Deborah Rowland

Founder of Still Moving, Author and Anthropologist

Deborah brings a unique combination of experience, insight and research to the leadership of change. She has personally led change in major global organizations including Shell, Gucci Group, BBC Worldwide and PepsiCo. Deborah has held both Group HR and VP of Organizational & Management Development roles. Therefore, Deborah’s talks on leadership, change and wellness always leave a lasting impression.

“Is public speaking a profession or a gift? I am convinced it is both after I witnessed Deborah speaking at our annual top 250 leadership conference.” Group CEO, Dax 30 company

Contact us today to inquire about Deborah’s availability.

Biography

Deborah founded and grew a consulting firm that pioneered research in the field. She has a double first in archaeology and anthropology from Cambridge University, which continues to inform her work. She is the co-author of Sustaining Change: Leadership That Works (Wiley, 2008). In addition, Deborahis the author of Still Moving: How to Lead Mindful Change (Wiley Blackwell 2017), based on groundbreaking research into the realities of leading change.

Deborah’s personal experience is persuasive and powerful for audiences. Her insights are drawn from her academic research and writing; her consulting to boards and top teams around the world; and the trials and tribulations of having personally led change in executive roles in multinational organizations. Rigour plus relevance spiced with practical war stories from 30 years in the field.

In addition, as a speaker, Deborah brings her whole self. The combination of her sharp mind, her deep interest in your context, and her cornucopia of personal stories about how to lead change well is hugely appealing to a wide range of audiences where leading change is a crucial issue.

She creates collective audience engagement with the subject, recognizing that big change only happens in groups, not through a collection of individuals.

Deborah’s approach to speaking is highly interactive and customized for each and every audience. She spends time getting to know the situation and needs of all her speaking clients – before and during the event. In other words, she truly engages with audiences. Don’t expect a long lecture full of slides.

Deborah’s take on leading change challenges conventional wisdom. Her research reveals the problematic nature of ‘managing’ change in a directive top down programmatic way. In addition, she focuses on the greater ease and success that can be brought with a more ‘emergent’ approach to change. The reality is that in a deeply interconnected world, simple and partial solutions just don’t work.  Paradoxically, systems have to change, while change starts with the self.  Mindfulness has key role in being a great change leader.

Topics

You may want to go deeper into a topic for your audience. The keynote topics can be tailored and developed to suit your audience needs, be it a 90-minute Masterclass, a half-day or full-day workshop or a full online or face-to-face programme. Please contact one of our expert team to discuss.

• Leading Change: what makes the difference between successful and less successful change in today’s dynamic and uncertain world? Insights into the nature of change in today’s world and the choice of change approach most suited for your context, and, the key leadership skills required to take people through uncertainty and disruption; how to make true change more effort-less! ‘action versus movement’

• The Inner Game of Leadership – the power of personal presence: how a capacity for greater mindfulness and systemic wisdom is the source of all great leadership; insights into the four key inner capacities Deborah’s research found are essential to personal well-being and creativity in change, and, how leaders can practically cultivate these capacities and bring them into business; ‘being before doing’

• Emergence and Agility: research-based compelling illustration about how to implement ongoing change and innovation in your teams and organisation, putting aside traditional top-down, linear programmatic methods and unleashing the power of creativity in the hot spots where change is most needed; creating the conditions for emergence and empowerment

Videos

Resources

Books

Sustaining Change by Deborah Rowland

Still Moving by Deborah Rowland

Testimonials

“Deborah Rowland was a fabulous speaker at the ICEDR Talent Program in London. The insights and lessons she shared were so impressive and valuable. Deborah is a strategic thinker and I loved the way she framed her insights. I would highly recommend Deborah as a speaker.” Managing Director, Global Leadership Institute

“An excellent, authentic and thoughtful speaker: Deborah provides an intelligent analysis of key issues around transformational leadership and change management in stark contrast to rather more ‘trite’ presentations on these topics.”  Professor of Strategy & Innovation – University

“Deborah Rowland underpins a powerful, engaging and evocative presentation style with a solid background in research and hands on experience of change management at a very senior level in large organisations. Her authenticity as a leader is clear.” Chief Executive and Medical Director

“Is public speaking a profession or a gift? I am convinced it is both after I witnessed Deborah speaking at our annual top 250 leadership conference.” Group CEO, Dax 30 company

“Deborah is an insightful and inspiringly authentic presenter who brought light and heart to what can be a topic that we walk past as leaders, the internal work. I hope we cross paths again.” Director Business Capability

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