How Leadership Shapes Culture, Talent, and the Truth Inside Organizations (IDEAL Webcast)
DAMA International Data Executives and Leaders (IDEAL) is a new Affinity Group within DAMA, with a history as the isCDO of delivering thought-provoking webinars, briefings, and roundtables that support the development of leadership in data.
Our first webinar as part of DAMA reflects the high-quality events we are known for.
Briefing: How Leadership Shapes Culture, Talent, and the Truth Inside Organizations
Date: February 26, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM Eastern
Audience: Open to all DAMA members
Overview
Leadership is often discussed in frameworks, models, and job titles. Far less often, it is explored as it is actually lived.
In this special DAMA Data Executives and Leaders (formerly isCDO) webcast, we sit down with Dr. Joe Perez for an unfiltered conversation about leadership at its most human level: the decisions that shape culture, the moments that define trust, and the consequences leaders rarely see until it is too late.
With more than four decades of experience spanning public sector, academia, and technology leadership, Dr. Perez brings a rare combination of strategic depth and personal reflection. This session goes beyond success stories to explore the reality behind leadership growth: early missteps, blind spots, hard-earned lessons, and the subtle signals that determine whether teams thrive or quietly disengage.
As organizations accelerate toward AI and advanced analytics, leaders are being asked to drive value while simultaneously managing risk, talent expectations, and cultural alignment. In this conversation, we explore:
How leadership behavior influences outcomes long before metrics reveal trouble
How culture can drift away from reality when leaders stop listening
What happens when progress stalls and difficult trade-offs must be made
This is not a discussion about theory. It is about judgment, perspective, and the often-uncomfortable space between intent and impact.
What you will learn
Attendees can expect candid insights on:
How leadership evolves over time, and what most leaders only recognize in hindsight
The ripple effects of poor leadership on teams, performance, and trust
What distinguishes resilient, 360-degree leaders from those who stall under pressure
Why reading the room matters more than reading reports
How culture shifts quietly, and how difficult it is to recover once credibility is lost
Dr. Perez also reflects on how peers shape leadership growth, why some advice matters more than others, and what today’s leaders must unlearn as much as they must learn.
If you are responsible for people, culture, data, or strategy, or if you aspire to be, this conversation will challenge assumptions, surface uncomfortable truths, and leave you thinking long after it ends.
This is leadership as lived experience. Honest, reflective, and highly relevant to the moment we are in.
A must-attend conversation for data and business leaders worldwide.
When: February 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern
Access: Open to all DAMA members