategy and implementation (ADKAR-ProSci)
- Employee, consumer, and cross-cultural relations
- Organizational development and systems design
- Succession planning
- External Organizational Ombuds services (virtual, on-demand)
- Contract and program management
- Proficient in Farsi and Spanish
Credentials
- Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution (MDR), Straus Institute, Pepperdine University
- International Ombuds Association Foundations Training (IOA), Pepperdine University
- Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Spanish, University of California, Irvine
- Minor in Conflict Resolution, University of California, Irvine
- Certified Mediator, Center for Citizen Peacebuilding
- Certified Public Speaker, University of California, Irvine
- The Effective Facilitator Certification, Leadership Strategies and Project Management Institute
Affiliations
- Denver Conflict Professionals
- Center for International Experiential Learning (CIEL)
- Emerging Ombuds Network (EON)