Power Tools Are Loud—Craft Leads
Session Description:
AI is changing fast. Faster than our job titles. Faster than our syllabi. Sometimes faster than our nervous systems.
In this session, Michael Hunter—author of The Resilient Tech Leader and former code debugger turned people debugger—offers a grounding reframe:
AI is a power tool. You’re the craft.
Power tools don’t replace judgment, taste, or care. They amplify whatever’s already there. So the real question isn’t “How do I keep up with AI?” It’s “What am I bringing to the table that’s worth amplifying?”
Through a handful of practical, human-centered tools he uses with tech leaders and educators every day, Michael helps participants:
• Stay relevant by becoming more themselves, not more mechanical
• Turn AI anxiety into clarity about where they add unmistakable value
• Move from dabbling with tools to building approaches that actually stick
• Run small, playful experiments that lead to real progress
This isn’t about mastering the latest AI feature. It’s about sharpening the human craft behind it.
Your uniqueness isn’t a liability. It’s the whole point.
Speaker Bio: Michael Hunter | LinkedIn
Michael Hunter is the creator of The Uncommon Hero and the author of The Resilient Tech Leader. He began his career working across nearly every role in software development—including a lot of debugging code. Realizing most technical problems were actually people problems, he moved on to debugging people. Realizing that was mostly inflicting help, he now helps leaders debug themselves. Michael works with smart people navigating rapid change (and who isn’t these days), strengthening the distinctly human skills technology can’t replace: judgment, craft, and presence. His work helps people move from intellectually knowing they’re valuable to embodying the certainty and courage to lead as themselves, especially in systems not designed for how they think. His approach blends practical frameworks, deep humanity, and a touch of whimsy.