QLD Women in Leadership Summit 2025

Understanding Your Communication Style

- Explore and identify personal communication styles

- Importance of self-awareness in communication

- Understand the impact of communication styles on relationships and collaboration

- Learn strategies to enhance and leverage individual communication strengths

Recognising Diverse Communication Styles

- Increase awareness of diverse communication styles

- Understand the importance of reading verbal and nonverbal communication

- Develop skills to navigate and bridge communication gaps

- Analysing real-world examples of diverse communication styles

Adapting Communication Approaches

- Develop skills to adapt communication styles based on the situation

- Enhance flexibility in communication approaches

- Master the art of powerful questioning

- Apply techniques to emphasise positive language and tone

Inclusive Communication Practice

- Explore best practices for inclusive leadership through communication

- Recognising and mitigating bias in communication

- Encouraging diverse perspectives and contributions

- Developing personalised action plans

Join Liquid Learning for this kick-off session as we prepare for two days of incredible speakers, senior leaders, expert deep dives, and unmissable panel discussions.

As leaders, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of believing we don’t deserve our successes, that we’ve somehow just been lucky. Impostor Syndrome is a common challenge, especially for high achievers. But what if you could reframe your thinking, build confidence, and step fully into the leader you aspire to be? In this session, Jenni shares how she confronted Impostor Syndrome head-on, not by trying to be someone else, but by leaning into her passion and leading with purpose.

- Explore the common limiting self-beliefs associated with impostor syndrome

- Finding your own rhythm in a new role 

- Developing your own authentic leadership style 

What happens when leaders prioritise collaboration and champion the growth of their people? In this session, Stephanie will explore how creating a culture of trust and teamwork can unlock individual potential and drive collective success. Drawing on her own leadership journey, she’ll share practical approaches to breaking down silos, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, and embedding development into everyday practice.

- Learn how to build a culture of trust and collaboration

- Discover ways to embed development into daily leadership

- Gain practical tools to empower and grow high-performing teams

Mix and mingle with your fellow leaders over a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

What does it take to steer an organisation through shifts and come out stronger on the other side? In this session, Lisa will share her expertise on leading through times of rapid change, drawing from her experience navigating Virgin Australia’s workforce through the turbulence of COVID-19 and its transformation under new ownership. Lisa will offer practical insights on how to build resilient, adaptable teams and create a culture that thrives, even in the most challenging circumstances.

- Learn how to guide teams through periods of change

- Discover the importance of building resilience in your workforce

- Gain actionable insights for leading with purpose in uncertain times

This session explores the critical link between leadership and wellbeing, highlighting how self-aware, values-driven leadership fosters psychologically safe and high-performing environments. Miriam will share evidence-based strategies to help you manage energy and cultivate cultures of empathy. You will gain practical tools to align leadership behaviours with wellbeing outcomes, demonstrating that when leaders prioritise wellbeing, they enhance resilience, engagement, and sustainable performance across their teams and organisations.

- Learn actionable strategies you can use to manage energy

- Effective leadership is grounded in self-awareness

- Creating psychologically safe environments

Enjoy a midday lunch break. A time to refresh, refuel, and prepare for a full afternoon of immersive learning and inspiration.

Climbing the leadership ladder isn’t always about big leaps, sometimes it’s about smart moves and steady confidence in the face of invisible hurdles. This panel brings together experienced leaders who have successfully progressed within their organisations and industries, and are candid about what it really takes to move forward.

- How to plan your next step when the path isn’t obvious

- Knowing when to stay, when to stretch, and when to move on

- Staying motivated when opportunities feel limited

Stepping into an executive role at 30 is no small feat. Now imagine doing it just after maternity leave, as the only woman at the table with young children. In this session, Jane shares how it isn’t about having it all perfectly balanced, it’s about backing yourself, owning your space, and trusting that your allies will rise around you when you lead.

- Knowing that "perfect balance" is a myth

- Spotting and embracing the allies around you

- Let go of outdated narratives: You don’t have to choose between leadership and motherhood

A quick break to refresh and continue building your network with fellow leaders. Enjoy a light refreshment before finishing day one.

In industries where leadership roles have traditionally been dominated by men, opportunities for women can often seem limited. Yet, through resilience, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to growth, Justine has not only broken through these barriers but has also forged a path to success that others can follow. In this session, Justine shares her personal journey, offering powerful insights into the challenges she faced, the strategies that propelled her forward, and how she now uses her platform to empower and uplift other women in the industry.

- Navigating challenges in predominately male industries

- Discover how to turn obstacles into opportunities

- Strategies for breaking through barriers

As day one of the conference comes to a close, take a moment to reflect on today's insights and how they can shape your journey. What key takeaways will help you move closer to your personal and professional goals?

Join us for our end of day one networking. Enjoy canapés and drinks whilst getting to know your peers further, build ongoing relationships, and share your highlights of the day.

Welcome back for Day Two - there's a lot to digest from our amazing speakers and action modules so far!

Recap the key learnings and takeaways from Day One, and prep an action plan to maximise your event experience over our jam-packed second day!

Leadership is accomplished through experience, an open mind, and continuous learning. In this powerful session, Allicia, who was awarded Elite Woman 2025, shares the defining moments of her career and the insights that continue to shape her journey. Allicia has a focus on delivering value at every level, from strategic leadership and operational excellence to mentoring the next generation of leaders.

-  Maximise the potential of your transferable skills

- Be comfortable with uncertainty

- Embrace change as an opportunity for growth

As technology, consumer expectations, and business models shift at speed, leaders must continually evolve to stay ahead. In this session, Renaye shares how she leverages AI and digital transformation to foster a culture of innovation and adaptability, offering hard-won insights, lessons learned, and a bold vision for the future.

- How technology and AI are reshaping the business landscape

- The leadership skills to navigate transformation and drive sustainable success

- How to unlock growth and innovation in a rapidly evolving environment

Mix and mingle with your fellow leaders over a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

In times of uncertainty and transformation, leaders are challenged to balance vision with adaptability, and innovation with purpose. Professor Sue Harrison brings a wealth of experience leading large, complex organisations through change with strategic direction. Drawing from her global leadership journey in higher education and research, this session offers practical insight into what it means to lead with clarity and impact in interconnected environments.

- Translating bold vision into practical, measurable outcomes

- Leading cross-functional teams through complexity and transformation

- Fostering innovation while staying grounded in core values

Imagine having all the capabilities and tools at your fingertips, but still feeling held back by your own self-talk and limiting perceptions? Building these skills will often push you outside your comfort zone, and require elevated ways of thinking to approach challenges. Join Deborah as she explores how, with the right tools, you can build confidence, reshape your focus, and thrive both professionally and personally. 

- Take charge of building your confidence as a leader to influence with impact

- Reframe your thoughts and behaviours to achieve success

- Understand and leverage NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) strategies for personal growth

Enjoy a midday lunch break. A time to refresh, refuel, and prepare for a full afternoon of immersive learning and inspiration.

In this dynamic panel discussion, hear from leaders who have navigated the balance of trust and influence in their careers. From overcoming doubts to cultivating lasting relationships, these leaders will share their strategies for creating trust within teams, peers, and stakeholders. Explore how true influence isn't about authority, it’s about authenticity, empathy, and consistency. Learn how to leverage your unique strengths to build credibility and create lasting impact in both your team and organisation.

- How to build trust and credibility from day one in any leadership role

- Understanding the role of emotional intelligence in influencing others

- Leveraging influence to lead without relying on positional authority

A quick break to refresh and continue building your network with fellow leaders. Enjoy a light refreshment before finishing day one.

What if your greatest potential for growth isn’t in fixing your weaknesses but in owning your strengths? In this session, Lisa shares how a deep understanding of her strengths has been the key to driving successful outcomes. Whether you're balancing competing priorities or driving change, Lisa’s case study offers a clear takeaway that leading with your strengths makes growth not just achievable, but impactful.

- How leading with strengths improves decision-making and execution

- How strengths-based leadership drives results beyond the individual

- Focus on what you excel at to unlock growth

We wrap up our inspirational and jam packed two days with this interactive closing round table. This is your chance to table any topic or trend for a final group discussion. Reflecting on the inspiring stories that have been shared, discussing your key learnings with your peers, and creating your action plan for moving forward.

- Reflect on your key learnings from the Summit

- Identify opportunities for career progression and growth

- Create an action plan for your leadership journey

Strategic thinking and problem solving

- How the current context is shaping organisations

- The role of strategic thinking in senior leadership

- Responding to emerging challenges

Enhancing your decision-making

- Cognitive principles, and tools essential for effectiveness

- Addressing common limitations and challenges

- Utilise models, tools and tactics to enhance overall capabilities

Advanced problem solving for senior leaders

- How to objectively collect and evaluate evidence

- Exploring reason-based approaches to tackle complex solving

- Applying rational and creative problem solving tools and techniques

Leading and influencing others on key issues

- Effectively engaging stakeholders to understand the problem and identifying potential solutions

- Integrating multi-stakeholder perspectives and facilitating shared understanding

- Resolving conflict and disagreement in group problem solving

Definition: Understanding the problem

- Reaching agreement on the problem: Defining key variables, known causes, structure, scope, stakeholder impact, interdependencies and constraints 

- Evaluating problem impacts

- Developing solution criteria and the problem solving approach

Analysis: Identifying and evaluating possible solutions

- Generating and evaluate solutions based on feasibility, impact and risk

- Taking stock of required skills, knowledge and resources to resolve the problem or realise the opportunity

- Leadership, management, planning and team deployment considerations 

Implementation: from strategy to results

- Testing solutions: prototypes, pilots, simulations

- Adopting a systematic approach to solution implementation

- Building engagement and embedding change 

Overcoming roadblocks to strategic thinking and problem solving

- Cognitive biases, ideological paradigms and group-based

- The inherently challenging nature of ‘wicked problems’ 

- Cultivating your skills and maintaining your edge as a strategic thinker and problem solver