If what you want is a keynote that offers certainty and inspiration, don't call me. If you want to think more deeply about leadership and change, why there is #NoSilverBullet for complex organisational challenges and learn what Wile E. Coyote has to do with all this, I'm your man.

My talks do not inspire or drip with ‘thought leadership’, rather they usefully discomfort and entertain. Expect knowing nods and grimaces of recognition. One testimonial is below and more inbound to evidence that shortly in November 2025, and links to on-line events I have run are on my YouTube channel.

The two keynotes I offer at the moment are on The Illusion of Control and What organisations get wrong about change - if you want something else, talk to me.

​

 

The Illusion of Control
Why leaders with complex problems look for Silver Bullet solutions that do not exist

The challenges of leading a modern organisation are considerable. Technology creates uncertainty, complexity is constant, the need to move fast whilst delivering remains, and change is ubiquitous. The temptation when under pressure is to find ways to control, to exert authority and bend reality to your will.

This is an illusion, yet we're addicted to the idea that somewhere, someone has 'The Answer', and there's a whole marketplace pandering to that need for certainty. The cost is considerable - in human and financial terms - and the results frequently disappoint.
Over thirty years, I've seen it all: the seduction of technology, dependency on methodologies, obsession with speed, millions wasted on consultants, the allure of frameworks, and the dopamine hit of inspirational speakers. In this keynote, I slow us down while unpacking what's happening, how we're all colluding in a dysfunctional dance, and introduce the Patron Saint of Silver Bullets.

What you'll get: Provocation, discomfort, the odd knowing laugh, occasional furry mammals, and some alternatives to the addiction.
What you won't get: Silver bullets. They don't exist.

​

​

Change: What organisations get wrong

How vast sums of money are spent for poor returns

The 'change industry' is vast—consultants, gurus, thought leaders, methodology sellers, experts, and whole fields of practice feeding off our need to manage, lead and deliver change. Yet satisfaction is remarkably low:

•    The average organization has undergone five major changes, only 34% successful  
•    50% of leaders admit they're unsure whether recent changes worked 
•    Only 43% of employees believe their organization manages change effectively 

Yet there's an industry making serious money selling solutions with marketing that's remarkably strident in its certainty. Something doesn't stack up.

With thirty years as internal and external consultant, executive coach, and specialist in sharpening change practice, I've face-palmed so often my forehead has a dent.
In this talk, I'll dig beneath the razzle-dazzle to reveal the smoke and mirror tricks. How does so much money get spent on disappointing solutions? Why are organizations so scared of using the people they employ in favour of expensive outsiders?

Building on research from my book No Silver Bullet: Bursting the bubble of the organisational quick fix, I'll prod, illicit the odd knowing look, maybe some discomfort, and share stories that might make you smile at how we tie ourselves in knots over this change thing.

The mindset shift: This isn't about change management or leadership. First and foremost, we need to understand change work.
What to expect: Reality checks, uncomfortable questions, and practical alternatives that don't require consultants.
The goal: Own your change. Make us consultants redundant.

​

Want to talk? Drop me a line at steve@hearsum.com

​