Keynotes & Workshops | Leadership Expert

Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM is a globally sought-after keynote speaker, Thinkers50-ranked leadership thinker and recipient of the Thinkers50 Distinguished Leadership Award. She brings a rare combination of real-world leadership experience, academic research and powerful storytelling to audiences around the world.

Across more than three decades of leadership, Kirstin has served as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, led a global consulting firm as CEO, and held board director roles with major organisations including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She is also the author of three award-winning leadership books, including Head & Heart and Blindspotting, which explore how leaders can think, decide and act more effectively in an increasingly complex world.

Today Kirstin speaks to audiences ranging from senior executives and boards to emerging leaders, opening major international conferences and closing leadership summits across multiple

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Leading with Impact : Mastering the art of modern leadership

Keynote (45-60 min)

Leadership today is more complex than ever. Leaders face competing demands, constant change, and rising expectations from the people they lead. In this environment, technical expertise alone is no longer enough.

In this engaging and highly interactive keynote, Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM — a Thinkers50-ranked leadership thinker and recipient of the Thinkers50 Distinguished Leadership Award — explores what modern leadership truly requires: the ability to lead with both head and heart.

Drawing on more than three decades of leadership experience, from serving as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force to leading a global consulting firm as CEO and later serving on major company boards, Kirstin brings a rare combination of real-world leadership experience and rigorous research.

Through insights from her internationally acclaimed book Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership, along with stories, videos and practical examples, Kirstin introduces the eight attributes that define modern leadership.

Participants are invited to reflect on the leadership moments that shape culture and influence — the everyday decisions, behaviours and interactions where leadership truly matters.

Audience members leave with practical insights they can immediately apply to strengthen their leadership impact — at work, in their communities and in their families.

Key takeaways

An understanding of the eight attributes of Head & Heart leadership
Insight into the leadership moments that shape culture and influence
Practical strategies to balance analytical thinking with human insight
Inspiration to recognise that leadership is not defined by titles
A personalised leadership profile through the Head & Heart Leader Scale™
Real-world stories and practical examples from Kirstin’s leadership journey from the military to the boardroom

Workshop (90-120 min)

The workshop builds on the keynote by helping participants apply the Head & Heart leadership framework to real leadership situations through reflection, discussion, and practical exercises. Participants leave the workshop with:

A deeper understanding of the eight Head & Heart leadership attributes and how they show up in everyday leadership situations
Insight into how their own leadership style compares with thousands of other leaders through the Head & Heart Leader Scale™
The opportunity to reflect on real leadership moments from their own experience and identify how they could respond differently in the future
The chance to learn from the collective experience of others in the room through facilitated discussion and shared leadership challenges
Practical ways to apply the Head & Heart framework to real workplace challenges such as decision-making, communication and team leadership

Feedback

“Kirstin draws on decades of leadership, coaching and directorship experience while being warm, fun and relatable”
“One of the best conference speakers I have heard – relevant, engaging and thought provoking”
“Kirstin is an authentic, natural leader who immediately lifts your mood, your confidence and your own personal leadership style through her energy and positivity”
“This session was inspiring - your presentation touched my heart and I had tears several times”

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Leading with Impact : Unlocking the power of Blindspotting

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Keynote (45-60 mins)

The biggest leadership risks are often the ones we don’t see.

Blindspots are the gap between what we think we know and what is really there — and they shape the decisions leaders make every day.

In this engaging keynote, Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM — a Thinkers50-ranked leadership thinker and recipient of the Thinkers50 Distinguished Leadership Award — explores why the most effective leaders are not those who claim certainty, but those who are willing to question what they know.

Drawing on insights from her internationally acclaimed book Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss, along with more than three decades of leadership experience spanning the military, executive leadership and company boards, Kirstin introduces audiences to the concept of Blindspotting — the ability to recognise the limits of our own thinking.

Through compelling stories, research insights and practical examples, she shows how leaders can move from the mindset of “knowers” to “seekers” — leaders who are comfortable with uncertainty, curious about new information and open to rethinking their assumptions.

Participants leave with practical tools to uncover hidden assumptions, improve decision-making, and develop the cognitive flexibility required to lead effectively in an increasingly complex world.

Key takeaways

A clear understanding of why blindspots are particularly challenging in our rapidly changing world
Insight into the difference between “knowers” and “seekers” — and why the most effective leaders adopt a seeker mindset
An understanding of how expertise, assumptions and bias can limit what leaders see
Practical tools to strengthen the three Blindspotting mindsets - Be Honest, Be Curious, Be Flexible
Strategies to improve decision-making, adaptability, and cognitive flexibility
A personalised leadership profile through the Blindspotting Leader Self-Assessment Tool
Real-world leadership lessons drawn from Kirstin’s 30-year leadership career from the military to the boardroom

Workshop (90-120 min)

This interactive workshop builds on the Blindspotting keynote by helping participants apply the Blindspotting framework to real leadership situations. Participants leave the workshop with:

A deeper understanding of the Blindspotting framework and mindsets
The ability to recognise how blindspots appear in everyday leadership decisions
Practical strategies to shift from a “knower” mindset to a “seeker” mindset
Tools for identifying biases, assumptions, and hidden limitations in thinking
Techniques to strengthen the three Blindspotting mindsets
Insight into how their own leadership style compares with thousands of other leaders through the Blindspotting Leader Self-Assessment Tool
Practical methods to improve decision-making in complex and uncertain environments
Strategies for building curiosity and intellectual humility within teams

Feedback

"Kirstin has a warm, natural, open style that lifts the room. Kirstin is highly engaging speaker."
"Kirstin brought such terrific energy - our audience found it uplifting and inspiring and will find many new things to consider in their own leadership.
"Kirstin is a delight to work with, she took the session brief and made it her own as such created a really worthwhile and beneficial session for our delegates.

Speaking with experience

Leading with Impact : Mastering the art of modern leadership

Leading with Impact : Unlocking the power of Blindspotting

Kirstin has worked with some of the world's largest brands

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