Be the mayor: Why AI is demanding a new school of leadership | Kenyetta Hall | TEDxParrish Street

Technology has long rewarded technical expertise as a pathway to leadership, while undervaluing the communication, influence, trust, and relationship-building skills I call power skills. Be the Mayor challenges technology leaders to pair technical acumen with these power skills, using the M.A.Y.O.R. framework to lead across expertise, build community, and create the conditions for people and innovation to thrive in an AI-enabled world. Kenyetta Hall is a seasoned Product Leader and Business Strategist with a proven record of helping Fortune 500 companies and startups bring innovative products to market through impactful product strategies. A former AI startup co-founder and now CEO of Katalyst HQ, a Product Strategy and Innovation Studio, she partners with organizations to reduce risk and empower leaders with frameworks, strategies, and systems that accelerate product growth, optimize decision-making, and drive innovation. Katalyst HQ provides advisory services, fractional product leadership, workshops, and strategic sessions tailored to organizations. She is also the co-founder of Agile Product Dojo, which trains early- and mid-career product professionals through coaching and education to build skills for today’s workforce. Additionally, Kenyetta serves as Social Entrepreneur in Residence and Professor of Practice at UNC–Chapel Hill’s Shuford Program for Entrepreneurship, where she teaches Brand for Social Impact. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx