From Control to Courage: Bold Leadership for Digital Transformation

Session details:

Digitalization succeeds - or fails - on leadership. Drawing on years of experience leading IT transformations across diverse organizations and as Chair of Sweden’s largest community for women and nonbinary in tech, Frida Stjernholm shares why control kills innovation and how bold, trust-based leadership unlocks diversity, creativity, and lasting results. This keynote challenges traditional leadership models and inspires leaders to dare more - and achieve more.

For decades, IT leadership has been dominated by the idea of control: manage risk, tighten processes, centralize decisions. But in the age of digital transformation and AI, this mindset suffocates innovation.

In this keynote, Frida shares a unique perspective gained from guiding organizations across industries. She contrasts total control leadership with the kind of bold, trust-based leadership that fuels innovation and accelerates transformation.

Participants will learn:

Why control erodes creativity and slows digitalization.
How trust, psychological safety, and inclusion drive measurable business results.
The power of diversity: how different perspectives unlock better decisions and solutions.
How bold leaders create cultures where people dare to experiment, challenge, and innovate.
This is not another abstract theory — it’s grounded in hard-won lessons from real organizations, combined with the voices of thousands in Sweden’s tech community. Attendees leave inspired and equipped to lead digitalization with courage, inclusivity, and impact.

 
Key Takeaways
Replace “command & control” with trust as the foundation for innovation.
Harness diversity to fuel creativity and transformation.
Practical steps for shifting leadership cultures from fear to boldness.
Inspiration to lead digitalization not just with technology - but with courage.