Speaking & Events
Through keynotes, workshops and leadership events, I help organisations strengthen leadership capability, improve retention and create positive ripple effects throughout their teams.
Trusted by leaders across industries and global brands for >20 years…
SPEAKER TOPICS
Are You Fixing the Wrong Problem?
The leadership challenges that are often misdiagnosed and causing unnecessary turnover
AUDIENCE:
Leaders, emerging leaders, leadership teams, HR professionals and organisations committed to developing high-performing leaders.
OVERVIEW:
Many leaders are working hard to solve the wrong problem.
Over years of coaching leaders across industries, I've noticed a pattern.
The issue leaders present with is rarely the issue holding them back.
Many leaders assume the answer is a new role, a new team or a new organisation.
Yet in many cases, the real issue lies elsewhere.
Once identified and addressed, leadership becomes easier, performance improves and unnecessary turnover can often be avoided.
A leader believes they have a performance problem.
The real issue is unclear expectations.
A leader believes they have a time management problem.
The real issue is perfectionism.
A leader believes they have a difficult conversation problem.
The real issue is a fear of disappointing others.
When we solve the wrong problem, leadership feels heavy, frustrating and ineffective.
When we identify the real issue, performance improves, confidence grows, leadership becomes easier and unnecessary turnover can often be avoided.
This practical and thought-provoking session helps leaders recognise common leadership misdiagnoses and gives them a framework for uncovering what is really getting in the way.
AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS:
Understand why the presenting problem is often not the root cause
Learn the most common leadership challenges that are frequently misdiagnosed
Discover the hidden patterns that undermine delegation, accountability, communication and performance
Gain practical coaching-style questions to identify the real issue before jumping to solutions
Leave with a new lens for improving leadership effectiveness and supporting others more effectively
KEY THEMES:
Fixing the right problem
Leadership effectiveness
Self-awareness and personal responsibility
Leadership confidence
Avoiding unnecessary turnover
Sustainable high performance
FORMAT:
Online or In-person
30-60 minute keynote
60-90 minute interactive workshop*
Half-day leadership development session*
Contagious Leadership: Is leadership in your organisation worth signing up for?
AUDIENCE:
Leaders, emerging leaders, leadership teams, HR professionals and organisations committed to developing high-performing leaders.
OVERVIEW:
Leadership is contagious.
Every leader creates a ripple.
People catch behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, habits and emotional states. Whether we intend it or not, leadership spreads.
It influences how people show up, how they perform, how they treat each other, how long they stay and whether they ever want to lead themselves.
Every day, leaders are teaching people what leadership looks like through the example they set.
And every day, people are deciding:
"I want that."
Or
"I never want that."
The leaders people experience today influence the culture they experience today and the leadership pipeline organisations will have tomorrow.
This thought-provoking and practical session explores the ripple effect of leadership and challenges organisations to consider whether leadership within their business is something people genuinely aspire to.
AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS:
Understand the ripple effect leadership has on culture, performance and retention
Recognise how leadership influences aspiration and future leadership pipelines
Identify the behaviours people are most likely to catch from leaders
Discover what makes leadership worth following and worth stepping into
Leave with practical insights to create positive ripple effects throughout teams and organisations
KEY THEMES:
Leadership culture
Leadership effectiveness
Employee retention
Leadership pipelines and succession
Aspiration and engagement
High-performance leadership
Contagious behaviours and habits
FORMAT:
Online or In-person
30-60 minute keynote
60-90 minute interactive workshop*
Half-day leadership development session*
Whether you're looking for one of these sessions or something tailored specifically to your audience, I'd love to chat. Get in touch to discuss dates, availability and what's possible.
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“I have been working with Laura over the past 12 months as I navigate the next steps in my career. Laura has been fantastic to work with and is flexible and generous with her time. One thing I have really enjoyed about working with Laura is her ability to listen, and I mean really listen to actually hear what I am saying. She is also fantastic and working through solutions with me. If you are looking for a coach to work with on moving through different stages of your career, I would thoroughly recommend Laura!''
Alyssia T, General Manager
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''I recommend Laura for her personable and authentic approach which helps individuals recognise their patterns and develop more conscious behaviors and deliberate actions. She creates a safe space for reflection and helps you to apply your insights to take meaningful steps forward in your career. Thank you, Laura!''
Amy G, Manager Strategy
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“I have had the pleasure of working with Laura Thain, and I cannot recommend her enough for anyone seeking transformational growth in their personal and professional life. Laura is an exceptional executive coach who combines deep insight with practical strategies. Her ability to ask thought-provoking questions, actively listen, and tailor her approach to individual needs sets her apart. What truly stands out about Laura is her authenticity and dedication. She creates a safe, judgment-free space that fosters trust and encourages growth. Her guidance is not just theoretical—it's actionable.”
Mark L, GM Finance
Hi, I’m Laura Thain…
At my core I’m motivated to help others love what they do for work, by helping them to do it well. No holding back from fears, proving or performing, just authentic, contagious confidence, impact and lasting fulfilment - that makes high-performance inevitable.
🟦Executive Coach & Facilitator
🟦ICF Certified Coach
🟦PRINT Certified Coach
🟦Host of The Contagious Leader Podcast
🟦20 years consulting with leaders and organisations globally
🟦An optimist but a realist
🟦Light-hearted and grounded in approach
🟦Consistently rated for expert listening and fostering trust & comfort, fast
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![Picture of lady with brown long hair smiling to camera]()
'' I had such a wonderful experience. I am so grateful I chose Laura to be my leadership coach. Laura was insightful, supportive, kind and gave me the right support and guidance I needed to evolve my leadership skills. She had a great set of leadership tools for me and articulated them in a way that was easy to understand and put into practice. I felt comfortable in Laura’s presence and I always looked forward to our sessions.''
Jasmin C, Marketing Manager
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![A woman with long dark hair, wearing a sleeveless navy blue top, standing outdoors with blurred greenery in the background, smiling at the camera.]()
''Laura makes you feel comfortable from the beginning. Laura did a great job in helping me deep dive some areas I wanted to explore in my leadership and to build some suitable strategies to help improve the way I lead. Highly recommend if you want a coach who can really understand what you are needing and guiding you through the self-discovery process.''
Kass N, Group Manager
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''I recently worked with Laura over a period of eight months and can highly recommend her as a coach who is personable and easy to talk to. She creates a safe space for sharing, actively listens and asks thought provoking questions. I’d recommend her to those seeking professional and personal growth and navigating career next steps. Working with Laura helped me to better understand my values and motivators, and implementing her practical actionable advice has been influential in helping me take the next step in my career.''
Joel M, Principal Mining
