Holly Ransom

Navigating the digital age has thrown many leaders into free fall.. As humans, we can no longer win on intellect, speed, systems, or control.

In the rapidly evolving digital age, leadership is at a crossroads. While technological advancements reshape industries, the workforce yearns for more than just a paycheck. Authenticity, empathy, purpose, and flexibility have become the new currency of fulfillment in work and the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2027, these ‘human’ skills will be paramount.

But how can leaders navigate this intersection, acknowledging and nurturing the essence of humanity amidst algorithms and innovations?

In ‘Humanising Leadership in the Digital Age,’ Holly reveals game-changing strategies to effortlessly blend social and emotional intelligence (EQ) – the very essence of our humanity – into your leadership DNA. With a knack for distilling intricate academic research on the human experience, Holly seamlessly connects theory to tangible leadership impact. Everyone will walk away armed with actionable skills, ready to elevate their leadership journey in the fast-paced, real-world arena.

Key takeaways:

• Uncover core practices you can embed into your organisational culture that can help bring authentic, human leadership to the fore.
• Gain actionable insights on applying emotional intelligence (EQ) principles in real-world leadership scenarios.
• Dive into practical strategies for navigating the emotional load of modern leadership.
• Redefine your approach to time management, with a focus on optimising energy and mindset over mere hours on the clock.
• Explore how to effectively navigate the challenges of leading in a remote or hybrid work environment with empathy and inclusivity.

In a 2023 survey of 300 executives, an overwhelming 99% acknowledged the crucial role of a robust culture in achieving business goals such as growth and revenue. Yet, only 58% deemed their own culture highly successful.

Closing the culture gap means deliberately building an organisational culture anchored in robust systems, streamlined processes, shared values, and ingrained behaviours. Intentional culture-building empowers your organisation to thrive consistently, even as personnel change and new challenges arise.

Drawing on her experience working with some of the world’s highest-performing cultures across sport, arts and business, Holly breaks down the essence of high-performance cultures into pragmatic building blocks that every team can step up to.

Key takeaways:

• Program in the key mindsets, methods, and systems that fuel high-performing cultures.
• Learn how to embrace your pivotal role as a ‘culture captain,’ driving positive change within your team and organisation.
• Learn the ropes of being a force multiplier for cultural fitness.
• Gain inspiration and practical wisdom from tangible examples and best practices across diverse high-performing cultures, offering actionable insights for transformative leadership.

You’ve heard the adage that there is no growth in your comfort zone – it’s true, by its very definition learning requires us to venture into the ‘new’ and tangle with the unknown. But it’s also a perfect example of a phrase that’s easier said than done.

Staying within familiar boundaries may offer a sense of security, but it also limits creativity and stifles adaptability. Research consistently underscores this point, demonstrating that the act of stepping out of our comfort zones triggers a significant boost in performance. This intentional discomfort acts as a catalyst, compelling us to explore uncharted territories and continuously expand our capabilities.

For leaders, this dynamic process is a strategic approach to enhancing both individual growth and overall leadership effectiveness in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Drawing from her own extraordinary ‘Year of Fear,’ where she confronted fears daily, and leveraging insights from guiding countless leaders through the process since, Holly not only shares her personal insights but also introduces a proven methodology. A tried-and-true approach to help you venture out of your comfort zone and build your ‘courage zone’ muscle.

Get ready to redefine your limits and embark on a transformative adventure into the heart of courage.

Key takeaways:

• Understand how embracing discomfort positions you as a dynamic and agile leader in an ever-evolving landscape.
• Learn how to systematically build your courage muscle, enabling you to face challenges with resilience and fortitude.
• Unlock the barriers hindering your next-stage growth and develop a practical plan to overcome them systematically.
• Explore leadership strategies that inspire team members to venture out of their comfort zones, fostering collective growth.

Strategy sets the direction. People drive the outcome.

Change isn’t slowing down — but the way we lead it must catch up.

Despite billions invested in transformation—and with every change journey consuming 10–15% of project spend—more than 70% of change efforts fail, leaving behind fatigued teams, wasted resources, and mounting cynicism.

The issue isn’t strategy—it’s execution at the human level. Change falters when trust is thin, ownership is low, and people feel like passengers rather than drivers.

The solution? Rethink transformation as a human performance strategy. McKinsey research shows organisations that engage 21–30% of employees in transformation roles achieve the highest shareholder returns—yet most involve just 2%.

In this keynote, Holly Ransom delivers a modern blueprint for making transformation stick by activating the one resource most leaders overlook: people who believe they matter to the mission.

Rooted in behavioural science and real-world impact, Holly’s Three Pillars of High-Precision Change equips leaders to:

• Energise through ownership – Tap collective intelligence with strategic co-creation from the outset.
• Accelerate through trust – Anticipate resistance and adapt fast using tools like pre-mortems and rapid redesign.
• Empower through recognition – Reinforce the everyday leadership it takes to question, challenge, and move forward through uncertainty.

In a world moving this fast, strategy alone won’t save you. The organisations that outperform will be the ones where people aren’t just compliant — they’re committed. This is the keynote that shows you how to make that happen.

When CEOs are asked what keeps them up at night, it’s rarely technology or competition.

It’s this: “How do I get my people to perform at their absolute best?”

It’s a question worth $300 billion when you consider the global spend on performance improvement initiatives. Yet despite this massive investment, high-performing teams remain the outliers. In fact, one study found just 30% of workplace teams are considered truly high-performing.

That’s because most organisations focus on systems and outputs—while elite teams focus on what truly drives results. They’ve cracked the code on making the right things matter—consistently, culturally, and under pressure. And above all, they’ve figured out how to make their people matter.

In this high-performance keynote, Holly Ransom takes audiences inside the playbooks of elite teams—from NASA to the All Blacks, British Rowing, and Pixar. Backed by behavioral science and real-world application, she introduces her High-Precision Performance Framework™—a practical model to help leaders engineer clarity, consistency, and self-sustaining excellence in their own teams.

You’ll learn The Three Pillars of High-Precision Performance:

• Sharpen what you measure – Focus on the few metrics that drive 80% of impact, and create fast feedback loops that turn insight into action.
• Systemise how you perform under pressure – Embed repeatable routines that fuel consistency, resilience, and recovery—especially when the stakes are high.
• Scale performance through culture – Hardwire high standards into team rituals and environments, so excellence spreads and sustains over time.

When your people know what matters most and feel they matter to the mission, you don’t just get better performance—you unlock the kind of breakthrough results that redefine what’s possible.