Future-Ready Leaders: Ignite, Influence, and Impact

Step into your full potential with this two-day immersive masterclass that invites you to build a future-ready leadership toolkit, where you’ll develop skills to influence, lead authentically, and navigate today’s evolving workplace with resilience.

Join an influential cohort of driven Gen Z leaders and walk away ready to make your mark with confidence and purpose.

Dates: Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Duquesne University
Cost: $1950
Audience: Employees with up to 5 years of experience.

Hosted by Duquesne University’s Palumbo-Donahue School of Business, this one-of-a-kind masterclass is designed specifically to boost a new generation of business leaders. Participants will learn to amplify their voice, harness their strengths, and drive real change. Through interactive workshops and real-world applications, participants will build a personalized leadership toolkit, develop mental resilience, and learn to influence from any position.

Register

An Investment in Gen Z is an Investment in the Future

  • Equip Future Leaders: 77% of organizations face leadership gaps. Invest in Gen Z and create a sustainable leadership pipeline.
  • Boost Retention & Engagement: 76% of Gen Z will stay with employers offering leadership training. Make retention a priority and save on costly turnover.
  • Intergenerational Teams Growth: Companies with leadership programs see 28% better team collaboration and 33% stronger communication.
  • Drive Productivity & Innovation: Strong leadership training boosts productivity by 23% and innovative thinking by 27%.
  • Attract Top Talent: 86% of Gen Z job seekers prioritize growth opportunities. Well-developed training programs attract 32% more applicants.

All participants will receive: 
  1. Pathfinders Book: Included in Registration. Participants will receive the book on the first day.
  2. TED Talk Playlist: Watch thought-provoking talks on leadership, growth mindset, and authenticity. Bring reflections and leadership questions for class discussion.
  3. Personal Reflection Journal: Note a recent leadership experience, identifying one strength and one growth area to leverage throughout the course.


Sessions include:

  1. Why Leadership Matters for Gen Z: Discover how Gen Z can redefine leadership by building trust and psychological safety. Learn to leverage generational strengths to drive modern-day organizational impact.
  2. Creating & Refreshing Your Baseline: Establish a unique leadership brand rooted in values,
    authenticity, and transparency. Use essentialism to sharpen your focus and align your goals with your company’s mission.
  3. How to Lead Without a Title: Learn to lead from anywhere using influence over authority, fostering credibility and trust. Explore techniques to convey assertiveness with professionalism and handle challenging dynamics.
  4. Intro to Pathfinders Magic: Uncover the power of career mapping and Personal Boards of Advisors (PBAs) to align long-term aspirations with actionable steps. Take initial steps toward crafting your unique career blueprint.
  5. Driving Conversations that Don’t Suck: Master effective meeting strategies to foster engagement and productivity. Learn to create inclusive environments that spark innovation and avoid the meeting fatigue trap.
  6. Mental Resilience and Imposter Syndrome: Identify and manage imposter syndrome, harnessing mental resilience and growth mindset principles. Tap into peer support and CBT techniques to reframe negative self-talk.
  7. Diving Deeper on the Career Map: Begin charting a career path that aligns personal aspirations with professional growth. Receive peer feedback and create actionable milestones.
  8. Mentorship That Works: Design a mentorship strategy tailored to personal and
    career growth, including selecting mentors and navigating networking purposefully. Develop emotional intelligence for stronger, more empathetic leadership.
  9. Building Out Your Personal Board of Advisors: Build a PBA by identifying key allies, mentors, and champions. Practice a real-life advisory scenario to prepare for future career challenges.
  10. Facing Feedback: Learn to embrace 360-degree feedback for continuous growth, with techniques to constructively ask for and act on feedback.
  11. Change Management Fundamentals: Grasp the essentials of implementing change through
    effective communication, understanding resistance, and fostering a culture that adapts seamlessly over time.
  12. Managing Work-Life Balance and Positive Mindset: Develop actionable strategies for work-life harmony and staying resilient in a fast-paced world. Create a personal balance plan and set achievable goals to sustain momentum.
  13. Make It a Culture: Discover how to weave these practices into an empowering organizational culture. Design a rollout plan for your career map, PBA, and leadership style to inspire others.

Post-session resources:
Participants receive templates for career mapping, personal board check-ins, and a roadmap to support continued growth and application.

Featured content

Pete Schramm Headshot

Lead Presenter:

Pete Schramm is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author passionate about connecting people and guiding diverse teams. Growing up on a farm in Butler, PA, he developed a strong work ethic and love for fostering connections. After earning mechanical engineering degrees at Catholic University, he had a successful career at Lockheed Martin, promoting mentorship and collaboration globally. In 2023, he published his first book, Pathfinders: Navigating Your Career Map with a Personal Board of Advisors!

Megan Wollerton headshot

Co-Presenter:

Megan Wollerton, Owner of Life Force Wellness, is a certified personal trainer, health coach, nutrition coach, corporate wellness specialist, and positive psychology practitioner. With a B.S. in Business Administration/Marketing and a minor in psychology from Edinboro University, she is passionate about creating engaging corporate wellness programs. Megan founded Life Force Wellness to help clients achieve happier and healthier lifestyles through exercise, nutrition, mental resiliency, behavior change, and well-being.

Contact Information

Dave Fortna

Director of Executive Education and Leadership Development

Dave Fortna Headshot