SPEECHES

“It’s who you are being in the moment that makes you a leader. My father, who was a naval aviator, always said, ‘It’s not about remembering what you learn in flight school, it’s about keeping the plane from crashing.’”

Doug McVadon

Being a Leader: It’s not what you know

How can a leader possibly know what to do in situations that have never happened before? In a crisis, you don’t have time to remember somebody else’s tips for solving somebody else’s problems in some other time.

Knowing about leadership is highly overrated when you need to be a leader now. This talk will introduce you to a radical new approach to being a leader in the moment that it counts, regardless of the circumstances. And you won’t have to remember a thing!

“People are not the problem. The problem is your inability to be with the way people are. People are just people.”

Gary Davis

What’s Wrong With Them and Why Are They So Stupid?

You know “them” — the people who just don’t get it, who block you at every turn, who look at you like you’re speaking Martian, who roll their eyes. And you’re left thinking, What’s wrong with them and why are they so stupid? Maybe we need to find someone else.

Maybe you do. On the other hand, instead of new cast members, maybe you need a new script. This talk leaves you with the possibility of getting what you want without changing the players in the current drama. There’s even the possibility of interrupting the drama entirely, leaving you and your team free to be yourselves, at work on what matters to you.

“Develop yourself to be loving. Choose music, friends and long slow walks – activities that help you rediscover your care and love for your team. From that place, you can lead and even be a tough leader.”

Nancy Dorrier

What’s Love Got to do with It?

(The Business Case for Manners)

There’s being kind, and then there’s being straight. And we sometimes use one as an excuse for not being the other. But is it “kind” to avoid “embarrassing people” by not telling them about the spinach in their teeth? And is it “straight talk” to correct performance in a way that leaves people small and disempowered?

Love makes being kind and straight possible at the same time. We do a disservice to everyone by avoiding love in the form of care in the workplace. You can tell people about the spinach when you care enough about them to override your own embarrassment. You can be straight with people about their performance when you care enough about them to bring courage and compassion to the conversation.

This talk will open your eyes to what’s possible when you lead from your own humanity and lead to the humanity of those around you.

“As a society, we continue to struggle with racism and how to talk about it. In this talk, I hope to shed light on the mechanics of racism from my own life and how I am working to overcome it.”

Gary Davis

From Unconscious Bias to Conscious Compassion

Dorrier Underwood is committed to creating spaces where authentic, courageous conversations can happen. In this talk, Gary comes clean about how racism and bias show up in his own life. By sharing his own story, Gary opens the door to a new dialogue about racism, what can happen when we confront our own biases, and new moves to interrupt old thoughts and belief patterns.

Click here for a .pdf flyer

“What is wellbeing anyway, and what about all those people who are “successful” without paying much attention to it?”

Laura Neff

The Being of Wellbeing

A leader without a strong foundation of wellbeing is like a bridge missing half its bolts. The bridge may hold, but there’s always the risk of collapse, and the impact to those it’s supporting can be significant. So when it comes to our own wellbeing, why are we still “missing bolts,” given everything we know about what to do to be fit, be healthy, and take care of ourselves?

In this talk, Laura explores what’s missing when what we know about cultivating well-being isn’t a match for what’s actually happening in our lives. Listeners will leave having discovered for themselves something vital and fundamental to successfully, sustainably cultivating their own foundation of wellbeing, and with that, the promise of a whole new future.

“Getting to know and love your teammates is not easy, but it’s one of the secret ingredients of success.”

Nancy Dorrier

The Art of Building Teams

Ropes courses and outdoor adventures can be great ways to build teams. But what if you need a faster, less expensive way to make your team gel?

In this talk, you’ll discover how storytelling can create rapport and common ground using nothing more than pen and paper. Laughter and ease bubble up as participants start to see themselves in each other. Different people emerge around you, even though no one has changed seats.

You can take the practices you learn with you and use them in any area of your life.

Share your contact information with us if you would like to receive our newsletter and be notified about upcoming events. When you subscribe, we will send you a copy of Onward, an e-book of essays for leaders, by the Dorrier Underwood Team.

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