Many business professionals are affected by issues connected to management and leadership. Whether you are working your way up the corporate ladder or have a lot of experience managing others, there is always something new to learn. There are numerous ways to advance in this field. Countless podcasts, books, and videos discuss how to be a better leader, but it’s still beneficial to occasionally attend management and leadership conferences. These events bring together experienced leaders from different fields, so you can learn new things you’ve never heard of before.
An excellent example is Stretch Leadership and Management Conference, which will take place November 28–29, 2022, in Budapest, Hungary and will explore different topics such as sociocracy, deliberately developmental organizations, or scaling engineering teams.
Here are the top 7 reasons to attend a leadership and management conference:
#1 Discover current trends
The conferences will feature speakers from some of the biggest names in the business, like Pixar, Strava, or Bitrise, so as you might expect, they will present the dominant new trends. This means that by attending a conference, you not only get first-hand information about the latest developments, but you can also learn new aspects by asking the speaker and gain an advantage over your competitors.
#2 Networking
In today’s world, networking is crucial, which is why many conferences place a lot of emphasis on it. At Stretch Conference, there is a designated Networking Night where attendees can unwind after the talks and get to know one another, the speakers, and other subject matter experts. Meeting like-minded people is not only fulfilling, but also opens up new horizons. Finding new ways of thinking is a great way to discover new problems or even solutions. Making new contacts is also important from a professional point of view, as you can improve your own communication skills and open new doors.
#3 Deepen your knowledge and find solutions
Conferences on leadership and management frequently feature experienced business professionals as both speakers and attendees. Through the talks, workshops, and discussions, you have the chance to dive deep into different layers of various topics. These could be recent techniques, unique types of equipment, unpublished data, or learn from thought-leaders that you may not have previously heard of. Keeping up to date with ever-changing trends and the latest research is a must if you want to be on the leading edge. At the same time, with new knowledge, you can find new solutions to your most pressing problems.
#4 Learn beyond your interest
If you work in one sector for too long and don’t look outside it, you can easily end up in a bubble. This often makes it harder to come up with new ideas and solutions and is also bad for your motivation. Thanks to the diversity of conferences, you can experience several different areas at the same time. You will be able to learn about topics you have never heard of before and make new contacts. This can broaden your horizons, inspire and re-energise you.
#5 Self-discovery
Self-awareness is perhaps even more important for managers than for other professionals, because without it, managing multiple people can be a real challenge. During the conferences, the speakers focus on helping attendees develop as leaders. In their talks, there is often an emphasis on self-reflection, which can help us to develop and grow as a team.
#6 Build bridges
We must keep in mind that the leaders of tomorrow are present when we attend conferences. Building relationships is not just a personal life matter. The event is also an opportunity to build strong professional relationships with participants and speakers, as well as a chance to get in touch with the major companies that sponsor the event.
#7 Get feedback
In-person participation in these kinds of events is not just a networking benefit. It can also greatly advance the development of your own work. By sharing your ideas at the conference, you can get immediate feedback on your work. By combining what you learn from the talks with the feedback you get from your new contacts, you can make a lot of progress in just a few days.