Pre-Conference Workshops

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Your Balance Blueprint: Achieving Sustainable Success and Life Balance in Leadership:

Peak Leadership Performance: Biohacking for Feminine Leadership

3.5 Hour Workshop

What You'll Learn:

You’re sitting at the top table holding your own, because you deserve to be there but your operating system is unique. When supported adequately, this can become your edge. Discover the science-backed strategies that support high-performance leadership without sacrificing your wellbeing. This intensive workshop goes beyond traditional leadership development to explore how your biology, habits, and energy management directly impact your executive presence and decision-making capability.

You'll explore:

• The biological foundations of sustainable performance - hormones, sleep architecture, and nutrition strategies that optimize cognitive function and resilience

• Evidence-based approaches to physical wellness that enhance mental clarity and strategic thinking

• The Chocolate Bar Life framework for balancing work, rest, and renewal in high-pressure roles

• Emotional regulation techniques for maintaining composure and clarity in critical moments

• Practical boundary-setting strategies that protect your energy without compromising your influence

   

What You'll Walk Away With:

• A personalized performance blueprint tailored to your unique biological needs and leadership context
• Actionable biohacking strategies you can implement immediately to boost energy, focus, and resilience
• Tools for managing stress, optimising sleep, and maintaining peak cognitive function
• Practical frameworks for redefining success on your terms while maintaining your competitive edge
• A renewed commitment to leadership that's built on clarity, composure, and balance - not burnout

12:30 Lunch

Communicate with confidence and get your voice heard

01:30 – 05:00PM

No matter your role, it’s important that you speak your truth and learn how to communicate so that your voice is heard.
All too often we find ourselves leaving conversations frustrated that we haven’t been heard or understood clearly. There are times when we haven’t been able to find the space in a meeting to share our perspectives at all! This half day masterclass will give you the opportunity to build your gravitas in all contexts, communicate with confidence and
clarity, and make the practical mindset changes needed to remove roadblocks to expressing yourself.

You will Learn:

• Limit inner conflicts which might limit workplace performance
• Project more authority and communicate with gravity
• Master sustainable control of stress and stressors in the work environment
• Improve positive-attitude maintenance in challenging situations
• Assess and adjust personal leadership style quickly, accurately and privately

By the end of the workshop you will have:

• Uncovered what is in the way of you finding and expressing your voice with confidence and clarity
• Understood how to build capacity in your communication style and how to listen for and respond to other people’s styles of communication
• Built the confidence and know how to show up and have your voice heard

Conference Day One

09:00 AM Welcome to country + Opening Remarks from Chair

Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get. Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and the Leadership Institute in 2017.

Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life – in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI’s Women in Leadership line of events.

Session 1: 9:20 AM: Leading with Trust and Judgement in Today’s Public Sector

Trust in government is built not just on outcomes, but on the quality of the decisions that shape them. In an environment defined by complexity, competing priorities, and increasing public scrutiny, leaders are required to exercise sound judgement while balancing diverse stakeholder expectations.

In this opening keynote, Dr Sandra Cuthbert, Chief Executive Officer, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, draws on her experience across central agencies and regulatory leadership to explore what it means to lead with trust in complex public systems. Sandra will share insights into navigating competing perspectives, making decisions in the public interest, and maintaining confidence in institutions during times of uncertainty.

This session will set the tone for the summit, offering a grounded and practical perspective on leadership, stewardship, and trust in today’s public sector.

10:10 AM: LEADERSHIP NETWORKING

10:30 AM MORNING TEA

SESSION 2: INTERACTIVE KEYNOTE 11:00 AM: Leading Before You Feel Ready

Stepping into leadership rarely comes with certainty. For many women, growth brings self doubt, heightened visibility, and pressure to prove credibility in environments that often demand perfection. In this candid and empowering session, Dana Lightbody explores what it really takes to lead before you feel ready.

Drawing on real world experience, practical insight, and the patterns she has observed across thousands of women leaders, Dana unpacks why confidence is not a prerequisite for leadership, but a result of action. She challenges common myths around readiness, authority, and self belief, and examines how women can build influence, presence, and trust without waiting for permission.

This session is designed to help women reframe imposter syndrome, recognise their existing capability, and step forward with greater clarity and conviction. You will leave with practical ways to own your voice, lead authentically, and back yourself even when it feels uncomfortable. Because leadership does not begin with certainty. It begins with choosing to step forward.

SESSION 3 12:00 PM: Leading Without Control: Influencing Outcomes in Large Public Sector Organisations

In large and complex public sector organisations, leadership does not always come with direct authority. Many leaders are required to influence outcomes across teams, functions, and portfolios while navigating competing priorities, governance structures, and organisational dynamics.

In this practical session, Kenna draws on her experience leading across Treasury, Police, Health, and Communities and Justice to explore how leaders can drive outcomes without formal control. Kenna will share insights into influencing decision making, aligning stakeholders, and navigating complex organisational environments with confidence and clarity.

This session will offer a grounded perspective on building credibility, shaping priorities, and delivering results in systems where leadership is defined as much by influence as it is by authority.

12:50 PM: LUNCH

1:50 PM: From Insight To Action Session

SESSION 4: COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS 2:20 PM: Navigating Difficult Leadership Moments in Complex Public Sector Environments

Every leader faces moments where the stakes are high and the path forward is not always clear. Whether managing competing priorities, addressing performance challenges, or navigating sensitive stakeholder dynamics, difficult leadership moments require sound judgement, clarity, and confidence.

In this practical and insightful session, Elizabeth Mildwater, Secretary, Department of Customer Service NSW, draws on more than 30 years of leadership experience across government, transport, and the private sector to explore how leaders can navigate complexity with confidence and integrity.

Elizabeth will share real world reflections on managing competing demands, leading through pressure, and making decisions that balance people, outcomes, and public accountability. Attendees will gain practical strategies to approach difficult conversations with clarity, strengthen trust in challenging situations, and lead with confidence in complex environments.

3:10 PM: AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 5: KEYNOTE + EXTENDED Q&A 3:30 PM: The Courage to Be Yourself in Rooms That Expect You Not To Be

Many professionals spend years learning how to fit into environments where expectations around behaviour, confidence, and credibility are constantly shifting. For women in leadership roles, the pressure to appear composed, certain, and endlessly capable can be particularly intense.

In this refreshingly honest keynote, acclaimed comedian, writer and broadcaster Judith Lucy reflects on what it takes to remain authentic in spaces that often reward conformity over individuality. Through humour, personal stories and sharp insight, Judith explores confidence, vulnerability and the courage it takes to show up as yourself in professional environments that can sometimes feel anything but human.

Following the keynote, Judith will take part in an extended audience Q&A, offering a candid and entertaining conversation with delegates about confidence, pressure, reinvention and navigating life in the public eye.

4:30 PM: REFLECTION, FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION DAY CLOSE, MEET & GREET

Conference Day Two

09:00  From Insight To Action – Key Take Aways From Day 1

SESSION 1: OPENING KEYNOTE 9:10 AM: Leading Change in Environments That Weren’t Built for You

Leading change in the public sector often means working within systems that are complex, evolving, and not always designed with every voice in mind. For many leaders, the challenge is not only delivering outcomes, but ensuring that the needs and experiences of the people they serve are genuinely reflected in decision making.

In this insightful session, Alison draws on her leadership experience across government to explore what it takes to lead meaningful change in environments shaped by competing priorities and diverse stakeholder expectations. Alison will share practical reflections on engaging communities, navigating complexity, and bringing stakeholder voices into the heart of policy and service delivery.

This session will offer a thoughtful perspective on leading with empathy, influence, and purpose to create more inclusive and responsive public sector outcomes.

10:30 AM: MORNING TEA

SESSION 2: 11:00 AM: Leading with a Customer First Mindset in Government

Delivering meaningful outcomes for the community requires more than strong policy. It requires a deep understanding of the people behind the services and a commitment to designing systems that genuinely meet their needs.

In this insightful session, Melissa Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer, State Trustees, shares her experience leading customer focused transformation across highly regulated sectors. Drawing on her work across government, financial services and utilities, Melissa will explore how leaders can embed a customer first mindset into strategy, decision making and service delivery.

From elevating the voice of the client to driving cultural and operational change, this session will provide practical insights into delivering services that are not only efficient, but trusted, accessible and impactful for the communities they serve.

SESSION 3: KEYNOTE + EXTENDED Q&A 11:50 PM: Reinvention and Resilience: Rebuilding After Life Changes Course

Leadership journeys rarely follow a straight path. Careers evolve, unexpected challenges arise, and sometimes life forces us to start again.

Drawing on her remarkable personal and professional journey, Indira Naidoo reflects on resilience, reinvention and the courage required to rebuild after adversity. Through powerful storytelling and honest reflection, she explores how setbacks can become turning points and how resilience is often forged through life’s most difficult moments.

This inspiring session invites leaders to rethink failure, embrace change and recognise the strength that can emerge when life does not unfold as planned.

SESSION 4 2:10 PM: Leading with Integrity in a Digital and High Risk Environment

In today’s public sector, leadership increasingly sits at the intersection of technology, risk, and public trust. Decisions made within digital systems have far reaching consequences, requiring leaders to balance innovation, security, and accountability in complex and high stakes environments.

In this insightful session, Alana draws on more than three decades of experience across government to explore what it means to lead with integrity in a rapidly evolving landscape. Alana will share practical insights into managing risk, making sound decisions under pressure, and building trust in systems that underpin essential public services.

This session will offer a grounded perspective on leadership, responsibility, and maintaining integrity in environments where the stakes are high and the margin for error is small.

3:00 PM: AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 5: CLOSING KEYNOTE 3:20 PM: Leading with Trust in Complex Public Sector Systems

Delivering outcomes in government rarely happens within a single team, function, or jurisdiction. Leaders are required to navigate layered systems, balance competing priorities, and work across portfolios while maintaining trust across a diverse set of stakeholders.

In this practical session, Lisa draws on her experience leading across infrastructure, regions, and national programs to explore what it takes to deliver results in complex environments while building and sustaining trust. Lisa will share insights into coordinating across systems, aligning priorities, and maintaining credibility in the face of competing demands.

This session will offer a grounded perspective on the role of trust in complex settings, and how leaders can deliver meaningful outcomes while strengthening confidence across teams, stakeholders, and communities.

Post-Conference Workshop

The Practical Leadership Playbook: Leading with Clarity & Courage

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Step into the next level of leadership.

This masterclass equips you with practical tools, advanced strategies and confidence to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

You’ll walk away with a comprehensive toolkit—including proven templates, practical techniques and conversation guides—that you can immediately apply in your workplace and return to throughout your leadership journey.

“I wish I had done this workshop two years ago when I started as a manager”
 
What You’ll Learn:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• Strengthen self-awareness and emotional regulation: 
  Understand your personal leadership style, manage emotional responses and build lasting resilience.
• Set clear expectations for behaviour, performance, and working relationships: 
  Create a culture of accountability and psychological safety through clear boundaries and shared commitments.
• Provide advanced support to your team: 
  Recognise and respond to what your team members need to succeed and grow and manage in challenging times.
• Deliver feedback that drives performance and development: 
  Learn how to give confident, constructive feedback that supports good behaviour, addresses concerns early and
  strengthens your team.
• Navigate brave conversations with clarity and care
  Use the Correction Continuum to prepare for and engage in the conversations that matter—early, effectively and with integrity.

What You’ll Take Away:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• A practical leadership workbook packed with tools, templates, conversation scripts, and frameworks you can use for years to come.
  
  

“Every time I need to have a brave conversation, I go back to the templates and scripts. They give me the support and confidence I need to prepare well"

• A peer learning experience that connects you with like-minded leaders navigating similar challenges.
• The confidence and capability to immediately apply what you’ve learned in your leadership role.
  
  

“This is the most practical workshop I’ve ever attended.”