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Leading the Future in the Intelligent Age

The Three Layers of Exponential Change

KEYNOTE

THE WORLD IN TRANSITION

We are living through the most accelerated decade in human history. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping every system of work and daily life. The next ten years will bring more transformation than the last hundred.

AI is redefining every profession and triggering one of the largest workforce shifts in modern history. As the world transforms around us, leadership itself is being redefined, demanding new ways of thinking and leading.

To succeed in this new era, leaders must learn to operate across three levels of exponential change:

1. Global, 2. Organizational, and 3. Leadership.

In this flagship keynote, Tarja Stephens explores how leadership in the Intelligent Age unfolds across interconnected layers of transformation.

She reveals how the boundaries between human intelligence and artificial intelligence are merging, giving rise to new ways of understanding our own intelligences and the human qualities that will define the next chapter of leadership.

During her talk, Tarja bridges global, organizational, and leadership change, providing practical steps every leader can take to actively shape the future.

LEADING IN THE INTELLIGENT AGE

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THE THREE LAYERS OF EXPONENTIAL CHANGE

1. Global Change

Understanding the Forces Reshaping Our World

This layer examines the powerful global shifts redefining our society and industries. By looking back at history, we uncover patterns that help us navigate the accelerating future, a world where technology sets the pace, but people set the direction.

2. Organizational Change

Redesigning Work for the Intelligent Age

Inside organizations, every system, job, and structure is being reinvented. This layer explores how to build human-led, AI-powered operating systems that preserve trust and help organizations thrive through continuous transformation.

3. Leadership Change

Becoming AI-Driven Leader

The final layer moves to the personal where leadership itself is being reimagined. This layer explores how leaders can work with AI as a powerful thought partner. Through the lens of “My Day with AI as a Business Leader,” this segment offers action steps of how AI can serve in their daily leadership role.

WATCH TARJA'S SPEAKER REEL

ABOUT TARJA

Tarja Stephens is a Finnish-American advisor and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and talent development. She empowers CEOs and executives to lead successful AI transformations by focusing on the people who bring technology to life.

As founder of Leaders of the Future and AI Opportunity Agency, Tarja advises global organizations on integrating AI into leadership and workforce strategy. Her human-centric approach aligns innovation with personal intelligence and workforce readiness, fostering ethical and inclusive growth.

A sought-after voice on global stages, Tarja inspires leaders to invest in people, redefine leadership, and cultivate the human qualities that unlock AI’s potential and shape a more inclusive future.