Big Emotions, Better Projects: Human Skills in an AI-Enabled World

Project, Program, and Portfolio Managers operate at the intersection of strategy, delivery, risk, and people. This session is designed to strengthen the business acumen and decision-making capability required to lead effectively within that complexity.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how business acumen extends beyond budgets and schedules to include strategic alignment, stakeholder dynamics, risk exposure, and human factors that directly impact project outcomes. The session will help project leaders better understand why decisions are made at an enterprise level, enabling them to translate organisational strategy into clearer priorities, stronger governance conversations, and more informed trade-offs at the delivery level.

The topic is particularly relevant for Project and Program Managers who are required to influence without authority, balance competing demands, and make decisions under pressure. By exploring the link between commercial thinking, psychological safety, and performance, participants will learn how to improve decision quality, manage risk more proactively, and sustain delivery momentum without compromising wellbeing or safety.

For Portfolio Managers, the session provides a framework for evaluating initiatives through both value and viability lenses, supporting more robust prioritisation, resource allocation, and investment decisions. The emphasis on context, purpose, and systemic impact aligns directly with portfolio governance and benefits realisation responsibilities.

Grounded in real-world leadership experience across highly regulated environments, this session offers immediately applicable tools and perspectives that Project, Program, and Portfolio Managers can use to enhance stakeholder conversations, navigate uncertainty, and lead with greater confidence.

Ultimately, attendees will leave better equipped to connect strategy to execution, align people with outcomes, and deliver sustainable value across their portfolios.