Developing Self-Aware Leaders & High-Performing Teams to Drive Business Results
The expert keynote speakers from the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership bring decades of global experience helping organizations unlock the power of self-aware leadership and build high-performing, engaged teams. Our work is grounded in practical strategies that accelerate business performance by strengthening leadership at every level.
Available for in-person or virtual delivery, our dynamic, action-oriented keynotes spark energy and alignment around the leadership behaviors that drive real results. Many organizations use our keynotes to launch or amplify leadership development initiatives—fueling transformation, inspiring commitment, and creating lasting impact.
Fostering cultures of accountability
What every leader can do to build a team, and a culture that is feedback-rich, respectful, and productive.
Best practices for women leaders to thrive
Practices that will help your workforce understand and leverage their unique personal powers to thrive.
Creating a more engaged, inclusive workforce
Strengthen cohesion and create an environment where the best people want to join, stay and engage.
Tailored for your organizational needs
We partner with you to address critical topics to move your organizational objectives forward.
Trusted by
Susan MacKenty Brady
Susan
is a globally renowned expert on inclusion, best self leadership, and women’s leadership. She has keynoted or consulted at over 500 organizations worldwide.
“Susan is high energy and high impact! Not afraid to challenge, she skillfully brings people along on a journey of self-discovery. You leave any time spent with Susan feeling inspired to do more and be even better.”
See Susan in Action
In this 2 minute video, hear how Institute partners Intuitive Surgical, John Hancock, and Moet Hennessy leverage Susan’s keynotes to ignite action in their organizations.
Susan's Keynotes
Leading with Care, Delivering with Accountability
Equip leaders to drive results without sacrificing trust or engagement
Great leadership is about balance—too much care without accountability slows progress, and too much accountability without care erodes trust. The leaders who master both don’t just avoid disengagement; they unlock the conditions for teams to thrive.
In this keynote, participants will gain practical strategies to fuel both results and relationships, navigate difficult conversations with confidence, and return to their best selves when dynamics get tough. The outcome? Cultures where accountability feels fair, care is authentic, and people want to belong and deliver their best.
All the Difference: Bridging Perspectives to Strengthen Teams and Accelerate Organizational Performance
Harness difference as a catalyst for stronger teams and measurable performance gains
Today’s teams are full of differences—of style, perspective, identity, and interest. Handled well, those differences fuel innovation, trust, and results. Mishandled, they drain energy and stall performance. The key is learning to see difference as raw material for progress, not friction.
Based on Susan MacKenty Brady’s forthcoming book All the Difference (HBR Press, 2026), this keynote equips leaders with a framework and practical tools for navigating conflict, repairing relationships, and leading with both clarity and care. Through powerful storytelling and humor, Susan shows leaders how to turn tough moments into opportunities to build trust and accelerate performance.
Arrive & Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Every Leader
Provide leaders with a proven framework to sustain impact, wellbeing, and long-term success
Senior leadership roles can be exhilarating—but also demanding, depleting, and at times overwhelming. How can leaders stay grounded in their best selves while inspiring excellence in their teams and protecting their own wellbeing?
This keynote brings the best-selling book Arrive & Thrive to life, offering seven practical practices that help leaders flourish at work and beyond. With energy and real-world insights, Susan shares how to thrive personally, coach others to do the same, and role-model what impactful, sustainable leadership truly looks like.
From Inner Critic to Inner Champion: Unlocking Peak Leadership Performance
Build confident, resilient leaders who elevate team performance and organizational outcomes
Senior leadership roles can be exhilarating—but also demanding, depleting, and at times overwhelming. How can leaders stay grounded in their best selves while inspiring excellence in their teams and protecting their own wellbeing?
Every leader knows the voice of the inner critic—the one that questions, compares, and chips away at confidence. Left unchecked, it limits not just personal performance but team and organizational success. The shift comes when leaders learn to replace that critic with their Inner Champion.
In this keynote, Susan MacKenty Brady offers tools and stories to help leaders recognize their inner critic, activate their Inner Champion, and reset in high-pressure moments. The result: greater confidence, authentic presence, and the ability to inspire others to thrive—unlocking leadership at its fullest potential.
Book Susan to Speak at Your Next Event
Susan has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America and has keynoted at over 500 organizations worldwide. Download Susan’s speaker kit to learn more about her work and impact.
