Selection of Keynote Addresses
Discomfort Seeking & Professional Grade Curiosity
This talk confronts the dangers of comfort and uncovers the value of discomfort in the pursuit of progress. It uncovers ‘The Uncertainty Advantage’ as a cultural practice, not just as a skill. It demonstrates the ‘The Art of being Uncomfortable’ as a tool for boundary breaking. It showcases examples of what discomfort has produced through-out history and challenges us to seek and own the discomfort around us, within society, various industries etc. in order to grow and learn at the speed of change. It also touches on the business case for curiosity and the impacts of ‘Benjamin buttoning’ our approach to strategy and innovation.
Time is such a complex currency – how is it that we work longer hours, when we have more automation and technology and are moving faster than we have ever moved in human history and still, there never seems to be enough time?
This talk looks at the concept of time as an uncontrollable currency in today’s world and explores the appreciation of its value. It flips time management on its head and helps the audience to partake in an audit of their time to discover where their time gets lost, stuck or stalled. It brings our relationship with time to life in a remarkable way and proactively challenges us to use and see it differently.
More Human than Ever: Connecting in Chaos
In the face of the sharpest rate of change the world has ever seen, our ability to lead relies on our ability to learn. Technological shifts alone are rewiring society and transforming the landscape of industries and individuals, creating a whole new era of innovation and connection. In this hyper-reality of ‘Connecting in The Chaos’, prioritising humanity has become one of the most compelling competitive advantages any business has. In this talk, we explore examples from all over the world and discuss what it takes to lead in the 5th Industrial Revolution.
Innovation is a DNA, not a department. Innovation is often over-promised and under-delivered, buried under all the busy.
This talk unpacks innovation in a provocative and practical way. We interrogate the calibre of the questions we ask , the insights we mine and the effort we are willing to invest, by looking at the different pathways to innovation and examples from all over the world. We challenge not only the degree of innovation, but the DNA of it.
From a local perspective, this talk addresses the great need for an innovation revolution in Africa (This can be removed and re-engineered for clients who prefer a global perspective)
“The universe is made by stories, not atoms.” – Muriel Rukeyzer, ‘The speed of darkness.’
Stories have been the universal mode of connection for well over 100 000 years and continues to be the base of absolutely everything. This keynote address explores this notion and looks at both the history of storytelling and the future of it.
Storytelling is an infinite art and a value creation weapon. Here, we unpack the value of stories as a strategic imperative for business and initiates a challenge for us to be authors rather than editors.
Legacy in the age of precarity
We have to pay attention while we can afford to. Every norm used to be considered farfetched before it wasn’t. Those who climb into a problem long enough to wonder are the ones who stretch the fabric of society. What do you allow yourself to wonder about?
The world we are making is remaking us. This talk explores insights, trends and shifts in human behaviour that are shaping and re-shaping the future, as we make it. We look at initiatives and projects from all over the world, as examples of constant shifts. We dive into basic constructs and the layers within them, such as time, money, food and freedom.