KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Finding the right keynote speaker is vital for the success of your conference because they set the tone for the entire event and can greatly influence the engagement and satisfaction of your attendees.
If you are looking for a keynote speaker to get your event started with a captivating and inspiring address, someone who can energise the audience and set a positive tone for the entire conference, then you need to consider Steve.
With a strong stage presence Steve has been trusted to deliver keynote speeches to a wide range of audiences, bridging the gap between expert knowledge and relatability. Drawing on his depth of knowledge and breadth of experience Steve is renowned for his powerful presentations, clarity of communication, meticulous planning, and tempering striking candour with reassuring compassion.
A well-crafted keynote speech by Steve can captivate and inspire your audience, leaving a lasting impact on their thoughts and actions.
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ADVANCING ORGANISATIONAL EQUITY
Cultivating Equity: Your Role as an Ally in Creating Change
Steve draws on his expertise and experiences to inspire and empower the audience to become effective allies in their organisations and spheres of influence. Through powerful anecdotes, real-life examples, and practical strategies, Steve describes the transformative impact of allyship and offers actionable insights to drive meaningful change. Get ready to be inspired, informed, and equipped to take tangible steps towards becoming a proactive ally in the pursuit of equity and social justice, leveraging your influence and privilege.
Targeted Universalism: Moving Beyond ‘Whataboutism’ to Create Equity
In this powerful exploration of equity in action, Steve tackles the pervasive challenge of ‘whataboutism’ that often derails productive conversations about inclusion and belonging. Drawing on his unique perspective as someone with dual ethnicity, Steve presents targeted universalism as a transformative framework that establishes universal goals while acknowledging the different paths needed to reach them. Through compelling storytelling and evidence-based approaches, he addresses common resistance points: concerns about reverse discrimination, questions about group-specific focus, fears of divisiveness, and limitations of colourblind approaches.
The Business Case for Inclusion: Defending DEI in Challenging Times
Steve authentically shares his experiences growing up as a dual-ethnicity child while presenting the evidence-based case for DEI as a driver of innovation, financial performance, and talent retention. In an era of increasing pushback against inclusion initiatives, this keynote provides a strategic roadmap for reframing DEI conversations from compliance to competitive advantage, from isolated programs to cultural transformation. Drawing on his extensive background in mental health advocacy and anti-racism work, Steve offers practical communication strategies that build bridges rather than walls when DEI is challenged. Through powerful case studies and actionable insights, audiences gain the confidence and tools to defend inclusion efforts, culminating in “Five Commitments for Inclusive Leaders” that empower attendees to create lasting change in their organisations and communities.
LEADING IN CHALLENGING TIMES
Mastering the Balancing Act: What life with Bipolar Disorder taught me about leading in a turbulent world
Discover the profound journey of Steve, as he shares compelling insights from his personal experience with bipolar disorder and resilient leadership. Steve authentically shares the challenges he has faced and the invaluable lessons learned, offering practical strategies for leading effectively in a rapidly changing world. His compelling narrative and authentic approach resonate deeply, bridging the emotional and practical aspects of leadership in turbulent times. Book Steve Gilbert OBE as your keynote speaker to engage and inspire your audience, leaving them equipped with tangible takeaways to navigate challenges, foster empathetic leadership, and drive meaningful change in their professional and personal endeavours.
Navigating the VUCA-BANI World: Leadership in an Era of Profound Change
This compelling keynote draws on Steve’s unique insights from of building his career whilst managing bipolar disorder to illuminate leadership strategies in our increasingly volatile world. Steve masterfully bridges personal resilience tactics with organisational approaches, offering a powerful framework for understanding both traditional VUCA challenges and the emerging BANI paradigm that better captures our post-pandemic reality. Through authentic storytelling and evidence-based strategies, Steve guides leaders through building resilient systems, cultivating psychological safety, embracing diversity of thought, and developing adaptive leadership capabilities. Audiences leave equipped with “The Three Commitments” - specific leadership practices they can implement immediately to transform uncertainty into opportunity and create organisations that bend without breaking in turbulent times.
Understanding Organisational Dynamics
The Systems-Psychodynamic Consultant: Navigating the Unconscious Organisation
This insightful keynote unlocks the hidden dynamics that shape organisational behaviour, revealing how unconscious processes drive seemingly irrational decisions and resistance to change. Steve expertly guides audiences through understanding organisations as emotional systems, drawing parallels between his personal journey navigating psychological challenges and the system-psychodynamic consultant’s role in making the invisible visible within complex organisations. With compelling case studies and practical frameworks, Steve illuminates the modern consultant’s multifaceted responsibilities: containing anxiety, decoding hidden patterns, building bridges across boundaries, and accompanying leaders through uncertainty. His authentic approach to addressing both technical solutions and adaptive challenges offers a refreshing perspective on facilitating genuine transformation rather than imposing quick fixes. The session culminates in “The Reflective Consultant” practices that combine technical expertise with emotional intelligence, leaving attendees better equipped to navigate both conscious and unconscious organisational dynamics with confidence and compassion.
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