Speaker Topics.

The best leaders aren't the ones with all the answers, they're the ones who create the conditions where the best answers can emerge. This keynote challenges the traditional "leader as expert" model and offers a radically different approach: leading through facilitation, not direction.

Based on his book Holding Space and The Resilient Leader programme, Joel demonstrates why human skills are becoming critical to leading in our time. In an age of complexity and constant change, the leaders who thrive are those who can ask powerful questions, hold space for diverse perspectives, and trust the collective wisdom of their teams.

Key takeaways:

  • Why facilitation is different from presentation, training, or coaching

  • The shift from "bringing in" content to "bringing out" wisdom

  • How to trust the process when you don't have all the answers

  • Practical facilitation techniques for meetings, workshops, and everyday leadership moments

Ideal for:

Emerging leaders, experienced leaders wanting to evolve their approach, change agents, anyone who leads through influence rather than authority

In a world of screens, hybrid work, and digital connection, something fundamental is being lost, the human stories that bind us together. This keynote explores why storytelling remains our most powerful tool for leadership, connection, and culture building, even (especially) in our technology-driven world.

Based on his TEDx talk and decades of facilitation experience, Joel reveals the three types of stories every leader needs to master: the universal myths that capture imagination, the personal narratives that build trust, and the internal stories we tell ourselves that either limit or liberate our potential. Through compelling examples from boardrooms to classrooms, Joel demonstrates how authentic storytelling creates the permission and safety people need to bring their whole selves to work.

Key takeaways:

  • Why "once upon a time" still stops people in their tracks

  • The three types of stories and when to use each

  • How authentic storytelling builds deeper trust than polished performance

  • Practical techniques for crafting stories that move people from insight to action

Ideal for:

Leaders wanting to inspire teams, communicators, anyone navigating change, and culture builders

The difference between teams that give you compliance and teams that give you their best thinking often comes down to one thing: psychological safety. In this keynote, Joel unpacks his proven SPACE framework, five practical strategies any leader can implement immediately to create the conditions where people feel safe to contribute authentically, take intelligent risks, and do their best work.

Drawing from his experience as Interim CEO, principal, and facilitator across diverse organisations, Joel demonstrates how small shifts in daily leadership create profound changes in team dynamics. Audiences leave with specific language patterns, real-world scenarios, and immediately applicable techniques to transform how their teams show up.

Key takeaways:

  • The five elements of the SPACE framework and how to implement them

  • Why psychological safety is your competitive advantage in an uncertain world

  • Practical strategies for responding when mistakes happen, conflict arises, or emotions run high

  • How to shift from being the expert with all the answers to creating space for others' brilliance

Ideal for:

Leadership teams, managers at all levels, change leaders, and anyone building high-performing cultures

In an era where 75% of managers report feeling overwhelmed, leadership resilience isn't optional—it's essential. But resilience isn't about pushing through or toughening up. This keynote reframes resilience as the capacity to remain authentically human while navigating uncertainty, maintaining performance without burnout, and creating the conditions where teams can thrive through change.

Drawing from his THRIVE model and experience leading organisations through mergers, restructures, and transformation, Joel offers a practical roadmap for building sustainable leadership capacity. This isn't theory, it's lived wisdom from someone who's navigated the messy reality of leading humans through complex times.

Key takeaways:

  • Why traditional resilience approaches miss the mark

  • The six principles of the THRIVE model for sustainable leadership

  • How to maintain performance during uncertainty without burning out your team

  • Building personal and organisational capacity to adapt and grow through challenge

Ideal for:

Mid-level managers, senior leaders navigating change, organisations in transition, anyone feeling the weight of leadership