At this year’s BLUEPRINT 4D conference in Las Vegas, Quest kicked off the weeklong event with an unforgettable keynote from Chris Laping—four-time CIO, best-selling author of People Before Things, and passionate advocate for building future-proof careers through human-centered leadership.

The keynote opened with a milestone moment as Quest celebrated 30 years of community, learning, and innovation. Becky Ivy, Chairperson of the Quest Board of Directors, welcomed attendees with gratitude, recognizing the volunteers who’ve fueled Quest’s growth since 1995.

Then, the spotlight turned to Chris Laping, who challenged the audience to reframe how they show up at work—not by focusing only on technical skills, but by embracing deeply human fundamentals that build influence, trust, and career resilience.

The Unbreakable Journey

Chris began with a personal story about the worst day of his professional life—when he discovered via email that he had a new boss and had been reorganized into a new division without warning. That moment of betrayal, confusion, and anger became a catalyst for self-reflection. “It hit me,” Chris said. “This will never happen to me again. I own how I show up. I own whether people know what I bring to the table.”

What followed was a powerful message: high performance alone isn’t enough. If you’re not trusted, seen, or heard, your career can stall—no matter how competent you are.

That idea launched the central theme of his keynote: to future-proof your career, you must not only be good at what you do, but also be someone people want to work with. Trust and behavior matter. A lot.

The Unignorable Five

To help attendees become “unignorable”—a term Chris uses to describe people who are indispensable and impossible to overlook—he shared what he calls the Unignorable Five, a set of behaviors that help professionals build trust and influence within their organizations.

1. Be Easy to Work With
   Avoid becoming the “DMV” of your organization—hard to navigate, slow to respond, or overly rigid. Gut check your processes, your tone, and your empathy. Are you creating friction, or are you helping others get things done?
2. Be Good at Unlearning
   The world changes fast, and being adaptable isn’t just about learning new things—it’s about letting go of outdated methods and assumptions. “The opportunity this week,” Chris said, “is not just to confirm your worldview, but to question all of it.”
3. Have an Original Take on a Problem
   Don’t lead with solutions—lead with understanding. Describe problems in a way that shows you get it. Whether it’s customer frustration or internal inefficiencies, frame the issue in human, relatable terms that spark action.
4. Sell Without Slides
   Data matters, but stories move people. Chris illustrated this point with a powerful story about Sarah, a Red Robin manager whose life was upended by outdated tools. His heartfelt narrative won over a board of directors—and proved that storytelling can be more persuasive than spreadsheets.
5. Be a Serial Wonderer
   Curiosity is the ultimate leadership superpower. Ask questions. Seek out others’ perspectives. Don’t assume you know it all. “When we stop asking,” Chris warned, “we start missing things—and that becomes a career liability.”

Influence Over Power

Chris closed with a memorable distinction: “Power is when people do what you say because you said it. Influence is when people do it because they believe it’s the right thing.” Building influence, not power, is the path to meaningful leadership.

He reminded the audience that the Unignorable Five don’t require you to be a charismatic extrovert. They require thoughtfulness, humility, and a commitment to being distinctly human. In a world driven by technology and disruption, it’s these human fundamentals that will make you resilient—and unbreakable.

Final Takeaways

Chris encouraged attendees to continue the conversation. His call to action? “People want to hear what you have to say—make sure they can.”

And with that, BLUEPRINT 4D was off to a powerful start. For more highlights, be sure to read the full recap, BLUEPRINT 4D 2025: A Standout Week of Learning, Networking, and Innovation.

Want more?

Explore more content and resources to help you get the most from your Oracle investment:

• Be sure to check out the BLUEPRINT 4D 2025 Event Hub (coming soon) for presentation slides – available exclusively to Quest members.
• Visit the Quest Learn Library for blogs, how-to demos, and on-demand sessions.
• Connect with peers in one of our Quest User Groups to swap stories, ask questions, and share tips with other users facing the same challenges.

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