Think of a tech leader you admire. Someone who can step onto a stage, drop buzzwords like "AI," "Serverless," or "Quantum," and instantly convince hundreds of engineers to rebuild their entire architecture.

What makes these leaders and speakers magnetic? The answer lies in shared language, engineered belonging, and ritualised alignment, patterns that look remarkably similar to historical cult movements.

This tongue-in-cheek talk explores the fascinating overlap between modern tech leadership and historical cult groups. We’ll break down what makes charismatic leadership work, why technical teams are surprisingly susceptible to high-intensity alignment, and how to harness these influence patterns ethically.

Leave with a fresh perspective on team dynamics, practical leadership tools, and the ability to win hearts and minds without accidentally starting a movement.

Note: Contains historical references to cults.