That’s why we bring these voices together as speakers on Common Purpose programmes. By sharing their personal and professional leadership stories and insights, our speakers help our participants understand how to navigate complexity with clarity, act with integrity and drive meaningful change.
Our Speakers
Speakers who give their time to Common Purpose are genuinely representative – from global brands to sole traders to unsung community leaders. Each is committed to sharing their insights on good leadership and their perspectives on addressing pressing social challenges.
Our speakers are not just experts in leadership development – many will openly share their lived experiences of being at the forefront of social innovation and community engagement. They bring invaluable insights from their work across different regions and sectors, providing fresh perspectives that challenge conventional thinking and inspire real-world action.
Australia
Leadership Insight: A key to my success as a high-performance leader and athlete is mastering 'energy management' — optimizing energy for peak performance. I schedule daily self-reflection sessions, or 'meetings with myself,' to focus on well-being and rejuvenate my energy levels.
United Kingdom
Leadership Insight: Always be a 'learner,' and guard against becoming 'learned'.
India
Leadership Insight: I built Parikrma on the foundation of deep compassion—something I embedded into the very culture of the organization. Compassion became the core of the Parikrma Way, transforming lives across 95 urban slums through holistic education and community development.
Ireland
Leadership Insight: At Spéire Nua, we don’t see leadership as something that sits at the top of a pyramid. For me, it’s about holding space - being a host, not a hero. We try to create an environment where people feel safe to be themselves, share their stories, and support each other. We're not here to rescue anyone or have all the answers. Instead, our job is to listen, encourage, and help others find their own way forward. Real change happens when we walk alongside each other, not when someone stands out in front. That’s the kind of leadership we believe in, and it’s at the heart of everything we do.
United Kingdom
Leadership Insight: Leadership to me is about creating the right conditions for people to thrive. To be vulnerable is to be courageous as a leader.
United Kingdom
Leadership Insight: Throughout my career, I've often felt like an imposter. However, embracing 'imposter syndrome' has become a superpower. It encourages fresh perspectives, challenges norms, promotes broader thinking, and fosters connections beyond silos. It also reminds me of the power of diversity and inclusion.
Singapore
Leadership Insight: Being self-aware and listening deeply so you can help others find their superpower is a very helpful skill to build as a leader. It allows you to create teams where everyone’s strengths are amplified and complemented to create impact. This creates an environment where everyone thrives and feels appreciated.
South Africa
Leadership Insight: A good leader provides direction to the team and always shows up during challenging times.
USA
Leadership Insight: As a leader, I focus on generating community wealth and amplifying local culture through shared pride, power, and investment. I believe in attracting and coordinating investment through community convening and collaborative partnerships that increase local ownership and prosperity.
Vietnam
Leadership Insight: Working across cultures has taught me that leadership is about creating an enabling environment, especially for the marginalized voices, to speak and be heard. True leadership is collaborative, grounded in humility, curiosity, and respect for diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Sustainable change begins only when we lead with inclusion and translate values into practical action.
Defining attributes of our speakers
Leadership Excellence
Our speakers are exemplars of good leadership. They are individuals who have demonstrated exceptional ability to lead with integrity, empathy, and vision. Whether as a speaker in a large or small group setting, or even hosting our participants at their place of work, they impart essential leadership skills and principles that empower others to lead effectively and ethically.
Social impact
At the heart of our programmes is a commitment to social good. Our speakers are dedicated to addressing societal issues such as inequality, environmental sustainability, and social justice. They share success stories, strategies, and innovative solutions that have led to meaningful change in communities around the world.
Cross-Boundary Collaboration
Reflecting Common Purpose’s ethos, our speakers emphasize the importance of collaboration across diverse boundaries. They advocate for and exemplify the power of working together beyond cultural, institutional and social divides. This approach fosters a richer exchange of ideas and promotes unity in tackling global challenges.
Giving your time as a speaker on a Common Purpose programme can look very different.
You might provide a "classic" keynote for an entire group, or be part of a panel. Equally you might host a small group of participants, bringing your story to life by letting them experience your place of work or community. Or you might be engaging with smaller groups at one of our venues in more of a round table format. You might even host a group of students for several weeks as they explore a project through your organization.
But why do our speakers not only give their time to Common Purpose, but often come back again to give even more? And why should you consider doing the same? Because by doing so you could:
You will certainly be inspiring, educating and equipping people with the tools and perspectives needed to address the world's most pressing social challenges.
As part of our ongoing commitment to social purpose and impact, and in recognition of the contribution of our fantastic speakers, we’re proud to share that we’ve partnered with Just One Tree to plant a tree on behalf of every person who speaks on our programmes each year. In 2025 that was 1,000 trees for the 1,000 people who supported our work!
Speaking on a Common Purpose programme doesn’t just allow you to share your expertise and showcase your work—it also brings new depth and insight, enriching your understanding through meaningful exchanges.
Let us know here
Tell us briefly what you’d like to talk about — e.g. a key insight from your industry experience, a leadership lesson, a challenge you’ve overcome, key developments in your sector etc.
Common Purpose is the data controller for the purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018.
Except in connection with the activities described in the Privacy and Data Protection Policy or where required to do so by law, we will not disclose your data to third parties without your consent. Common Purpose takes all reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your data. If you have queries relating to the use of your data, please email info@commonpurpose.org
We value diversity on our programmes and positively encourage applications from all sections of the community.
By pressing the 'submit' button, you are agreeing to our data privacy terms
Sign up to receive updates about our programmes, events, and insights to help you grow as a leader.
