The third edition of LeadWell is behind us — one of the most important leadership events in the Pomerania region. The conference, organized by O4 Coworking with Olivia Centre as strategic partner, brought together as many as 180 leaders, managers, and experts representing various industries and organizations.

This year’s program included 6 substantive talks, 2 panel discussions, 9 workshops, and 20 thematic networking tables. Over the course of two days, LeadWell participants discussed the challenges of modern leadership, exchanged experiences, and worked on solutions they can apply in their own organizations.

From difficult decisions to practical solutions

The first day of the conference took place on the 34th floor of Olivia Star. Among the speakers were Krzysztof Wielicki, a legend of world Himalayan mountaineering; Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek, rector of Kozminski University, an expert in digital transformation and management; Witold Kowalski, former CEO of Nike Poland, mentor in the European Commission’s innovative projects and PARP’s Innovation Manager Academy; Rafał Żak, an expert in leadership development, Paweł Wujec, former CEO of K2 Holding (now Fabrity Group), longtime head of Gazeta.pl and Managing Director for Internet at Agora Publishing House, with over 25 years of experience in the media and digital business markets, and Maciej Sawicki — CEO of inStreamly, a platform connecting over 150,000 streamers with global brands across 14 markets, and creator of the “trust instead of control” model.

Discussions covered mistakes and failures, responsibility, building trust, managing change, making difficult decisions, and various models of work organization. In the evening, participants met again for networking at Olivia Garden.

The second day, held at O4 Coworking, had a workshop format. In three thematic blocks, participants worked with expert practitioners on specific challenges related to communication, negotiation, team engagement, conflict resolution, and wellbeing.

Leadership doesn’t have to mean being alone

One of the most memorable talks was Krzysztof Wielicki’s story about a difficult situation in the mountains. The mountaineer recalled a moment when, in an extremely demanding situation, he saw a person approaching him. “He couldn’t come down for me. I had to do it myself. But just knowing that someone was coming toward me, that I could count on him, gave me strength. That kind of partnership is incredibly important.”

As Martyna Czarnobaj-Borowska of O4 Coworking, the conference organizer, points out, this story captures one of LeadWell’s core values well. Leaders often have to make difficult decisions on their own, but the ability to talk with people facing similar challenges, and the awareness of mutual support, make a tremendous difference.

Piotr Klik, Sales Management Manager in the Affluent Client Segment at Bank Pekao SA, also noted the diversity of participants. In his account, he emphasized that LeadWell brings together representatives from management, HR, IT, and sales, from both large corporations and micro-enterprises. He also praised the practical nature of the conference’s second day, which allowed participants to return to work with concrete knowledge and an action plan.

Photo: Arek Burcon

Olivia Centre — a meeting place for leaders

Olivia Centre hosted LeadWell for the third time and served as the conference’s strategic partner. As the largest business center in Northern Poland, it brings together companies representing various industries, business models, and organizational cultures. Supporting initiatives such as LeadWell is part of Olivia’s efforts to develop the local business community, promote knowledge exchange, and build relationships among entrepreneurs, managers, and experts.

The event was organized by O4 Coworking, operating within Olivia.

This year’s edition showed how important it is for the development of leadership competencies not only to draw on the knowledge and experience of experts, but also to have the opportunity for open conversation with other leaders about the everyday challenges of managing people and organizations.

Photo: Arek Burcon