Blaire Palmer

How on earth do we lead in this new world of work? Well, it starts by rejecting conventional wisdom about leadership…the rules of work that evolved in the 19th and 20th Century and focusing instead on the power of authentic human connection, trust and the wisdom of the people you hired.

To do that, leaders need to change the way they see themselves and the role they play in the business and empower their people to be great. In this keynote I present my practical yet powerful guide to becoming the leader your people need you to be. Lively, funny and thought-provoking, I leave audiences feeling confident to try something new.

Audiences discover:

• The differences between management and leadership…and how a leader really ought to spend their time.
• How Victorian values are unwittingly influencing their day to day behaviour and suffocating the talent of their people.
• The subtle limits they put on their willingness to trust and how that make empowerment impossible (Tip: People can only be as empowered as your willingness to give away power!).
• How minor changes in their words and behaviours can break down siloes and bring about radical collaboration.
• What true diversity looks like and the practical changes they can make to create a more equitable, inclusive and outcomes-driven culture.

The rules of change are changing. It’s not about selling people on ‘The Why’ anymore. Now they need to feel THEY are leading the change. In this keynote, I explain how to create passionate enthusiasts for change throughout your organisation.

Audiences discover:

• How changes in the wider world – social, political, cultural and technological – are changing the way we need to lead if we want real change.
• Why they don’t have a ‘communication problem’, they 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).
• What stops employees stepping up and taking ownership even though leaders mean it when they say “My door is always open”
• That there are no right answers. But the relentless pursuit of the ‘right answer is keeping the organisation stuck in the slow lane, turning bold ideas in to bland ones, and stopping people telling them about their best ideas
• How silos, endless meetings and busy-work suffocate creativity and how to make collaboration the default.

How do you lead a business when your industry is being disrupted, when your people expect to find meaning and purpose in their work and when the customer wants either a one-click relationship with you or wants a bond so close that they will re-tweet your tweets? In this thought-provoking, funny and practical keynote, Blaire exposes 4 of the most out-dated myths of leadership, myths that are inhibiting the success of your organisation in the market and shares her latest predictions about how leadership will look as we progress through the 21st Century.

In an age when Gen Y employees are looking for work that makes the planet a better place, where technology both enables and inhibits our ability to get stuff done and where your customers have a megaphone (and they’re not afraid to use it) it isn’t enough for your staff to simply turn up every day. They need to bring their hearts and minds to the challenge of making your company successful. But there are everyday behaviours in your business that are killing the passion of your people. How do you find your mojo again, so you can help them find theirs?

Known for combining warmth and charm with a no nonsense, straight talking style, she inspires audiences and leadership teams alike with her fresh ideas. Forget everything you thought leadership was about. Put all the books down! Ignore the wise words your first boss told you a million years ago. The world has changed and none of it matters now. Blaire speaks with authority and empathy, based both on her extensive business experience and her training as a coach. Her presentations are full of energy and enthusiasm.