Workshop with Nick Gicinto Soft skills for hard times: What every tech leader needs now
Speaker
Nick Gicinto
Former CIA officer, ex-cybersecurity executive at Tesla and Uber, founder of SET Cyber Labs, and professor at SET University & William Jewell College
Nick spent 10 years at the CIA, where he served as an operations officer and was responsible for recruiting and training personnel. After transitioning to the private sector, he applied intelligence-agency leadership approaches in high-pressure environments like Uber and Tesla.
What helped him succeed? Soft skills — honest communication, vulnerability, and adaptability — became his go-to tools. Nick knows what it means to lead when there’s no playbook.
He now teaches at William Jewell College and SET University, preparing future leaders to thrive under pressure. In 2024, he co-founded SET Cyber Labs — a Ukraine-based cybersecurity startup built in partnership with Hilltop Technologies (USA).
For who
Why do you need this workshop
Being a tech leader in 2025 is not about micromanaging tasks — it’s about leading through uncertainty, making hard calls, and keeping your team energized when the world is running on burnout. Soft skills are now your core leadership toolkit.
In this workshop, Nick Gicinto will tell about tools to help you:
- Stay adaptable without losing focus.
- Lead with presence, energy, and real impact.
- Build trust and psychological safety in your team.
- Communicate clearly (especially when you don’t have all the answers).
- Handle conflict, feedback, and tough conversations like a leader.
Format
