What books have influenced your talent development career? Have you ever wished you could hear further from your favorite author and even get your book signed? You can do just that during ATD21.

In addition to daily author meet and greets with book signings at the ATD Store, in Hall A of the Salt Lake City Convention Center, ATD21 will feature author chats today through Wednesday in the ATD Theater. Note: Advance registration is required via the conference platform.

Today from 10:05–10:50 a.m. MT, Rob Shallenberger and Steve Shallenberger will discuss how to lead by design and schedule your priorities. In their research of more than 1,260 leaders, they found that 68 percent believe their biggest challenge is prioritizing their time, yet 80 percent of those same people did not have a process to organize their time and focus on what matters most. Their newest book, Do What Matters Most, covers the three high-performance habits that will empower people to take control of their schedule, prioritize their time, and increase productivity by 30–50 percent. This session is sponsored by Becoming Your Best.

Then from 11:10–11:55 a.m. MT, Ramin Sedehi, Kerri Cissna, and Lola Gershfeld explore the power of emotional connection for leadership and organizations. They will share a proven and systemic approach called the emotional connection strategy, which empowers leaders to garner empathy, vulnerability, and openness, making inclusion possible, enabling curiosity, and driving innovation. This session is sponsored by EmC Leaders.

A look ahead

On Tuesday from 9:20–10:05 a.m. MT, Guts and Grace Leadership founder LeeAnn Mallorie will share her wisdom on executive and technical teams to update your training mindset and approach to elevate women and diversity. And on Wednesday from 9:20–10:05 a.m. MT, Leading the Learning Function authors Suzanne Frawley, Jerry Kaminski, and Alissa Weiher will share their biggest takeaways for managing learning practices and leading people.