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Leadership Engagement & Discovery (LEAD)

Tobias Tune-Up: A Day of Leadership, Engagement, and Discovery

  • Date: November 13, 2025
  • Location: Conrad Indianapolis
  • Price: $650 individual tickets or $5,000 for tables of 8
  • Ticket includes: Breakfast, lunch, networking reception, and all conference materials

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The Tobias Tune-Up: A Day of Leadership, Engagement, and Discovery (LEAD) is a one-day leadership retreat designed by the Tobias Leadership Center at Indiana University to help you tune up your leadership skills and gain cutting-edge strategies to thrive in today’s fast-paced world. Through engaging sessions and hands-on learning, you’ll acquire powerful insights into the key competencies that shape empowered, forward-thinking leaders. Step away from the everyday, connect with like-minded peers, and leave feeling energized, equipped, and ready to tackle 21st-century challenges with confidence. Don’t miss this game-changing opportunity.

Who should attend?

  • Emerging and experienced leaders
  • Executives and managers
  • Educators and leadership scholars
  • Anyone eager to sharpen their leadership skills

Revisit the 2024 Tobias Tune-Up to see what you can expect this year

Hear more about the themes, speakers, and takeaways from last year's event.

The 2024 Tobias Fellows Tune-Up was an exceptional, full-day event that exceeded my expectations. The opportunity for networking was invaluable, and the speakers were truly outstanding. I'm already looking forward to 2025!

Jodi Whitney | VP Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer, Citizens Energy Group

Leadership is an ongoing practice that requires perpetual growth. The Tune-Up event provided an immense return on the development dollars I invested in this day of learning and connection.  

Mark Ashworth | Executive Director, Business System Support, Indiana Department of Revenue

What to expect

Join the Tobias Tune-Up to expand your ledership toolbox, build meaningful connections, and learn from industry experts. You'll leave this event feeling inspired and ready to lead after experiencing:

  • Thought-provoking keynote speakers. Hear from inspiring people who are reshaping leadership.
  • Interactive workshops. Join us for hands-on sessions where you can apply leadership concepts in real time.
  • Practical takeaways. Gain tools and strategies you can implement right away.

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Featured speakers

Meet the dynamic speakers who will be presenting at the 2025 Tobias Tune-Up.

Esther Choy

Esther Choy is the founder of Leadership Story Lab, where she has been teaching leadership storytelling since 2010. She has worked with clients across industries, helping them leverage storytelling for meaningful connections. A Forbes Leadership Strategy contributor and author of "Let the Story Do the Work," her insights have appeared in Harvard Business Review and The New York Times. Esther is currently writing her second book, set for publication by HarperCollins in 2026.

Herb Stapleton

Herb Stapleton served over 20 years as a Special Agent with the FBI, culminating in his role as the top agent in the Indiana Field Office. His career spanned assignments in St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, as well as two tours in the FBI’s Cyber Division. Herb led investigations into cybercrime, terrorism, espionage, and violent crime, contributing to numerous federal prosecutions. He retired in 2025 and now embarks on a new professional chapter while residing in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and four children.

Charlotte Westerhaus Renfrow

Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow is a clinical associate professor of business law  and management at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Indianapolis, and Scholar in Residence at the Tobias Leadership Center. Since 1996, she has held leadership roles in academia and beyond, including Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for the NCAA and Interim President of Martin University. Charlotte's expertise spans leadership, diversity, and organizational development, shaping the next generation of business leaders.

Doug Austrom

Doug Austrom is an adjunct professor at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where he teaches leadership and leading change in the Kelley Direct online MBA program.  A recipient of multiple teaching excellence awards, Doug holds a PhD in social psychology from York University. As co-founder of Turning Point Associates and Adjutant Solutions Group, Doug has over 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate strategic, cultural, and technological change across diverse industries worldwide.

Conference schedule at a glance

The day will follow this general schedule:

  • 8:00 a.m. ET – Check-in, breakfast, and networking
  • 8:15 a.m. – Welcome remarks and event overview
  • 8:30 a.m. – 3 Keys to Effective Leadership Communication
  • 10:00 a.m. – Coffee break
  • 10:15 a.m. – Leading Through Crisis: Being Your Best When Things Couldn’t Be Worse 
  • 11:15 a.m. – Stretch break
  • 11:30 a.m. – Local panel discussion: Leadership Strategies during Turbulent Times
  • 12:15 p.m. – Lunch
  • 1:00 p.m. – The Art of Negotiation
  • 2:30 p.m. – Networking break
  • 2:45 p.m. – Leading Authentically: Challenging the Process to Achieve Breakthough Performance
  • 4:15 p.m. – Leadership Lessons Learned
  • 4:30 p.m. – Networking reception

Funding the mission

A portion of every ticket purchased supports the Carol Madison Fund, which reduces participation costs for leaders from not-for-profit organizations in the Tobias Leadership Center Fellows Program. The Carol Madison Fund helps ensure this crucial aspect of the Fellows program remains robust and diverse. Carol Madison served as the Executive Director of the Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence for 11 years. She was a key architect in designing and implementing the Fellows Program.

 

Ready to tune up your leadership skills? Register for LEAD 2025.