Influencing without authority: supporting emerging leaders to lead in complex systems

About this Event

IPAA Queensland is thrilled to invite the public sector and public purpose community to our annual flagship event – the Chief Executives and Emerging Leaders Breakfast, held at the iconic Brisbane City Hall on 30 April 2026. This popular event is an important part of the fabric of the sector in Queensland, offering CEOs an opportunity to invest in their emerging and future leaders.

Today’s workforce spans multiple generations, professional backgrounds and lived experiences. The next generation of leaders are led by their values like no other generation before. Intrinsic motivation, meaningful missions and impact have never been more important to attracting and retaining talent.

As governments face a rising tide of complex social, economic, and intergenerational challenges, harnessing the diversity of perspectives and experience is critical to innovation and delivering better outcomes for communities. This is no longer just a HR concern but a wider issue of public sector capacity and capability.

This is no small challenge in public sector environments, which are inherently complex. Shaped by the responsibility to serve the government of the day and constrained by hierarchy, as well as risk appetite, public accountability, and 24/7 media scrutiny. In complicated and complex environments, influence is not solely derived from positional authority. Influence is built through trust, credibility, and the craft of providing evidence-based, solution-focused advice.

So, how can people lead and influence without formal authority in complex systems? This year’s event will tackle this question and aims to provide emerging leaders practical approaches to influencing from within constraints, and on what senior leaders can do to support purpose-driven work while safeguarding neutrality, accountability and the government of the day?

This is the challenge that will be tackled by our keynote speaker Tarang Chawla, an award-winning keynote speaker, writer, advocate and recovering lawyer. Tarang is no stranger to the challenge of influencing without authority and communicating for impact while building respect and maintaining integrity.

Key takeaways from the keynote will include:

At IPAA Queensland, we see emerging leaders as vital to progressing an innovative and transformational response to complex and evolving community needs.

The event is a fantastic opportunity for emerging leaders to engage with senior leaders, share ideas and expand their professional networks.

Date & Format

Date: Thursday 30 April 2026
Place: Brisbane City Hall
Time: 7:00am for a 7:15am start, concluding at 9:30am

This event has been made possible with the support of our Major Event Partner

IPAA Queensland Major Sponsor and Emerging Leaders Capability Partner

Tarang Chawla is an award-winning keynote speaker, writer, and educator with deep experience working across government, community and corporate settings. He served as a Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, is a former Young Australian of the Year finalist, and co-founded Not One More Niki, a violence prevention initiative named in memory of his younger sister, Nikita.

Tarang teaches at Monash University and the University of Melbourne and advises organisations across the public and private sectors on leadership, organisational culture, inclusion, family violence reform, mental health and gender equality. He is known for practical, outcomes-focused solutions that help people lead and influence effectively in complex environments.

Tarang Chawla appears by arrangement with Great Expectation Speakers and Trainers for and on behalf of IPAA Queensland.

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