Back to Basics: How Leaders Disrupt Through Simple, Human Communication
15 June | 11 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. ET
We've overcomplicated this.
Leaders today are drowning in advice about how to communicate through change. Master storytelling. Leverage AI. Navigate hybrid teams. Stay authentic while staying on-message. The list is endless—and exhausting. Here's the disruption nobody's talking about: What if the most radical thing leaders could do right now is get back to basics?
As a senior and C-suite leader turned coach and consultant working with executives navigating chaos, I've watched leaders exhaust themselves chasing the next communication trend. Meanwhile, the fundamentals - empathy, authenticity, accountability, simplicity, and influence - sit unused like power tools gathering dust.
This keynote isn't about adding more to your leadership toolkit. It's about stripping away what's not working and rediscovering the core communication principles that actually move people through change. Through stories from boardrooms and communities, from tech giants to grassroots organizations, we'll explore why the basics aren't basic at all — they're revolutionary.
You'll leave with renewed clarity about what matters most when leading through disruption, practical wisdom you can apply with your team Monday morning, and permission to stop doing the performative leadership communication that never worked anyway. Sometimes the most disruptive thing a leader can do is return to what's always been true.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the five fundamental communication principles that enable leaders to move people through disruption effectively and distinguish these from the noise of trends, tools, and performative leadership tactics that undermine trust.
- Articulate how returning to human-centered communication basics serves as a disruptive leadership strategy that builds followership and accelerates change adoption more effectively than complex frameworks or polished corporate messaging.
- Apply at least one "back to basics" communication principle with their team within 48 hours, using a simplified decision-making model that prioritizes genuine human connection over leadership theater.