Lab A: Resilience in High-Pressure Environments

How do you keep people motivated when the pace is relentless? This session helps you sharpen the ability to make clear decisions in uncertain conditions, sustain your team’s energy, and remain composed when pressure builds.

Skills Learned: Decisive decision-making, stress management, sustaining team motivation, and role-modelling resilience.

Alison McDonald OBE, Deputy Secretary, Immigration, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment | Hīkina Whakatutuki

Lab B: Building Executive Presence and Self-Belief
Executive presence is critical for leaders who want to influence decisions and advance their careers. This lab will help you strengthen self-belief, communicate with confidence and authority, and position yourself effectively for progression opportunities while staying authentic to your leadership style.

Skills Learned: Strengthening executive presence, communicating with authority, building self-belief, and strategic self-advocacy.

Loren Thomas, Head of People Strategy & Experience, Trade Me

Lab C: Leading High-Performing Teams

Unpack what it really takes to build and sustain a team that consistently delivers results. This lab focuses on the behaviours, systems and leadership practices that drive accountability, trust and performance for long-term success – even in the face of conflict, underperformance, or team dysfunction – to support long-term success.

Skills Learned: Building accountability and trust, fostering psychological safety, managing conflict and underperformance, strengthening team cohesion, and applying practical frameworks to sustain motivation and performance under pressure.

Anna Calver, Chief Economic and Engagement Officer, Wellington City Council