Speaking
Let’s talk about modern leadership.
Leadership today is less about certainty and control, and more about how leaders think, decide, and work with others when things are unclear.
My talks and workshops blend lived leadership experience, coaching, and practical insight — giving audiences language and tools they can use immediately.
I speak at conferences, leadership offsites, and company events — from intimate leadership teams to mainstage keynotes.
Here are some of the talks and workshops I deliver most often:
It’s all Invented! How Our Personal Narratives Shape the Future of Our Products
Discover the power of self-narratives in our work with Kate Leto. This talk explores how the stories we internalise affect our interactions and decisions; shaping how we work, our teams operate, our organisations function, and of course, the future of our products.
Learn why it's crucial for all of us to examine these narratives and gain practical tools from neuroscience, coaching techniques, and product thinking. By differentiating between invented stories and real possibilities, you'll unlock new potential for yourself and your team, enhancing both personal and professional growth. Filmed as the closing keynote at Product at Heart in Hamburg.
"Your Org Isn’t Conflict-Averse — It’s Conflict-Entangled!"
Conflict in our product orgs isn't just the shouting match in the boardroom. It's quieter and way more awkward. It's the sprint review where everyone pretends to agree, the roadmap that gets polite nods before getting torn apart in Slack, and the "meeting after the meeting" where the real decisions happen.
A "conflict-averse" culture doesn't have less conflict — it has more: back channels, stalled decisions, eroded trust, and product visions that never materialize. And as AI makes our tools feel seamless, our tolerance for human messiness shrinks, making those hidden knots even harder to face.
In this talk, Kate will share ways to spot the tangles, name what's really going on, and create the conditions for stronger teams and products that actually ship.
Leading Without a Script: How character and agency shape leadership in modern product management
This new talk offers a grounded, human take on leadership in a world where the playbook keeps changing. As ambiguity increases—through AI, rapid growth, and constant change—many leaders feel their sense of agency quietly slipping away. Leading Without a Script is about how to lead anyway: staying intentional, values-led, and effective when there’s no clear answer and no perfect plan. Kate explores how leaders regain traction when certainty is gone, make better decisions without a script to follow, and why character—not control—is the real leadership advantage now.
The secret to hiring great product people
Hiring great product people isn't just about skills — it's about emotional intelligence. In this talk, filmed at Mind the Product in London, Kate makes the case for why EQ is the missing lens in most hiring processes, and what to look for beyond the CV.
Emotional Intelligence: The missing skills in your Product Stack
Most of us measure success by what we deliver — the roadmap, the strategy, the OKRs. But how we do the work matters just as much as what we produce.
In this talk, Kate explores what emotional intelligence actually looks like in practice, and how skills like self-awareness can sharpen your decisions, strengthen relationships with colleagues and customers, and make you a more effective leader and teammate. You'll leave with practical tools you can start using straight away.
“Kate Leto's talk on emotional intelligence in product managers was both eye-opening and impactful. Her honesty and gravitas made the lessons stick with me long after the talk had ended. I highly recommend her talk to anyone interested in becoming a more effective product manager.”
— Janna Bastow, CEO of prodpad.com
“We loved having you! So many people mentioned to me after how helpful your talk was. Others suggested it could benefit the whole company - not just product! Thanks for a great talk and learning opportunity 💜.”
— Melissa Mills, VP of Product at Ardoq
“Absolutely loved Kate Leto's framework on intelligent conflict — it starts with the inner game (what's going on inside you) before the outer game (what's happening between us).”
— Audience member, post-event feedback
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