Speaking & Leadership Talks

The best leadership sessions I’ve attended as a participant, and the ones I try to create as a speaker, leave people with something they can use on Monday morning. Perhaps it is a question they haven’t asked themselves yet or a reframing of a tricky challenge, or a reassurance that they have what it takes to show up for a better world.

That’s what I aim for. Which is why I build every talk around the real, complicated, politically nuanced organizations where most of us actually do our work.

Who Invites Me to Speak

I speak at:

• Leadership conferences and professional association events, particularly in the public sector, not-for-profit, and library sectors
• Internal leadership days, staff conferences, and all-staff events for organizations that want to invest in their people’s development
• College and university classrooms: leadership programs, public administration, nonprofit management, library science
• Community leadership gatherings and civic forums

What I Talk About

My talks centre on courageous leadership: what it actually looks like in the daily decisions, relationships, and pressures of leading organizations, teams, community initiatives, and big ideas. That’s what my work is about but the specific focus of a talk shifts depending on your needs.

Topics I speak on most often are navigating uncertainty with curiosity, slowing down to go farther faster, psychological safety and the real-world workplace, being ethical when surrounded by slippery slopes, wise and healthy practices for building self-awareness, self-management, trust and influence. 

What to Expect

I don’t deliver the same talk twice. Before every event, I learn about your audience: their sector, their current challenges, their level of experience, what they’ve already heard too many times. That information shapes what I say, how I encourage audience interaction, and where I go when the room signals something unexpected.

I don’t speak in safe generalities. Leaders and aspiring leaders don’t need to be protected from honest observations and insights about what makes leadership hard and worthwhile.

I bring myself into the room with my own experiences. My own leadership successes and failures have fed my curiosity and led me to insights about living and leading with the courage of self-awareness, discipline, vulnerability, confidence, trust, humility, joy, and connection with others.

Talks are in-person and run from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, including Q&A and other interactive activities. They can be designed for any size of audience. 

What Clients Say

“I attended a conference session that Babs was facilitating a few years ago, that was different than anything I had ever experienced at a library conference. Another library director who had dragged me to the session, just said ‘told you’. Since then I have kept Babs close and so should you.”

— B., Public Library Director

Booking Information

I’m available for events across Canada. Availability varies by season, so it’s worth reaching out early if you have a specific date in mind.

To explore whether I’m the right fit for your event, I find it most useful to have a short conversation before either of us commits. We’ll talk about your audience, the context, what you’re hoping the session accomplishes, and whether the fit is right. If it isn’t, I’ll say so.

Email [email protected] to start the conversation.

Please include your event date, location, expected audience size, and a brief description of your theme or focus. I’ll respond within a couple of business days.

Also Worth Exploring

• Leadership Team Workshops & Retreats 
• Governance Facilitation 
• One-on-One Coaching