Tomorrow Talk: Courage to Lead - Building Brave Workplace Cultures
- Tom Tom Foundation Staff
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tue, Mar. 3
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Tom Tom Foundation, 100 W. South St
As we prepare for the 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival (April 22–26, 2026), whose theme is COURAGE, the Tomorrow Talk series invites us to explore what courage looks like—in our personal lives, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our society.
Learning to Lead with Courage, A master-class for organizational leaders building organizations with integrity
Senior leaders consistently say they want honesty, innovation, and accountability—yet many organizations still struggle with silence, risk-avoidance, and surface-level agreement. For executives and senior managers, the challenge is rarely about intention; it is about understanding how power, incentives, and organizational signals shape what people actually feel safe doing.
Jim Detert’s research focuses on the structural and psychological dynamics that determine whether people speak up or stay silent. Drawing on decades of empirical research and advisory work with organizations across sectors, Detert examines how leadership behaviors, decision processes, and cultural norms directly influence ethical outcomes, learning, and long-term performance.
This masterclass will go beyond diagnosis to offer practical frameworks leaders can use to assess and strengthen courage in their organizations. Topics include how leaders unintentionally discourage candor, how to design environments that lower the personal cost of speaking up, and how to respond productively when dissent, bad news, or ethical concerns surface. The emphasis is on actionable insight grounded in research—not abstract theory.
Designed for executives, founders, and senior leaders, this session invites participants to examine their own leadership signals and organizational systems. The goal is not performative courage, but durable cultures of trust, learning, and accountability—where people speak honestly, decisions improve, and organizations are better equipped to navigate complexity and change.
This Master Class is designed for senior leaders and organizations seeking deeper insight and practical strategies. General admission tickets are $50.00, and $25.00 tickets are available for Innovation Summit Badge Holders. Tomorrow Society Members receive a 25% discount.
FACILITATORS
Jim Detert is the John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration in the Leadership and Organizational Behavior area at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a Professor of Public Policy at UVA’s Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to joining UVA, he taught at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, where he also served as faculty director of the school’s leadership initiative. Detert is an award-winning educator who has designed and taught leadership and ethics curricula for MBA, executive, and non-degree audiences around the world.
Detert’s research focuses on workplace courage, ethical decision-making, and why people speak up—or remain silent—in organizations. His work has been published in leading academic journals and frequently appears in outlets such as Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. He is the author of Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work and regularly advises organizations across sectors on building cultures of voice, integrity, and sustained performance.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business is a globally recognized graduate business school known for its rigorous case-method education and emphasis on principled, purpose-driven leadership. In recent years, Darden has been consistently ranked No. 1 among public MBA programs in the United States, earning top marks for teaching excellence, classroom experience, and career outcomes, including recognition for having the best professors in business education. Darden prepares leaders to navigate complexity through analytical rigor, collaboration, and ethical decision-making, educating MBA, Executive MBA, and doctoral students who go on to lead organizations across sectors and around the world.
Paul Beyer is the founder of the Tom Tom Foundation and Tom Tom Festival, and in his role as executive director, is responsible for its strategic vision and community partnerships. Beyond Tom Tom, Paul works on a variety of gatherings and events ranging from festivals, dance parties, dinner series, meditations, men's groups, conferences, seminars, and concerts.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Tomorrow Talks are a year-long series that picks up critical themes from our April Festival and continues the conversations to create impact in Charlottesville. Each session is facilitated with an emphasis on participation, connection, and new collaborations. Tomorrow Talks begin with a connection exercise or meditation, and proceed into a presentation and breakout activities. They aim to impart knowledge that is practical and relevant to people's lived experience; combining academic or theoretical insights, alongside pragmatic tools, and experiential and somatic learnings.
