The Future of Leadership: Connection, Resilience, and the Human Advantage in a Changing World

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, leaders are up against unprecedented challenges. AI is transforming industries, reshaping job roles, and automating once-essential tasks. The workforce is navigating uncertainty, burnout, and shifting expectations about what it means to feel engaged and valued.

Yet, amid this disruption, one truth remains: human connection is the ultimate competitive advantage.

According to Workday’s AI Skills Revolution report, 81% of employees recognize AI is changing the skills required for their jobs, with the biggest demand now placed on uniquely human capabilities. However, a disconnect remains: while 82% of employees believe human connection will become even more crucial as AI usage grows, only 65% of managers agree. This gap presents a critical opportunity for leaders to step up -- not just as strategists, but as connectors, bridge-builders, and culture-shapers.

In this powerful keynote, Chris Schembra unpacks the essential human skills that define modern leadership: relationship-building, emotional intelligence, resilience, and gratitude. Drawing from his experience working with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams, Chris introduces a practical, actionable framework for leading with authenticity, adaptability, and impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Harness the Human Advantage – Why connection, emotional intelligence, and ethical leadership are the most in-demand skills of the future.
• Lead with Resilience – How to navigate uncertainty, turn adversity into opportunity, and inspire teams with a mindset of growth and adaptability.
• Build High-Trust Teams – The science of gratitude and how it strengthens collaboration, innovation, and long-term success.
• Close the Leadership Gap – Address the disconnect between employees and management when it comes to fostering human connection in an AI-driven workplace.
• The PASTA Framework: A five-step model to cultivate awareness, curiosity, adaptability, action, and gratitude.

Leadership is no longer just about managing people -- it’s about inspiring movements, creating belonging, and unlocking human potential. This keynote will leave attendees energized, equipped, and ready to lead in a world that demands more human-centered leadership.

The future of leadership isn’t just about strategy—it’s about connection.

Breakthrough Together: Unlocking Change Resilience, and Growth Through Human Connection In

In a world that demands rapid innovation, resilience, and adaptability, the greatest competitive advantage isn’t just technology or strategy—it’s human connection.

Breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation. They happen when we pause to gain clarity, ask better questions to unlock new insights, shift our perspective to embrace possibility, take action with courage, and appreciate the process—together.

This keynote introduces the PASTA Framework -- a powerful approach to driving meaningful change, strengthening relationships, and fostering resilience in uncertain times. Through stories, science, and real-world application, Chris Schembra will show how small shifts in mindset and behavior lead to big breakthroughs in leadership, teamwork, and organizational success.

Key Takeaways:

• Pause to break free from reactivity and create space for clarity and connection.
• Ask better questions to deepen trust, fuel innovation, and inspire action.
• Shift from fixed thinking to a growth mindset, turning setbacks into stepping stones.
• Take Action with purpose, overcoming perfectionism and fear of failure.
• Appreciate the journey—because resilience is built on gratitude and perspective.

When we breakthrough together, we don’t just survive change -- we lead it.

Gratitude: The Cornerstone of Excellence, Leadership, and Strong Communication

In a world where leadership often translates to quicker decisions, larger initiatives, and greater pressures, it's easy to overlook the core elements that sustain long-term success. Leaders are struggling not just to excel but to meaningfully connect in ways that promote sustainable excellence.

The typical response to mounting pressures is to accelerate efforts—more output, more innovation, more speed. But might true excellence stem from a deeper, often neglected source? What if the pathway to outstanding achievement lies in the quiet power of gratitude?

This keynote explores how gratitude isn't just about giving thanks—it's a strategic advantage that can redefine leadership and organizational success. We'll delve into how historical figures like Paul Revere and modern innovators like Toyota have achieved remarkable excellence by embedding gratitude into their leadership ethos. Learn how these principles can foster a culture of continuous improvement, deeper engagement, and superior performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace Slow Listening: When leaders create space and time to slow down, they prioritize understanding, empathy, learning, and genuine connections. Slow listeners make great innovators. They connect disparate ideas and bring into the world solutions only they are deeply qualified to bring.

• Generosity in Service: We tell the story of Paul Revere, the super connector that risked his life on Aril 18th, 1775 to spread the message that the war was coming. The greatest leaders build networks of weak ties, acting as information brokers, catalysts, and connectors, fostering change and uniting diverse groups within their organizations in meaningful ways. We have to be prepared to be strong and to be the navigator of change, because we are the glue that holds a lot of the things together for this.

• Focusing on Continuous Improvement: Rather than aiming for grand slams, great leaders concentrate on making consistent, incremental innovations. We need to adapt fast, making small, smart changes for better results. We introduce the story of how Toyota's kaizen philosophy took American car manufacturing by storm in 1986, emphasizing continuous improvement, waste reduction, and team engagement.
• Pursuing Purpose with Focus: Great leaders dedicate their efforts to meaningful causes inside and outside of the organization, prioritizing focus on what drives value, vs trying to do everything at once. As the old Russian proverb says, "You can't chase two rabbits at the same time; they'll both get away." Focus equals growth.
• Gratitude grounds us slowly in the present, and fosters the connection, focus, and celebration of small victories essential for continuous improvement and excellence.

Fostering Human Connection: The Hidden Key to Elevating Engagement and Well-Being in the Workplace

In this powerful and insightful keynote, Chris Schembra unveils the unseen crisis of disconnection and loneliness within the contemporary workplace. Diving deep into recent statistics and expert views, he exposes the dramatic impact of isolation on employee mental health and overall organizational engagement. Chris brings forth thought-provoking insights from authoritative studies like Gallup's Global State of the Workplace report and the shocking truth about employee disengagement rates. Chris shares his powerful 3-step method for solving this pervasive problem: embracing the present and recognizing our shared humanity, learning to give and receive authentic gratitude, and fostering curiosity and inquisitiveness for the future. This keynote will provide attendees with practical, actionable strategies to bring about emotional well-being and foster a vibrant, connected culture within their own organizations.

Key Takeaways:

• Unmasking the Disconnection Crisis: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the modern workplace's disconnection issue and its repercussions on employee mental health and engagement.
• Human Connection as a Solution: Recognize the paramount importance and statistics of genuine human interactions in counteracting workplace isolation and its myriad problems.
• Master the 3-Step Connection Method: Delve into Chris's unique approach, from embracing shared humanity to promoting curiosity, and discover actionable strategies to implement in your organization.
• Stories of Connection: Be inspired by real-world examples that highlight the transformative power and tangible benefits of nurturing human connections in professional settings to revitalize culture.

The Power of Empathy and Connection: Transforming Customer Relationships from Transactional to Transformational

In this transformative keynote, Chris Schembra explores the significance of empathy, gratitude, and human connection in creating enduring customer relationships. He presents the necessity of engaging with customers beyond transactions and emphasizes the critical link between team well-being and exceptional customer service. Chris delves into the power of emotional connections in shaping customer loyalty, brand perception, and fostering referrals. He provides practical advice on expressing gratitude that deeply resonates with customers, forging stronger bonds and lasting impressions.

Chris concludes by revealing the transformative impact of creating a connected customer network, promoting a sense of belonging, and nurturing brand advocates. He highlights the essential shift in focus onto your team and customers as the key to unlocking substantial value in genuine connections and a customer-centric approach.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Presence: Understand the crucial role of being present and genuinely connecting with customers, and how it can transform business relationships.
• Internal Health, External Success: Discover how investing in your team's well-being and engagement leads to improved customer service and satisfaction.
• Leverage Emotional Connections: Learn about the impact of emotional connections in driving customer loyalty, referrals, and enhancing brand perception.
• Express Gratitude, Build Bonds: Learn how to communicate gratitude in ways that resonate with customers, strengthening bonds and making lasting impressions.
• Foster a Community, Not a Customer Base: Understand the transformative effect of connecting customers to foster a sense of belonging and build a network of brand advocates.