DIRECTOR | CORE STATE CONSULTING
Sharon Robson
The pragmatist in the trenches. Sharon doesn’t do theoretical transformation. With a Master in Business Psychology and decades of lived leadership experience, she understands the gap between a slide deck and reality. Sharon is a powerhouse facilitator who builds enduring connections because she’s already walked 100 miles in her clients’ shoes. Whether she’s speaking on organisational dynamics or pioneering leadership and delivery strategies, Sharon challenges assumptions and shakes things up to deliver lasting value. She holds an exhaustive list of certifications—from EMCC Certified Team Coach to IC Agile Accredited Trainer—but her real superpower is creating environments where teams are finally equipped to succeed.
Workshop: DON’T PLAY THE GAME, HACK THE SYSTEM: THE ‘POLITICAL QUOTIENT’ FOR BAs
Lead Through Change & Complexity (influencing up, across, and down).
Most initiatives don’t die because the code is bad or the framework is wrong. They die in the “invisible currents” of the organisation. We tell teams to be transparent, yet we operate in opaque political systems where great ideas are blocked by “gatekeepers” and decision-making happens in the shadows.
It’s time to stop treating office politics as a dirty word and start treating it as a complex system. If you can map a legacy codebase, you can map a political landscape.
This session introduces “Political Quotient” (PQ)—the missing metric for success. We move beyond the org chart to map the real flow of influence, capital, and friction in your business. You will learn to identify the invisible walls blocking your progress and gain the clarity needed to move your ideas vertically to leadership and horizontally across silos. Stop flying blind. Learn to navigate the system with intent.
Key Topics
- The Shadow Org Chart: Why the official hierarchy is a lie and how to map the actual decision-making network.
- Decoding Gatekeepers: Distinguishing between those who protect the business and those who protect their turf.
- Vertical vs. Horizontal Momentum: Why you need different languages to influence peers (horizontal) versus executives (vertical).
- System Mapping: Applying systems thinking to human dynamics.
Sharon is co-presenting with Will McNelis.