Lead Without Authority: How Emotional Intelligence Builds Influence
Session Overview
Project leaders rarely get to lead through authority. They must align stakeholders, resolve conflict, and drive decisions across teams they do not control. This interactive session shows how Emotional Intelligence becomes your most reliable source of influence, and gives you practical tools to build trust, handle difficult conversations, and move people toward a shared outcome.
What You Will Walk Away With
- A clear read on the emotional dynamics behind stakeholder decisions and resistance.
- Techniques to stay composed and credible in high pressure moments.
- A simple approach to using empathy to understand and win over stakeholders.
- Ways to build trust and credibility without a title behind you.
- A framework to navigate tough conversations without escalation.
Who Should Attend
Project, program, and portfolio managers, PMO leaders, product and agile leaders, and anyone leading cross functional or matrixed initiatives without direct authority.
About the Speaker
Kamal Soan is an ICF certified Executive and Leadership Coach and Senior Director of Enterprise PMO and Portfolio Governance in Capital Markets at FIS, with 19+ years leading technology and transformation initiatives. As founder of Soan 2 Success, he has coached 100+ professionals across 500+ hours. He holds ICF ACC, PMP, PgMP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Emotional Intelligence certifications, and has been an active PMI volunteer and speaker for over a decade.
Event Details
Friday, October 23, 2026
5:30 PM to 6:30 PM PT
Zoom (Virtual)
1 PDU (Power Skills)
Leadership is not about the authority you have. It is about the influence you create.
General Events Refund & Cancellation Policy
Paid Events
Registrations for paid events are non-refundable once completed unless explicitly mentioned on the event card above. We encourage participants to confirm availability prior to registering.
If the Chapter cancels or reschedules a paid event, registered participants will be notified and provided with available options, which may include a refund or transfer at the Chapter’s discretion.
Participants who do not attend a registered paid event (“no-shows”) are not eligible for a refund, credit, or transfer.
Free Events
We understand that plans may change. If you are unable to attend a free event, we kindly ask that you cancel your registration in advance whenever possible. This allows others the opportunity to participate and helps our volunteers plan more effectively.
