Conflict, Culture, and Leading Through Tension
Dr. Jen Fry is no stranger to tough conversations—and she’s helping leaders everywhere become more fluent in them. As the founder of JenFryTalks and a leading voice at the intersection of conflict and culture, Jen brings a transformative message to #WIA2025 about how words shape power, performance, and trust. In this candid interview, she unpacks the subtle ways language can either escalate conflict or open the door to real collaboration. If you’re ready to lead with clarity, courage, and a deeper understanding of the spoken (and unspoken) rules of workplace communication, don’t miss this conversation.
Picture this: You’re in a meeting, presenting a game-changing solution to a production challenge. You speak with conviction, back up your ideas with data, and push for implementation. Later, you overhear colleagues describing you as “aggressive” and “difficult to work with.” Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth Dr. Jen Fry wants every woman in automotive to understand: The problem isn’t you—it’s the language being used to diminish your power.
As a keynote speaker at the Women In Automotive 2025 Conference, Dr. Fry is bringing a message that will fundamentally shift how you think about workplace communication. Her expertise in conflict navigation and trauma-informed leadership isn’t just theory—it’s a roadmap for transforming how you show up, speak up, and claim your space in an industry that’s finally ready to listen.
Breaking Through the Language Barrier
Here’s what Dr. Fry discovered in her research: The automotive industry has a vocabulary problem. When women demonstrate the exact same leadership qualities that get men promoted—decisiveness, passion, advocacy—they’re often described using completely different language.
The reality check: Those “loaded words” Dr. Fry talks about aren’t accidental. They’re systematic ways of undermining women’s credibility and making them second-guess their own leadership instincts.
“Here’s what people don’t want to admit—our vocabulary for describing women who hold their own is disappointingly small,” Dr. Fry explains. “We reach for the same lazy, loaded words because it’s easier than actually naming what we’re seeing, and sometimes acknowledging what we wish we could do.”
Your power move: Start recognizing these patterns in your own workplace. When you hear yourself or other women described as “emotional” for showing passion, or “aggressive” for advocating strongly, call it out. Better yet, reframe it: “I saw Sarah demonstrate real conviction about that quality issue—that’s exactly the kind of leadership we need.”
The High Cost of Conflict Avoidance
Here’s something that might surprise you: avoiding conflict isn’t keeping the peace—it’s actually destroying it. Dr. Fry is adamant that conflict avoidance can “kill a company, a culture, and a profit.”
When leaders avoid difficult conversations, they’re not preventing problems; they’re allowing them to fester underground. Resentment builds, communication breaks down, and trust erodes. What could have been a small, manageable issue becomes a cultural crisis.
For women in automotive, this creates a particularly challenging dynamic. You’re already fighting to be heard and respected, and when leaders avoid addressing conflicts that directly impact your experience, it sends a clear message: your concerns don’t matter enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
“Avoiding conflict doesn’t make it go away—it just hands your power over to it,” Dr. Fry explains. “When you are willing to engage in conflict as a leader, you are showing your employees that conflict is not only normal, but something that is needed to continue innovating.”
The Daily Practice That Changes Everything
So how do you start building your conflict navigation skills? Dr. Fry’s advice is beautifully simple: start naming what you notice in real time.
Instead of letting tensions build or filing away frustrations for later, practice saying things like: “I noticed you interrupted twice during that conversation—can we pause and talk about what’s going on?” This approach is miles better than stewing about someone being “rude” or unleashing vague feedback later.
This practice does two powerful things: it normalizes clear feedback so it doesn’t feel like an ambush, and it trains you to separate facts (observable behavior) from judgment (loaded labels). When you consistently model this approach, you’re teaching your team that feedback isn’t a personal attack—it’s how groups stay aligned and get better.
Why Trauma-Informed Leadership Matters
Dr. Fry brings a unique perspective to leadership development through her trauma-informed approach. This isn’t about coddling people—it’s about recognizing that everyone brings their whole self to work, including their experiences with family trauma, relationship challenges, and previous toxic workplaces.
“Leaders today have to stop pretending they’re just managing jobs and start realizing they’re also managing humans—complex, layered, brilliant, messy humans,” she explains. “You can’t innovate, build trust, or lead through conflict if people’s nervous systems are stuck in survival mode.”
This perspective is particularly crucial for women in automotive, where many have experienced discrimination, harassment, or exclusion. Understanding how trauma affects both leaders and their teams creates environments where people feel safe enough to contribute, push back, and take risks.
Turning Conflict into Innovation
Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Fry challenges us to stop treating conflict as something to be managed and start seeing it as a catalyst for growth. When leaders use language to create clarity, invite new perspectives, and push through discomfort, they unlock creativity and innovation.
“The way you frame the conversation either shuts people down or sparks their curiosity—and leaders who can turn conflict into creativity are the ones who actually move the needle,” she notes.
This shift is transformative for women in automotive. Instead of avoiding difficult conversations about representation, pay equity, or workplace culture, imagine if we could frame these conflicts as opportunities for the industry to innovate and improve.
Get Ready to Transform Your Leadership at Women In Automotive 2025
Here’s what’s waiting for you at Dr. Fry’s keynote: A complete reframe of how you approach workplace tension. She’s not just talking about conflict—she’s showing you how to turn those uncomfortable moments into your greatest leadership opportunities.
What you’ll walk away with:
- Language strategies that protect your credibility and amplify your voice
- Conflict navigation skills that turn disagreements into innovation catalysts
- Trauma-informed leadership tools that create psychological safety for your entire team
- Daily practices for building your confidence in difficult conversations
And here’s the best part: Dr. Fry’s message isn’t just about surviving in automotive—it’s about thriving and leading the industry transformation we’re all part of.
Her promise to every woman at WIA2025: “I want women in automotive to walk out of my keynote with their spines a little straighter and their tolerance for nonsense a little lower, understanding that they have always had the ability to navigate the hard stuff—they just needed the skills.”
Your Conference Preview: What to Expect
Before you even step into the room, Dr. Fry wants you to know something: Those moments when you felt dismissed, overlooked, or labeled unfairly? They weren’t about your shortcomings—they were about systems that need changing. And you’re exactly the person to change them.
At WIA2025, you’ll discover:
- The science behind language power dynamics (and why your instincts about unfair treatment are spot-on)
- Real-world examples from automotive workplaces where women transformed conflict into innovation
- Immediate action steps you can implement the Monday after conference
- A supportive community of women who’ve faced similar challenges and won
Ready for a sneak peek at Dr. Fry’s approach? She doesn’t just teach conflict navigation—she empowers you to see every difficult conversation as a chance to model the leadership the industry desperately needs.
Her post-it note wisdom for tough conversations: “It’s going to be scary, your armpits will sweat, you will forget your words. And do it anyway. You have more to lose by not having the conversation than when you have it.”
The Path Forward
Dr. Fry’s work reminds us that mastering conflict navigation isn’t just about individual success—it’s about transforming workplace culture for everyone. When we learn to use language as a tool for clarity rather than a weapon for dismissal, we create environments where diverse voices can thrive.
For women in automotive, this means recognizing that your discomfort with how you’re being treated isn’t a personal failing—it’s often a sign that systems need to change. And you have the power to be part of that change by developing your own conflict navigation skills and modeling better communication for others.
The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, and diverse perspectives are essential for innovation. By learning to navigate conflict with clarity and courage, women in automotive can help shape not just their own careers, but the future of the industry itself.
Ready to transform your voice from whisper to roar? 🎤 Dr. Jen Fry’s keynote at the Women In Automotive 2025 Conference is your invitation to step into the leadership role you’ve always been meant to have. This isn’t just another conference session—it’s your chance to connect with a community of women who understand your journey and are ready to accelerate your success.
Join us at WIA2025 and discover how your unique perspective isn’t just valuable—it’s essential for the future of automotive innovation. Your voice matters, your expertise is needed, and your success is our collective victory.
Ready to claim your space? Explore our resources at Women In Automotive and connect with a network that celebrates your ambition, supports your growth, and champions your success at every turn.