Power & Influence: Leading Beyond Your Title

Thursday, 11:00 AM EST

Influence is the currency of leadership—but most leaders only spend what they’ve been given.

This session helps technical leaders break out of default power (positional, cultural, prestige) and tap into personal power—built on presence, clarity, and credibility.

Whether you’re managing up, across, or leading without formal authority, this talk gives you the tools to lead with more impact.

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We’ll Explore:

• The 4 sources of leadership power and how to use them
• How to navigate the thin line between influence and manipulation
• The tension between being respected and being in charge

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The best leaders don’t use power to control. They use it to connect.

The Expert Trap: When Technical Skill Limits Leadership Impact

Thursday, 4:00 PM EST

You were promoted for your expertise. And that’s exactly what’s holding you back.

Many technical leaders struggle to shift from “doing the work” to “leading the work.” Letting go is hard. Worse? It’s not enough.

This session reveals why stepping back doesn’t work—and what it really means to step up as a leader.

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Key Takeaways:

• Why the shift from expert to leader is harder than it looks
• A practical model for blending expertise, leadership, and coaching mindsets
• Tools to expand your leadership presence without losing your edge

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Great leadership doesn’t abandon expertise—it evolves it.

AI is a Force Multiplier – What are you multiplying?

Thursday, 5:30 PM EST

Everyone’s talking about AI’s potential. Few are asking the harder question: What exactly is it multiplying?

This session explores how Generative AI is accelerating everything—good and bad—and the hidden risks for leaders who aren’t paying attention. Drawing from the AI Leadership Lab and decades of riding tech waves (software, mobile, cloud, agile…), Pete will challenge you to rethink your AI strategy—from productivity to power, design to decision-making.

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You’ll walk away with:

• A framework for evaluating what AI is really amplifying in your org
• Insight into the unseen tradeoffs behind AI investments
• How to lead with intention, not just adoption

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If AI is fuel, leadership is the steering wheel.

Organizational Tension is not the Problem, it's the Point

Friday, 11:00 AM EST

Technical leaders are problem-solvers by design. But not everything is a problem that can be solved. Some challenges—like speed vs. quality, alignment vs. autonomy, planning vs. adapting—aren’t meant to be solved. They’re tensions that can only be managed. And treating them like problems only creates new ones.

This session unpacks the most common leadership tensions in tech and how to navigate them with more clarity and less frustration.

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You’ll explore:

• The difference between a solvable problem and a persistent tension
• The leadership habits that increase tension (often unintentionally)
• A practical lens to work with tension rather than against it

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No perfect answers. Just better choices.