2025 Conference Agenda
Expanded 3-day Schedule
This year our core program of research presentations, workshops, discussions, panels and plenaries will span a full THREE days, 9am-5pm.
PLUS: Join us Tuesday night for a social Meet & Greet at the hotel and Wednesday night for the Followership Farmer's Market and Community Dinner, included with registration.
Special Plenary Guest Panels
Furthering our commitment to connect research and practice, we are coordinating two very exciting plenary guest panels for the 2025 conference.
The first will feature ground-breaking research scholars of followership, moderated by Conference Co-Chair Ron Riggio.
The second will feature innovative trainers and practitioners of followership, moderated by Conference Co-Chair Sharna Fabiano.
3-Hour Deep Dives
We've received rave reviews on many of our past conference sessions, and we feel that some of them deserve not only an encore but a deeper dive.
This year, we're bringing back some of our most beloved workshops and extending them into four 3-hour sessions in a special Deep Dive conference track.
See Deep Dives for details on Courageous Followership, Polarity Thinking, and more.
Followership Farmer's Market & Poster Gallery
Instead of fresh food, we're in the market for fresh ideas. The Wednesday afternoon Followership Farmers Market is a place to learn about a fantastic new followership book, course, or development tool.
The market brings together authors, podcasters, inventors, trainers, creators, debaters and peddlers of other provocative followership goods, as well as a gallery of followership posters sharing the latest research and scholarly explorations in a tasty, snack-size format.
It is a place where serendipitous followership community is created and where surprising followership discoveries are made!
To be followed by a Community Dinner!
Featured Presenters
Ira Chaleff
UNITED STATES
Recently the keynote speaker for the British Army’s annual leadership conference, Ira is renowned for his landmark book, The Courageous Follower.
Following the publication of his latest book, To Stop a Tyrant, Ira will guide a discussion on growing the practice of engaged political followership.
Dr. Marc Hurwitz & Samantha Hurwitz
CANADA
Exemplifying a Generative Partnership (they co-created The Generative Partnership Model!), Marc and Sam are known for their engaging, “pracademic” sessions.
Having taught followership with leadership for nearly two decades, Marc and Samantha will share insights from the latest research along with many practical takeaways for both personal and organizational effectiveness.
Dr. Wendy M. Edmonds
UNITED STATES
A captivating storyteller, Wendy was the first researcher to conduct focus group studies with survivors of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, culminating in her gripping book, InToxicating Followership.
Sadly many of us have - or are still - experiencing toxicity in our workplaces or communities. Wendy will create space for sharing, healing, and helping us see our personal agency and power with fresh eyes.
Robert Kelley
UNITED STATES
Dr. Kelley pioneered the concept of "Followership" in his best-selling book The Power of Followership and his Harvard Business Review article "In Praise of Followers.”
At this year’s conference, he links his past work with his thinking on the current era: the trends, the issues, and the responsibilities of those acting as followers every day and of those working in the followership field itself.
Maike Kugler
GERMANY
A passionate people and team developer in both higher education and applied contexts, Maike incorporates followership in her research and work as a lecturer and business coach.
Maike will foster thoughts around the informal role of followership, highlighting the outcomes of follower behavior for individuals and organizations, as well as its significance.
Chris Monö
SWEDEN
Christian Monö, a Swedish followership expert, has studied “natural followership” and “collaborationship” for almost two decades. His clients include universities, corporations, and the Swedish Army.
Join Chris for a session exploring natural followership and democracy.
Elizabeth Monroe-Cook
UNITED STATES
Consulting psychologist and graduate of Polarity Thinking™ Mastery Program; Liz is author of articles and a book chapter about Polarity Thinking applications.
Widen your view, solutions, and impacts through the deliberate use of Polarity Thinking™ or both-and intelligence for utilization of both leadership and followership viewpoints.
Tim Hurson
CANADA
In third grade, Tim spread pasted sheets of paper, sticky-side up, on his classroom floor. He was thrilled with the results. Not much has changed, though he now focuses on more productive activities as an innovation consultant and facilitator for businesses and social purpose start-ups. Tim has taught productive thinking, Polarity Thinking™ and creative problem solving on six continents and keynoted in 30+ countries. His book, Think Better, is published in 12 languages.
Dr. Althea Simpson
UNITED STATES
In an era where organizations struggle to foster authentic leader-follower relationships, Althea offers a breakthrough approach using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology.
Following her acclaimed session that earned top ratings at the 2024 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, she returns by popular demand to guide participants through a three-hour immersive exploration of leadership-followership dynamics.