The one mindset required to future-proof your technology career
What is the one quality that sets great tech leaders apart? How can a high-performer make the jump into a leadership role? How can people in tech future-proof their careers when AI is moving at such a hair-raising pace?
We covered these topics and more in an interview with five of our excellent speakers ahead of the 10th Annual Women in Tech Fest. Quest Events spoke with Tracey Evans (Group Chief Information & Digital Officer, Virtus Health), Dominique Barker (Chief Information Officer, Australian Institute of Family Studies), Shantell Williams (Chief Technology Officer, Tiimely), Lucy Poole (Deputy Chief Executive Officer – Strategy, Planning & Performance, Digital Transformation Agency), and Forough Khandan (Chief Technology Officer, EMVision Medical Devices) for their insights.
What is the one quality that sets tech leaders apart?
For Evans, the number one quality a tech leader can employ is empathy, or “being able to put themselves in the shoes of their stakeholder and users.” This quality is particularly important amid increasing uncertainty about where technology (particularly AI) will take us. Khandan and Poole take this concept further, stressing the importance of compassion and listening.
“In my experience working on complex deep-tech problems, it’s the ability to truly listen and trust the team of experts you have built,” says Khandan. “Great leaders actively seek diverse perspectives, weigh them carefully, and then make a clear and confident final decision. Developing this skill comes from practice; by creating an environment where team members feel heard and respected, and by continuously refining your own judgment through experience.”
“The best tech leaders understand how people experience technology”
“Compassion,” says Poole. “The best tech leaders understand how people experience technology, how systems impact confidence, and what it takes to feel capable in a digital environment. They stay curious about the human impact of their decisions. They listen with intent and they lead with humility. They don’t claim to be experts in everything; instead, they enable insight and accountability. As AI reshapes work, empathy becomes even more critical, not just in design and delivery, but in building trust and empowering teams. To develop it? Be curious. Ask better questions, engage with diverse perspectives, and stay relentlessly focused on the people you serve.”
In Barker’s experience, an emerging quality in the age of AI is for tech leaders to develop their quantum thinking. “This is something that AI can’t do. It means that staff should be able to hold multiple points of view simultaneously. I have been very focused on this when pitching new solutions and onboarding for major transformative change. In practice, this looks like considering the stakeholders and colleagues you have in the room, and where the areas of concern might be. Doing this prior to a meeting puts you in a good spot to deal with any objections that come up and to have an answer prepared. Challenging yourself to think with multiple hats allows you to have more influence and plan for different scenarios.”
Williams focuses on communication. “Great tech leaders stand out because they know how to adapt their message to their audience. As technologists, we often default to facts and logic – it’s how we’re wired. But leadership is as much about connection as it is about accuracy. The best leaders translate complexity into meaning. They can jump between technical details and business strategy, while bringing people along on the journey. That adaptability turns technical insight into shared understanding, and shared understanding into business impact. It’s a skill that takes practice.”
“Start by tuning into what matters most to your listener and the outcomes they care about, and frame your story in that context,” continues Williams. “When you can speak both languages fluently, you build trust across disciplines and make collaboration easier. That’s where transformation materialises into positive outcomes.”
Making the jump into tech leadership
We asked our interviewees for their advice on how a high performer can get their first shot at tech leadership.
Khandan points out the assumption in the question: “I would first ask why we assume that every high performer must become a leader? There is nothing lesser about being a high-performing team member compared to leading a team. Leadership often means giving up some of the ‘hands-on’ technical work that many find deeply rewarding. If leading and guiding others excites you, pursue it wholeheartedly. But if you prefer to remain deeply technical and contribute as an expert, that is equally valuable. In my view, leadership is not the only path to growth — nor is it always the next natural step in one’s career.”
Poole notes that tech leadership isn’t reserved for those with a technical background; in fact, it’s a space where diverse thinkers and change-makers are needed most. “My own journey started in HR and transformation, and I still draw on that foundation daily,” she says. “For high-performers ready to lead in tech, own what makes you different, be honest about what you don’t yet know, and be intentional about who you surround yourself with. Leadership here isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about asking the right questions and bringing others with you.”
Williams advises people who are finding the transition into leadership difficult to start by recognising that it requires a different capability, not just more of the same. “What made you successful as an individual contributor will not necessarily make you effective as a leader. Begin by shifting your perspective. Leadership is about creating impact through others. Focus on how you enable progress, not just how you deliver it. The leaders who make this shift successfully learn to operate through a wider lens that connects technology, people, and purpose. Over time, the focus moves from technical mastery to strategic clarity and influence,” she adds.
Barker urges doggedness and resilience. “Rejection is part of the process,” she says. “You have to keep going. Take the opportunities that are given to you. If someone offers to mentor you and take a look at your CV, take them up on the offer. Ask your colleagues and managers for feedback that is specific to leadership: What do I need to develop to get to the next level? Where should I focus? If opportunities arise at work to take on a new project, put your hand up, and, importantly, follow through on what you say you are going to deliver.”
“Networking is also very important,” adds Barker. “Do you have professional groups you belong to? Who can you meet at conferences? There are some truly great tech people out there, and most people at these events are there to network, so take advantage of that. Finally, pay it forward. Can you mentor other early-career tech professionals? Offer to look at their CVs, provide feedback. I often learn as much from being a mentor as being a mentee. It is a rewarding experience.”
Evans agrees that people and relationships are the key to making the leap to leadership, but urges high performers to find a great sponsor, or a person “who will fight for you when you’re not in the room.”
The networking imperative
“For me, networking has never been a side activity,” says Poole. “Instead, it’s been a deliberate investment in learning, growth, and influence. The relationships I’ve built across sectors, especially in AI, have opened new ways of thinking and helped me access insights that are hard to surface within government. These connections sharpen the questions I bring to the table. If you’re building your network in tech, be open, cast a wide net, and connect with people who challenge and uplift you. The most valuable connections aren’t always the obvious ones and it’s often these voices that shift your thinking when it matters most. Just as important is finding people you genuinely like – those who offer support, counsel, and guidance. That kind of backing is just as critical as technical insight, especially when navigating complexity and change.”
Evans looks beyond networking to note a key strategy for a successful career: showing up. “I’ve found that it’s about the way you show up, the opportunities you put yourself forward to be considered for and being resilient – bouncing back when you get rejections (which does happen). I’ve got to where I have by showing up the right way, building strong relationships internally and externally across the organisations I have worked for, being resilient, accepting and learning from feedback, and stepping outside my comfort zone,” she says.
Khandan notes that we operate in a fast-paced and highly complex environment where relationships matter. “Knowing the right people can help you get a foot in the door, solve a tough problem, secure a discount, or simply have someone willing to listen — and that can make all the difference. In my own experience, networking has opened doors to investors, helped accelerate critical deliveries, and enabled collaborations with large companies that might have otherwise been out of reach.”
Barker shares with us some key relationships that were instrumental to her career journey. “I have had some female CIOs and board members be very kind and generous to me with their time, one in particular who has helped me to prepare for the future of work,” she explains. “I think about this almost daily. Those connections often spawn more connections, and so on. The industry is just amazing. In addition, I will say that generally, networking is a huge part of the way I work. I belong to multiple networks (roundtables, collectives, and so on), and I draw on these networks daily. And equally, I share back. This means there is a perpetual knowledge exchange which is crucial for tech leaders. I notice people are often hesitant to network, but in reality, it is one of the most enriching parts of tech leadership.”
The mindsets needed to future-proof your tech career
In an industry evolving at such a breakneck pace, the key to riding the wave lies in having the right mindset rather than tapping into a particular technical skill.
Evans, for example, points to the importance of curiosity and having an ongoing willingness to learn. In fact, all our interviewees highlighted curiosity as the most important mindset for future-proofing tech careers.
Khandan expands on this idea: “Adopt a mindset of continuous learning — never stop being curious! Learn as much as you can, but also recognise that you can’t be an expert in everything. Identify and surround yourself with people who are the best in their fields, trust their expertise, yet always make your own final judgments and take responsibility for your decisions. Staying adaptable, humble, and accountable is what truly future-proofs a career in tech.”
Barker mentions curiosity as well. “Be alive to the pace and stay curious. Don’t be too rigid in your views as things move fast, be open to challenging your view, but equally, be courageous in addressing concerns or objections where appropriate.”
Poole has a different view about future-proofing: “Rather than trying to future-proof our careers, (which can sometimes lead to risk aversion and a reluctance to innovate), we should cultivate a mindset that embraces change, values curiosity, and celebrates human skills. Technology has always moved fast, but our awareness of its pace has grown, especially with AI becoming more embedded in daily life. The leaders who thrive will be those who stay open to learning, adapt with intent, and understand that our ability to connect, communicate, and collaborate will always be our greatest strength.”
“The people who build lasting careers are the ones who stay anchored in the fundamentals such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication”
Williams notes that in technology, staying across new tools and approaches is part of the job. “The landscape moves quickly, and keeping pace is essential. But the people who build lasting careers are the ones who stay anchored in the fundamentals such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication. The key is to stay curious. Experiment, ask questions, and take the time to understand how things work rather than just how to use them. When you focus on principles instead of platforms, you can adapt to whatever comes next.”
Challenges on the horizon
Finally, we asked our tech interviewees for their opinions of the biggest challenges coming down the pipeline. As you might expect, uncertainty around AI tops the list.
For Poole, the challenge lies in how tech companies frame AI. “One major challenge is shaping the narrative around AI in ways that empower rather than exclude. Human oversight only works when people feel confident enough to participate in the systems we build. If staff feel uncertain or disconnected, we’re not just missing opportunities – we’re creating risk. Tech leaders must create environments where people feel safe to ask questions, contribute ideas, and engage meaningfully. The challenge ahead is deeply human. That is where leaders need to show up with clarity, purpose, and courage,” she says.
Evans sees an ongoing challenge in managing expectations from the Board about AI, what it can and can’t do in the organisation, and the investment required to scale it. Similarly, Williams says that the expectations around AI are enormous: “Businesses are looking for major gains in efficiency and productivity, and in some areas those benefits are very real. The challenge is to harness that value while recognising that not every AI initiative will succeed. AI development is still highly experimental. Some projects will deliver transformative outcomes, while others will stall or fail to meet expectations. The role of technology leaders is to navigate that uncertainty, identify where AI can create genuine leverage, set realistic measures of success, and ensure experimentation does not erode trust.”
Barker talks about the disorientation of AI and the security concerns attached to this. “No one quite knows where it will land or how this wave of automation will affect the job market. So, in the face of these changes, it is important to double down on some of your durable skills – curiosity, an ability to learn, and quantum thinking to be ready to adapt and respond,” she advises.
“The accessibility of information can make many appear knowledgeable on the surface, but true capability still requires depth and scrutiny”
Finally, there’s the challenge of seeking out true expertise in a world where everybody, it seems, professes to know everything about AI. “The accessibility of information can make many appear knowledgeable on the surface, but true capability still requires depth and scrutiny,” says Khandan. “At the same time, technology advancements have raised consumer expectations: more features, faster delivery, and lower cost are now the baseline. Our challenge is to balance innovation speed with quality, manage growing complexity, and maintain focus.”
Learn more
Interested in learning more about leadership in tech? Join Tracey Evans, Dominique Barker, Shantell Williams, Lucy Poole, Forough Khandan and dozens of other leaders in their fields at the 10th Annual Women in Tech Fest, 24th to 26th February 2026 at the Sydney Masonic Centre (SMC).
