Tico Oms, a seasoned educational leader with a background in international school leadership and leadership coaching, brought a wealth of insight and energy to the recent Lead to Succeed Conference. As both a presenter and a participant, Tico’s contributions and reflections underscore the value of the conference for educational leaders at all levels. His experience highlights how the event fosters meaningful connections, personal growth, and actionable learning.

“This conference is a place where you can make real connections, dive deep into learning, and leave with actionable ideas. It’s not just about showing up—it’s about growing as a leader.”

Jose Ramon (Tico) Oms
Leadership Coach & Consultant, AAICIS, AIELOC, Oms Leadership Coaching

Presenting at the Conference

Tico delivered two impactful sessions during the conference:

1. The Challenge of Being a New Leader: A concise, one-hour session designed to address the unique struggles faced by new leaders. Tico shared strategies for overcoming early challenges, building trust, and navigating difficult conversations.
2. Creating an Organization That Learns: A deeper, two-and-a-half-hour dive into the complexities of building learning organizations. This session offered participants frameworks and strategies to foster adaptability and innovation within their organizations.

Reflecting on his time as a presenter, Tico noted the unique structure of the conference allowed for both shorter, focused sessions and extended deep dives. He observed,

“For the new leader session, one hour was perfect. But for a topic as dense as organizational learning, the two-and-a-half-hour format was essential—and I could have even gone longer.”

Tico appreciated the diversity of the audience, which included department heads, vice principals, and even experienced heads of school. He tailored his sessions to meet the needs of new leaders while ensuring that attendees from different leadership levels could apply the lessons to their own contexts.

Looking Ahead: Cohorts and Coaching

Tico also floated exciting ideas for the future of the conference, including cohort-based learning programs and coaching opportunities. Drawing from his experience leading similar programs, he suggested creating year-long coaching cohorts for new leaders, with the conference serving as a launchpad.

“We could create a support network for new leaders, meeting monthly to tackle real-life challenges and build skills together,” Tico proposed.

Such initiatives could extend the impact of the conference beyond its two days, providing participants with ongoing support and community.