That People Thing

Blaire Palmer – Future of Leadership Expert

Blaire Palmer is the authority on disrupting the future of leadership, and wants to help you lead the workplace reformation. She brings more than two decades of experience in coaching boards and senior leaders to provoke everyone to think more critically about the idea of work and leadership itself.

As an expert keynote speaker, Blaire uses her bold and provocative perspective to bust myths about what it means to lead and to educate today’s leaders on how they can truly inspire their teams to step up and take on the challenges of operating in constantly changing times. Blaire leaves her audiences feeling stimulated by fresh ideas and empowered to rethink their approach to work.

Blaire spent a decade as one of the youngest female producers in the fast-paced environment of BBC’s Today programme, over which time she became increasingly fascinated by the idea of leadership. This led her to take the leap from this safe and respected job to train as one of Europe’s first corporate coaches and start her own company to spread her refreshing ideas about leadership and how businesses need to evolve for the new century. Over the last 25 years she has worked with a wide variety of multinational corporations and organisations such as Mattel, Airbus, Roche Pharmaceuticals, GSK, the FA, Havas Lynx, DX, Travis Perkins, the BBC and Rexel.

BLAIRE'S KEYNOTES

Punks in Suits - How to lead the workplace reformation
A Brilliant Gamble - Busting the myths of change
Seeking Expansiveness - Embracing Individuality

Punks in suits - How to lead the workplace reformation

How on earth do we lead in this radiply changing world of work? In such a competitive, fast-changing environment, you need everyone in your business to be able to do their best work, to step up and become leaders...and yet the rules of work seem to have changed - Gen Zs in the workplace, cost of living, mental health, geo-political unrest, climate crisis, the demand for more inclusivity, change fatigue and, of course, the coming of AI which will transform the world - inevitably audiences of leaders are asking "How do you lead in times like these?"

In this keynote Blaire busts Industrial Age myths about leadership that prevent us bringing out the very best in the people we employ. She presents an alternative model focused on authentic human connection, trust, radical collaboration, diversity and creativity, driven by a sense of shared purpose.

Audiences discover -

The differences between their role as a manager and their role as a leader...and discover what a leader really does with their time
How old truths - things like "I'm supposed to know the right thing to do", "I wouldn't expect anyone else to work the hours I work", "My job is to protect my team" and much more - influence their behaviour day-to-day
Identify the limits they put on their willingness to trust and how to empower others (Tip: People can only be as empowered as your willingness to give away power!)

This is an entertaining, provocative, energising keynote for leaders who want to put people at the heart of the business. Audiences leave with practical tips and confidence that they can do something different, and get different results, straight away.

Sample outline: Heineken - Busting the Myths of Leadership

At Heineken’s flagship annual event, Blaire was invited to speak about how leaders can drive meaningful change. The session aimed to inspire Corporate Affairs leaders globally to embrace leadership styles that foster collaboration and purpose.

A hybrid keynote combined inspirational content with participative small-group exercises. Delegates worked through "spark questions" to explore leadership myths and evolving employee expectations. Blaire facilitated group discussions to surface key insights, which were then shared with the wider audience during a Q&A session.

Hybrid Keynote-Workshop: Blaire merged a traditional keynote with hands-on group exercises, fostering deeper engagement.

Leadership Myths Debunked: Blaire challenged conventional leadership ideas, encouraging delegates to rethink their roles in driving change.

Practical Application: The session balanced inspiration with concrete strategies for immediate implementation.

Key Takeaways:

1. Leadership is about generating and giving trust, not just holding a title.

2. Seeing things from others’ perspectives ("standing on someone else’s mountain") reveals new solutions.

3. Purpose drives long-term impact more than short-term wins

Contact diana@behindthemic.co.uk to book Blaire for your next leadership conference.

"Blaire's fascination with leadership and change shone through and she presented our audience with an array of real, take-home advice that resonated with everyone in the room". Luke Nichols, Editor EDIE.Net, Sponsor of Sustainability Live

Punks in suits - How to lead the workplace reformation

A Brilliant Gamble - Busting the myths of change

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We know by now that change is a constant. But the rules of change are also changing. The conventional wisdom was that, to bring about change, the best leaders create followers. Then they paint a picture of a glorious destination, explain WHY this is the best or only option and, once everyone 'gets it' change occurs. If it doesn't it's either a communication problem - people didn't understand - or they did understand but people are resistant to change and are too afraid to take the leap. Leaders are left frustrated, asking "How many times do we have to tell them before they overcome their innate fear of change and buy-in to the plan?".

But what if none of that is true?

In this keynote, Blaire explains how conventional wisdom about change leads to frustration, organisational tension, disengagement and low levels of trust. In a world where we don't trust authority figures (and with good reason), where Gen Z employees will not turn a blind eye to unethical or intolerant behaviour, where change fatigue set in many months or years ago and where you are rarely in the same room as the people you work with, Blaire explain's how to create an environment where people become enthusiasts for change, taking responsibility for it themselves and acting as if the business was their own.

Change starts at the top - an organisation can only be as sophisticated as its leaders. So it's time to place your bets - are you going to stick with the way you've always 'done change'? Or are you going to try something new?

Audiences discover –

Why you don't have a 'communication problem', you 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)
The limits that we unwittingly put on our willingness to trust and the urgent need to create trust between all levels in the organisation
What stops people stepping up and taking ownership (even though you mean it when you say "My door is always open") and how to create an energising, empowering culture where people not only embrace change but lead it themselves

This is an entertaining, provocative, energising keynote for leaders and their teams. Audiences leave with practical actions they can immediately take away and feeling reinvigorated about change themselves.

Sample outline: Intellectual Property Office - Leading Through Change

The IPO leadership team, facing continual change, engaged Blaire for a half-day session on navigating transformation. Blaire co-designed the session with IPO's Design Working Group to address their unique needs. The half-day event included keynote elements and interactive activities, encouraging full participation from the 200 attendees. Delegates engaged in breakout sessions and whole-group exercises focused on understanding the change process through the lens of The Hero’s Journey.

Physical, Experiential Learning: Delegates used the room to visually represent where they and their teams were on the journey of change.

Breaking Down Change Myths: Blaire introduced unconventional approaches to managing change, sparking open dialogue.

Tailored Co-Design: The session was customised.

Key Takeaways:

1. Change is a journey with stages - Leaders need to know where they and their teams are.

2. Supporting teams through change means providing reliable information and flattening hierarchical structures.

3. Leaders don’t have all the answers; their role is to facilitate problem-solving

Contact Diana Stoney diana@behindthemic.co.uk to book Blaire for your next leadership conference.

"There was a great sense of collaboration at our Top 100 Leaders meeting today and that was, in no small way, down to the thought-provoking messages and enthusiasm that Blaire brought to the event. Just what we needed." Petar Cvetkovic, Chief Executive, DX Group

A Brilliant Gamble - Busting the myths of change

Seeking Expansiveness - Embracing Individuality

Inclusion, diversity and equity have never been so contentious.

Around the world leaders are grappling with the controversy around programmes that fund DEI initiatives, the meaning behind the language of belonging and allyship and the success, or otherwise, of such programmes to attain meaningful outcomes.

At the same time, the evidence is clear - when people can bring their whole selves, their diverse experiences, perspectives, ways of thinking and access to different communities of consumers, to their work the business is the richer for it. People do not believe businesses are going far enough to address their concerns around discrimination while the percentage of people who fear being discriminated against on the basis of age, ethnicity, income level, gender, disability and neuro-type increases.

Audiences discover:

How to be more imaginative and more open-minded to the changing demands of employees
The benefits of a diverse and engaged workforce
New trends in perceptions of discrimination, grievance and trust
How to lead at a time of increasing delicacy when it comes to the topic of DEI

This session helps audiences embrace their own uniqueness and consider how to liberate the talent of ALL their people.

Sample outline: ServiceNow - Employee Experience for All

ServiceNow invited Blaire to facilitate a VIP round-table discussion on employee experience trends and challenges in a changing work environment. Covering diversity and belonging, Gen Zs, retention, an inclusive culture, hybrid and remote working models and employee wellbeing during times of unprecedented change, the intimate event aimed to foster honest dialogue about the role of HR. Held over a private lunch, this round-table format allowed for in-depth discussions amongst HR leaders. Blaire began with insights from her book Punks in Suits and facilitated a group discussion, encouraging participants to share their challenges and ideas.

Round-table Discussion: Blaire created a relaxed yet structured environment for senior leaders to discuss employee expectations and new work paradigms.

Challenging Traditional HR Practices: The session questioned conventional approaches to employee engagement and retention, offering new ideas for navigating the future of a far more inclusive workplace.

Peer-to-Peer Learning: Participants shared insights across sectors, learning from each other's experiences.

Key Takeaways:

1. Old methods of employee engagement are losing their impact—organizations must align actions with values.

2. HR teams should create humane environments that value people beyond productivity.

3. Generational shifts provide opportunities for mutual learning and growth within organizations.

Seeking Expansiveness - Embracing Individuality

To book Blaire for your conference or event, please contact your preferred speaker bureau.