By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy.

LOG IN
Search
Mobile Nav

Search

Discussion Forums

Leadership Lessons Learned

Conference attendee speaking with a slide in the background of children on bikes

Call for speakers

Leadership Lessons Learned: What Change Taught Me

NASCIO 2026 Annual

THE CONTENT

What has navigating change taught you that you wish you had known earlier?

The change: What were you navigating?

The lesson: What did it teach you about leadership?

The advice: What would you tell another NASCIO member?

THE FORMAT

  • PechaKucha-style talk: 20 slides, 20 seconds each, for 6 minutes and 40 seconds. 
  • Slides advance automatically, keeping the stories fast paced and focused

THE DETAILS

  • 3 – 4  speakers will be selected 
  • Session is Tuesday, September 29 at 3:30 pm on the main stage 
  • Open to all NASCIO members
  • Speakers selected for the Lessons Learned session will count against their corporate organization’s total attendee count
  • NASCIO is unable to provide travel support for selected speakers
  • Questions? Contact Emily Lane

SUBMIT YOUR STORY BY SEPTEMBER 9

The deadline to submit ended at 11:59 pm on September 9.

TIPS FOR A LEADERSHIP LESSONs Learned talk

THE FORMAT

  • Six-minute and 40-seconds talk. You will have a countdown timer at the base of the sage.
  • PechaKucha-style 20×20 format: 20 slides automatically advancing every 20 seconds each.
  • You may also use a slide advancer (rather than auto time) and use any number of slides. 

THE TALK

  • Be concise. Choose one or two points you want the audience to remember and focus on that message. 
  • Get to the point quickly and end strong. Invest no more than a couple minutes on setup and background. End the talk with a call to action or next steps.
  • Tell a story. Information can be hard to take in, but stories are memorable. Think back to fairy tales and let your talk follow the classic story trajectory – once…but…until…at last. Tips from NASCIO’s keynote speaker on storytelling are recapped in this article.
  • Don’t chase your slides. What you say matters most; good slides support what you’re saying, not dictate it. Slides should be flexible enough that if you are slower or faster you thought, you’re not thrown off.

THE SLIDE DECK

  • Break the rules (kind of).  If using the PechaKucha– style format, use exactly 20 slides, but hack the 20 however suits your presentation. Want the same slide to appear longer than 20 seconds? Just insert it multiple times in the deck. 
  • A picture says 1,000 words. Images are best for this type of presentation. Allow slides to be a visual enhancement of your talk.
  • Limit text on you slides. Avoid lots of text; use brief 1-3 word statements. Text should be at least 50 point font.

THE PREP

  • Practice does make perfect. Unless you’re a theater major, memorizing a script may not be the way to go.  You can use your slides to anchor key moments in the talk and to help you know your pacing.
  • Breathe.  You don’t have too fill every second. Breathing room allows you a moment to catch your breath and the audience to digest your last point.