Leading Through Complexity: Elevating the Human Element
By Sylvia B. Vogt
Constant disruption is a daily reality for today’s leaders. While change has always been part of leadership, what sets this era apart is the unprecedented speed and scale of the challenges leaders face. Providing meaningful direction and support to team members—while simultaneously navigating relationships with internal and external stakeholders—requires leaders to influence beyond hierarchies and adapt quickly to shifting conditions.
How can people perform at their best while navigating rising complexity, a “new normal” work environment, and major strategic shifts across industries and organizations? How should leaders respond to the growing impact of generational change and increasing job insecurity? These challenges require more than technical skill—they demand a deep understanding of what drives people, how they adapt, and how they work most effectively in teams.
Understanding how individuals collaborate, perceive their environment and react to change is essential to motivating and inspiring meaningful outcomes. At the same time, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping the landscape. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found that as AI capabilities expand, so too does the need to integrate these tools with human-centered leadership to remain competitive.
Yet, when working with executives through coaching and leadership programs, we often find that the “people factor”—and the effort it takes to cultivate it—is underestimated. Many leaders simply don’t know where to start.
That’s why the Tepper School of Business created Leadership as a Daily Challenge, a program designed to help executives strengthen the skills needed to lead effectively in today’s dynamic environment and create sustainable competitive advantage.
Over four interactive days, participants work with faculty and peers to explore topics including high-performance team building, strategy, communication, organizational culture, influence beyond hierarchy, and leading change. The learning is grounded in real-world leadership cases participants bring from their own roles, with time dedicated to developing actionable next steps.
What You’ll Gain
Through highly interactive sessions, participants will:
- Refine their leadership perspective during times of uncertainty
- Build resilience, strength and purpose
- Explore strategic thinking in complex environments
- Expand their leadership toolkit to build high-performance teams
- Gain effective change management techniques
- Master the informal networks that drive influence beyond hierarchy
- Strengthen communication with diverse stakeholders
- Develop and apply solutions to a personal leadership challenge
Leadership as a Daily Challenge runs October 20–23, 2025, and is part of the pathway to earn a Carnegie Mellon University Certificate in Executive Leadership.