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The Best Leadership Conversations Don't Happen on A Conference Stage

I've been to a lot of professional meetings in my career. Most of them – even the good ones – are about the speakers, the topics, the agenda, the strategy, the takeaways you scribble down and share with your team.

The CXR Leadership Summit Is Different

It isn't just another conference, meeting or gathering. It's where relationships are built, perspectives are challenged, and leaders leave better than when they arrived. It's one of the few places where you can stop performing leadership and simply be a leader among peers.

... Leaders leave better than when they arrived.

I still think about the year we gathered at Disney. We didn't do the typical Disney things. The activities were intentionally designed to pull us out of our usual roles and into something more human. The conversations became deeper because the environment encouraged us to show up differently. What struck me most was how genuinely everyone showed up for one another. There was no posturing – just leaders willing to listen, share, and help.

Another year, in Arizona, we spent time with a member of a local tribe who led our community experience. We were outside, away from conference rooms and PowerPoint decks, sharing stories instead of presentations. It created connections that have lasted far beyond the event itself.

That's the difference. "You get to let your guard down, which is not something we're offered very often in these seats." Our regular CXR community Colloquiums are sharp, insightful, and incredibly valuable – they're about the work. The Leadership Summit is about the people doing the work. It feels less like a conference and more like a trusted circle of executive peers who are willing to talk honestly about the challenges that don't fit neatly into a presentation. It's senior leadership helping one anther navigate difficult decisions without compromising who they are or what they believe.

You get to let your guard down, which is not something we're offered very often in these seats.

What I've Learned From The CXR Community

• I now utilize Design Thinking. Someone introduced the framework, and I've relied on it ever since. It challenged me to view problems through different personas and perspectives, fundamentally changing how I lead change and innovation.
• Instead of asking, "What do we need to do?" I ask, "What's keeping the organization up at night?" that single shift changes every conversation because it starts with empathy instead of assumptions.
• I focus equally on methodology and culture.
• I recently learned about an exercise that teaches teams to genuinely celebrate wins – even when their own idea isn't selected. Imagine a team where success isn't about whose idea wins, but about everyone learning, growing, and moving the organization forward together. That's the kind of culture I'm excited to continue building.

Why The Leadership Summit Continues To Matter

Every Summit gives me something to carry back into my career. One conversation I keep coming back to was centered on ethics and integrity in Talent Acquisition. Many of us now serve as advisors, board members, or strategic partners, and we had an honest discussion about transparency – particularly around financial relationships and governance. Those aren't conversations you can have just anywhere. They're conversations you have with people who understand the weight of executive leadership because they've carried it themselves. When you look around the room, you're surrounded by decades of collective experience, diverse perspectives, and leaders who genuinely want one another to succeed. That's incredibly rare.

I've often paid my own way to attend this Summit when organizational budgets were tight because I viewed it as an investment in myself – not an expense. that should tell you everything you need to know about the value I place on this experience.

I've reached a point where my cup is full, and what brings me the most fulfillment is pouring into others – sharing experiences, helping leaders grow, and learning from them in return. That's the mindset I'll be bringing to Laguna Beach this October.

I Encourage You To Attend This Year's Upcoming Event

So, if you're still on the fence, here's my advice. Think abut what's keeping you up at night. Think about the challenge you're trying to solve. Think about the leader you want to become. Then come to Laguna Beach. Because you probably won't leave with every answer. You'll leave with fresh perspectives, trusted relationships, practical ideas, and a community of leaders who will continue to challenge, support, and inspire you long after the Summit ends. That's why I keep coming back.

You'll leave with fresh perspectives, trusted relationships, practical ideas, and a community of leaders who will continue to challenge, support, and inspire you long after the Summit ends.

If we've never met, I hope this is the year we do. I'll see you in Laguna Beach.