95%
of organisations say sustainability is critical to business success
(GlobeScan 2024)
25%
allocate sufficient resources to actually back that commitment
(GlobeScan 2024)
2%
actually reach all their sustainability goals
(Bain & Company 2016)
The intent is there.
The results aren't (yet).
Nearly every organisation sees the potential. Very few actually unlock it.
The gap isn't in strategy, technology, or market conditions. It shows up in how leaders make decisions under pressure, long before any initiative reaches the point of implementation.
Organisations that close this gap perform differently across the board.
They grow 16% faster, report twice the cost reductions, and are 52% more profitable than industry peers.
(IBM Institute for Business Value 2024)
A Glimpse Inside
Stories land differently when you can see them.
Some slides from the talk.
What You'll Take Away
Momentum and Clarity
for a leadership challenge that most organisations are getting wrong.
Good intentions aren't enough
Almost every organisation means to make sustainability stick. But somewhere between commitment and reality, the energy quietly disappears. You'll leave knowing exactly where that happens, and why.
Friction isn't the enemy
Competing priorities, uncertainty, pushback: most leaders try to smooth these over. This keynote reframes them as the moments where real leadership happens.
What high-performing organisations actually do differently
About 40% of the difference in growth and profitability comes down to leadership quality. Not strategy. Not market conditions.
Why sustainability needs more than a sustainability officer
They can set the agenda. But whether transformation actually lands depends on leadership quality across the whole organisation, at every level, every day.
Designed to fit your programme, not the other way around.
Audience
Leadership teams, HR & sustainability officers
For organisations that want to think about leadership quality and sustainable transformation together.
Duration
30 min talk + Q&A
Fits most conference formats as is. For leadership days or offsite programmes, the talk can be extended or followed by a hands-on workshop.
Works well as
Conferences, offsites and strategy workshops
Leadership conferences, executive offsites, industry events, and association gatherings across Europe and online.
Barbara Ormsby
Organisational Psychologist · Leadership Expert· Speaker
Barbara works with executive teams navigating complexity, high-pressure decisions and sustainable transformation. Her keynotes draw on what she knows from both sides of the table: 25+ years coaching leaders – and years spent as part of an executive team herself.
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Professional keynote speaker training, Swiss Academy
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International conference speaker and in-house keynote experience across Europe
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Executive coaching, team coaching and organisational change
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Online and in person