Blaire Palmer

How on earth do we lead in this radiply changing world of work? In such a competitive, fast-changing environment, you need everyone in your business to be able to do their best work, to step up and become leaders…and yet the rules of work seem to have changed – Gen Zs in the workplace, cost of living, mental health, geo-political unrest, climate crisis, the demand for more inclusivity, change fatigue and, of course, the coming of AI which will transform the world – inevitably audiences of leaders are asking “How do you lead in times like these?”

In this keynote Blaire busts Industrial Age myths about leadership that prevent us bringing out the very best in the people we employ. She presents an alternative model focused on authentic human connection, trust, radical collaboration, diversity and creativity, driven by a sense of shared purpose.

Audiences discover –

• The differences between their role as a manager and their role as a leader…and discover what a leader really does with their time
• How old truths – things like “I’m supposed to know the right thing to do”, “I wouldn’t expect anyone else to work the hours I work”, “My job is to protect my team” and much more – influence their behaviour day-to-day
• Identify the limits they put on their willingness to trust and how to empower others (Tip: People can only be as empowered as your willingness to give away power!)

This is an entertaining, provocative, energising keynote for leaders who want to put people at the heart of the business. Audiences leave with practical tips and confidence that they can do something different, and get different results, straight away.

Blaire Palmer is an author, keynote speaker and authority on leadership and the future of work. Authentic presence, human connection, trust and the ability to drive forward and adapt to change are core to her perspective on what the future world looks like.

With major transformation in the world of work ahead, education needs to adapt. Our children need to be prepared not for the Industrial Age world of work but for an agile, less hierarchical, more creative, ‘Personalised Age’. And if it is true that 50% of the jobs currently done by humans will be done by robots in the next decade, the human workforce will need to double down on the qualities that are innately human and can’t be done better by AI.

Blaire can deliver a range of online live and self-paced, downloadable programmes for educators, parents and students to help them think about and upskill for the future of work. Practical, thought-provoking and fun, these programmes will help participants let go of beliefs and assumptions, build resilience and self-esteem, overcome obstacles and look to the future with optimism and confidence.

We know by now that change is a constant. But the rules of change are also changing. The conventional wisdom was that, to bring about change, the best leaders create followers. Then they paint a picture of a glorious destination, explain WHY this is the best or only option and, once everyone ‘gets it’ change occurs. If it doesn’t it’s either a communication problem – people didn’t understand – or they did understand but people are resistant to change and are too afraid to take the leap. Leaders are left frustrated, asking “How many times do we have to tell them before they overcome their innate fear of change and buy-in to the plan?”.

But what if none of that is true?

In this keynote, Blaire explains how conventional wisdom about change leads to frustration, organisational tension, disengagement and low levels of trust. In a world where we don’t trust authority figures (and with good reason), where Gen Z employees will not turn a blind eye to unethical or intolerant behaviour, where change fatigue set in many months or years ago and where you are rarely in the same room as the people you work with, Blaire explain’s how to create an environment where people become enthusiasts for change, taking responsibility for it themselves and acting as if the business was their own.

Change starts at the top – an organisation can only be as sophisticated as its leaders. So it’s time to place your bets – are you going to stick with the way you’ve always ‘done change’? Or are you going to try something new?

Audiences discover –

• Why you don’t have a ‘communication problem’, you have a connection problem. (Tip: Change isn’t logical, it’s emotional and no amount of explaining ‘the why’ will be enough to convince people to go through the pain of change)
• The limits that we unwittingly put on our willingness to trust and the urgent need to create trust between all levels in the organisation
• What stops people stepping up and taking ownership (even though you mean it when you say “My door is always open”) and how to create an energising, empowering culture where people not only embrace change but lead it themselves

This is an entertaining, provocative, energising keynote for leaders and their teams. Audiences leave with practical actions they can immediately take away and feeling reinvigorated about change themselves.

Inclusion, diversity and equity have never been so contentious.

Around the world leaders are grappling with the controversy around programmes that fund DEI initiatives, the meaning behind the language of belonging and allyship and the success, or otherwise, of such programmes to attain meaningful outcomes.

At the same time, the evidence is clear – when people can bring their whole selves, their diverse experiences, perspectives, ways of thinking and access to different communities of consumers, to their work the business is the richer for it. People do not believe businesses are going far enough to address their concerns around discrimination while the percentage of people who fear being discriminated against on the basis of age, ethnicity, income level, gender, disability and neuro-type increases.

Audiences discover:

• How to be more imaginative and more open-minded to the changing demands of employees
• The benefits of a diverse and engaged workforce
• New trends in perceptions of discrimination, grievance and trust
• How to lead at a time of increasing delicacy when it comes to the topic of DEI

This session helps audiences embrace their own uniqueness and consider how to liberate the talent of ALL their people.