In the face of uncharted technological disruption driven by AI, leaders must challenge their assumptions, build new capabilities, and embrace innovation with resilience. Navigating adversity requires leaders to bring people with them—through clarity, empathy, and purpose. Creating the right conditions for followership unlocks the collective agility needed to drive meaningful innovation.
As the former Head of Mission Control and Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA and a US Navy Officer, Bob has spent decades at the frontier of innovation. In this module, Bob takes us behind the scenes at NASA, sharing stories and lessons from some of the agency’s most pivotal moments. His insights are not just about technology — they’re about people, mindset, and leadership under pressure.
Jane takes us inside mission control to reveal the leadership strategies that have propelled NASA to the forefront of space exploration. he shares stories of how NASA fosters breakthrough moments through unconventional collaboration and bold decision-making. She explores how thinking and acting fearlessly cultivates creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience—not just in crisis, but in everyday leadership.
In this SkillStack, Bob takes us behind the scenes of pivotal moments in national defence and space operations, sharing hard-earned lessons in leadership under pressure. Bob distils decades of experience into actionable principles for leading through adversity. Anchored in the ethos of “service before self,” this SkillStack is a masterclass in team-centred leadership.
Jane offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at NASA, sharing compelling stories and leadership principles that foster followership and unlock the innovation, collaboration, and high performance for which the agency is renowned. She unpacks the essential elements that inspire individuals to commit to a shared mission, guided by leaders they trust.
Through compelling behind-the-scenes stories, Bob illustrates how agile leadership can sustain high-performing teams through turbulence and transformation. At NASA, a decade of continuous change fostered a culture of agility that drove innovation, elevated performance, and helped turn the impossible into reality.
Jane shares how leadership as a behaviour, not a role, has powered some of NASA’s most ambitious missions. From building the most powerful telescope on Earth to shuttle launches, innovation was driven by individuals who took initiative and invited others to collaborate. This module explores how leadership emerges through action, influence, and shared purpose—regardless of formal authority.
What to Expect:
Bob Gibbs is no stranger to high-stakes leadership. As the former Head of Mission Control and Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA and a US Navy Officer, Bob has spent decades at the frontier of innovation — from nuclear reactors to space exploration. He’s advised Congress, the White House, and international governments on how to lead through complexity, risk, and transformation. In this module, Bob takes us behind the scenes at NASA, sharing stories and lessons from some of the agency’s most pivotal moments. His insights are not just about technology — they’re about people, mindset, and leadership under pressure.
Learning Objectives:
Bob’s stories from NASA aren’t just inspiring — they’re instructive. They show us that innovation is not just about bold ideas or cutting-edge tech. It’s about creating environments where people feel safe to speak, fail, challenge, and grow. These principles are timeless, and they apply whether you’re leading a space mission or a startup team.
Key Takeaways:
This module is designed to help leaders understand how innovation truly happens — not just in theory, but in practice. By the end, you’ll be equipped with:
What to Expect:
In this compelling SkillStack session, Jane Datta, former Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA, takes us inside mission control to reveal the leadership strategies that have propelled NASA to the forefront of space exploration. Through vivid storytelling, Jane shares how fearless leadership—rooted in trust, autonomy, and adaptability—unleashes human potential in the face of extraordinary challenges.
From averting rocket launches moments before liftoff to orchestrating a successful mission to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, Jane illustrates how NASA fosters breakthrough moments through unconventional collaboration and bold decision-making. She explores how thinking and acting fearlessly cultivates creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience—not just in crisis, but in everyday leadership.
Learning Objectives & Takeaways:
Fearless Leadership is not reserved for senior executives or moments of crisis. It is a mindset and a daily practice that empowers individuals and teams to act with clarity, courage, and agility. Participants will learn how to:
What to Expect:
Bob Gibbs is no stranger to high-stakes leadership. With a distinguished career spanning the U.S. Navy, the Naval Reactors program, and NASA—where he served as Head of Mission Support—Bob has led teams through some of the most complex and high-risk missions imaginable, from nuclear submarines to space exploration. He has advised Congress, the White House, and international governments on navigating crises, transformation, and uncertainty.
In this SkillStack, Bob takes us behind the scenes of pivotal moments in national defence and space operations, sharing hard-earned lessons in leadership under pressure. His insights go beyond technology—they’re about people, mindset, and the principles that sustain performance when the stakes are highest.
From averting rocket launches moments before liftoff to orchestrating a successful mission to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, Jane illustrates how NASA fosters breakthrough moments through unconventional collaboration and bold decision-making. She explores how thinking and acting fearlessly cultivates creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience—not just in crisis, but in everyday leadership.
Learning Objectives & Takeaways:
Bob distils decades of experience into actionable principles for leading through adversity. Anchored in the ethos of “service before self,” this SkillStack is a masterclass in team-centred leadership. You will learn the 4 core principles of leading through adversity:
What to Expect:
In this SkillStack, Bob Gibbs—former Head of Mission Support at NASA—shares powerful lessons drawn from his distinguished career in the U.S. Navy and at NASA. Through compelling behind-the-scenes stories, Bob illustrates how agile leadership can sustain high-performing teams through turbulence and transformation. At NASA, a decade of continuous change fostered a culture of agility that drove innovation, elevated performance, and helped turn the impossible into reality.
Learning Objectives & Takeaways:
Listen to Eliminate Bureaucracy.
Discover the critical distinction between process and progress. Learn how active listening can help cut through unnecessary procedures and ensure your team is moving forward with purpose.
Challenge the Status Quo
Understand the comfort of certainty and the resistance that often accompanies change. Explore how one-to-one engagement, open communication, and assuming positive intent can help leaders meet individuals where they are and guide them through transformation.
Lead in the Moment
Embrace agility by taking measured risks, making decisive choices, and leading by example. Learn to respond with clarity and confidence in dynamic environments.
What to Expect:
In this SkillStack, Jane offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at NASA, sharing compelling stories and leadership principles that foster followership and unlock the innovation, collaboration, and high performance for which the agency is renowned. As NASA’s former Chief Human Capital Officer, Jane Datta reflects on pivotal moments—from the intensity of the war room to the challenges of digital transformation, and the lessons learned through both failure and success. Through these narratives, she unpacks the essential elements that inspire individuals to commit to a shared mission, guided by leaders they trust.
Learning Objectives & Takeaways:
Leadership does not exist unless others follow. Followership is not a byproduct of leadership—it is something a leader must cultivate with intention and design, not by accident.
What to Expect:
At NASA, leadership is not a title; it’s an action. In this SkillStack, Jane, former Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA, shares how leadership as a behaviour, not a role, has powered some of the agency’s most ambitious missions. From building the most powerful telescope on Earth to shuttle launches, innovation was driven by individuals who took initiative, removed barriers, and invited others to collaborate. This module explores how leadership emerges through action, influence, and shared purpose—regardless of formal authority.
Learning Objectives & Takeaways:
To equip participants with the mindset and behaviours to lead from any seat in the organisation by:
