Richard Gerver

In today’s world of rapid change and uncertainty, the organisations that thrive are those fuelled by curiosity. Yet, in many workplaces, curiosity is undervalued—replaced by efficiency, compliance, and routine. Richard Gerver, world-renowned educator, author, and leadership expert, brings his unique insight into how curiosity drives learning, creativity, resilience, and ultimately, performance.

This keynote reframes curiosity not as a “soft skill,” but as a critical business capability. By drawing on his experiences transforming schools, advising businesses, and working with elite performers in sport, entertainment, and innovation, Richard will show leaders how to embed curiosity into their culture, leadership, and decision-making.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

· Curiosity as a Survival Skill – Why curiosity is not a luxury, but a necessity in volatile markets and uncertain futures.How organizations that encourage questions outperform those that value only answers.

· From Compliance to Creativity – How systems built on routine and compliance suppress curiosity. Practical ways leaders can redesign processes and cultures to reward exploration.

· Curiosity and Human Performance – Lessons from education, sport, and business on how curiosity fuels motivation and resilience. Why curiosity is the root of agility, adaptability, and innovation.

· Leading with Questions – How the best leaders model curiosity by asking better questions, not just providing answers. Simple frameworks to embed curiosity into team conversations, strategy, and problem-solving.

· Creating a Culture of Curiosity – How to empower employees to take risks, explore, and challenge assumptions without fear. The measurable business benefits of curiosity-driven cultures: innovation, retention, and growth.

Change is certainly not a new phenomenon, but it is an accelerating one. On the whole, we were educated and prepared to live lives where certainty would be our reward, personally and professionally. We were told that if we got our heads down and focused on doing the best we could, as efficiently as possible our reward would be stability. The rapid evolutions in technology, global economy, the environment, social and societal fabric have led to a world where doing enough, only seems to leave us lagging further and further behind, exhausted by the efforts we are expending just to try and keep pace.

The brutal truth is that the world, our sectors and our lives are never going to slow down, or go back to ‘normal’, so we need to find ways to evolve- not just in the workplace but at home too. We must develop new ways of thinking and behaving if we are to find ways to feel in control of the future and enjoy the opportunities it will present. To do that, we must understand why we feel the way we do and what we can do, personally and professionally, to build new and proactive mindsets that will find us ahead of the curve, rather than breathlessly trying to cling on to the back of it.

TAKEWAYS

· Inspire audiences to look optimistically into the future

· Help people to understand their responses to uncertainty and change

· Motivate teams to continue to strive for success

· Provide people with the tools and attributes to feel in control

· Transform the mindset and thinking ability of your people

· See change as an opportunity rather than a threat

· To develop proactive mindsets and behaviours

EXAMPLE CHANGE TOPICS COVERED

· Embracing change

· Leading by example

· Communicating openly

· Identifying obstacles

· Motivating others

· Making the case for change

The world is spinning faster than ever and is throwing an increasing number of challenges and obstacles our way, be they social, technological, economic, medical or personal and the key to successfully navigating these periods is mental toughness; resilience. It won’t just help you survive but it’ll prepare you to thrive in the complexity and uncertainty.

Whether we like to admit it or not, professional and personal lives often become intertwined – no matter how hard we try to prevent it. Stresses in one can soon take their toll on the other, and skills learned at home can also be brought into the workplace. For this reason, it’s of utmost importance to ensure your team has everything they need for mental resilience to allow them to shine – not just in the workplace but at home too. When we find ways to deal with the tough stuff, we can focus, with greater clarity and precision about a proactive future.

TAKEAWAYS

· Inspire audiences to persevere in challenging times

· Help people to understand their responses to uncertainty and change

· Motivate teams to continue to strive for success

· Provide people with the inner strength to resolve challenges

· Transform the mindset and thinking ability of your people

· Bounce back from disappointment and use the experience of any setbacks to succeed

EXAMPLES OF RESILIENCE TOPICS COVERED

· Resilience & Adaptability

· Cross-functional collaboration

· Re-energising teams to tackle Big Bold Goals

· How to build teams to set and achieve Big Bold Goals

· Virtual leadership and team building

· Adapting and prioritising in times of change

· Self-leadership

Why does education leadership matter?

The future depends on our learning and education system not only being efficient but dynamic. If our core moral purpose is to prepare emerging generations for the challenges of their future, then we need to ensure that, as leaders and educators, we are cognisant of the challenges that that future may hold and be ready to evolve the system to meet not only the changing demands in terms of knowledge, but in behaviours, attributes, attitudes and skills.

As leaders and as educators, we need to ensure that we develop cultures that are open to change and to us broadening horizons, to being prepared to be challenged and to challenge ourselves, so

that we continue to provide a system worthy of our children and one that reflect the opportunities of the future as well as anchoring the achievements of the past.

As organisations beyond the formal education sector, creating a culture of curiosity, education and learning, will be the defining characteristic of sustainable success as we head into the complexity of the 22nd Century.

TAKEAWAYS

· Inspire audiences to look optimistically into the future

· Help people to understand their responses to uncertainty and change

· Motivate teams to continue to strive for success

· Provide people with the tools and attributes to feel in control

· Transform the mindset and thinking ability of your staff and students

· See educational change as an opportunity rather than a threat

· To develop proactive mindsets and behaviours

EDUCATION EXAMPLE KEYNOTES

· Anticipating future needs: How to anticipate the needs of learners and educators in the future.

· Developing a culture of thought leadership in education and learning that is people centric.

· Catalysing visionary conversations, that can influence others and drive meaningful change compassing –

– Supporting leaders and educators to

– Take a stand

– Being learner-serving

– Building trust and credibility

– Connecting with your community

– Being proactive and constructive