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World Congress 2026 Europe - Virtual Stage • Jul 2, 2026 • Session details

Reading the Room: The Missing Competency in Tech Leadership

Carol Palombini

Why do flawless technical pitches still get rejected? Pure logic often breeds executive skepticism. Master organizational awareness to finally secure stakeholder buy-in and accelerate your tech career.

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#1 about 2 min

Why data and technical results fail to secure buy-in

Relying solely on logic and technical performance often fails to secure stakeholder buy-in.

#2 about 2 min

Pushing logic and arguments damages trust in leadership

Attempting to overcome micromanagement with stronger technical arguments often decreases leadership trust.

#3 about 1 min

The neuroscience behind decision making and emotional intelligence

Research shows that human decision-making breaks down when emotional processing is impaired.

#4 about 2 min

Developing organizational awareness to read stakeholder dynamics

High-performing leaders use emotional intelligence to understand organizational culture and decision-makers.

#5 about 2 min

Applying emotional intelligence to uncover hidden leadership concerns

Uncovering a manager's underlying fears shifts the focus from arguing facts to building trust.

#6 about 1 min

Making leadership visible through succession planning and dashboards

Providing visibility into team stability alleviates management anxiety and supports career progression.

#7 about 1 min

Four critical questions for mapping stakeholder needs and goals

Identifying decision-making power, pressures, and conflicting goals helps align proposals with stakeholder interests.

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