NOVI, Mich., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leadership is a constant challenge. Whether in a global business or in the local PTO, an authentic leader is often challenged to deal with the bad things that happen as well as the good.

On Wednesday, May 14, the concept of authentic leadership will be explored in a day-long conference held at Dearborn, Michigan's Henry Ford Community College, at satellite sessions in Chicago and Calgary, Alberta as well as live streamed by Detroit Public Television across the globe.

Conference organizer Shawne Duperon explains that authentic leadership means, among other things, "trusting yourself, while at the same time forgiving yourself for not being perfect. It's relinquishing control you never had to begin with."

Major corporations such as Chrysler, a sponsor of the event, have already begun to learn the value of authentic leadership. For others who currently lead, or who aspire to leadership, the conference will explore additional topics including:

• how to communicate when you still don't have all of the answers,
• how to have an uncomfortable conversation, and
• how to successfully make decisions that will move your enterprise ahead.

Duperon, a six-time EMMY® winner and international speaker, developed the concept of authentic leadership after her video on the concept of forgiveness went viral on the Internet, with tens of thousands of viewers across the globe.

Among those viewers were Archbishop Desmond Tutu and country artist Naomi Judd who will be making video appearances in support of the need for more authentic leadership in the world. Jack Canfield, best-selling author of the Chicken Soup series, will also be among those providing leadership tips that participants can implement in their work environments.

Speakers at the conference will include Federal Judge Damon Keith, Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley and Gary Weinstein, who lost his family in a car crash caused by a drunk driver and then learned not only to forgive the driver, but to teach the driver how to forgive himself. Weinstein's story led Duperon to begin a non-profit, The Project Forgive Foundation, which will benefit from the conference.

Besides Chrysler, event partners include an office of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Chicago, the Evolutionary Business Council and the Women's Business Enterprise Council – Great Lakes.

The conference will be held in the Henry Ford Community College's main campus Forfa Auditorium, 5101 Evergreen Road in Dearborn, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT, with registration starting at 9:00AM. Tickets for the live events are $37 per person; streaming events are $7 per person. Complete details and registration information can be found at www.SupportProjectForgive.com.

Contact: Sue Voyles, [email protected], 734-667-2005

SOURCE The Project Forgive Foundation