Bill Benjamin

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, organizations need to adapt quickly, make tough decisions, and consistently deliver results. However, many teams struggle with hesitation and avoidance, especially when faced with difficult conversations or high-stakes decisions that drive success.

At the core of exceptional performance lies culture. Yet, culture is often misunderstood by leaders. Many believe that culture exists uniformly across an organization, but in reality, it is primarily cultivated within individual teams. Similarly, leaders often think that building culture is solely the responsibility of the CEO or CHRO, which can lead to inaction and disjointed efforts. When culture is left to chance, organizations experience high turnover and fail to meet their goals.

This impactful keynote, offered virtually or in person, shifts the focus to where culture is truly built—within teams and led by managers and people leaders. Based on insights from a study of 7,500 leaders, this program equips your team with practical tools to take ownership of their team’s culture during critical moments, or what we call the “Last 8%.” These are the tough conversations and challenging decisions that many avoid but are essential for creating a thriving, high-performance culture.

Participants will learn to develop a culture built on two key pillars: High Connection, fostering psychological safety, and High Courage, enabling skillful navigation of difficult situations. Using our proprietary “Model & Own” approach, leaders will discover how to guide their teams through these critical moments, strengthen relationships, and inspire excellence.

Key takeaways include tools to connect and coach team members effectively in challenging situations, strategies to engage and influence remote teams, and actionable steps to create an environment that attracts and retains top talent while achieving outstanding results.

Today’s professionals are navigating some of the toughest challenges of their careers, yet many continue to rely solely on their IQ and technical expertise to get through. This approach is no longer enough.

For organizations to succeed, they must remain agile in the face of constant change and find opportunities where others see obstacles. Teams need to collaborate effectively, even when everyone is operating under intense pressure.

This impactful program equips your team with proven tools and strategies drawn from working with elite performers in high-pressure environments, including the NFL, NBA, Olympic teams, Navy SEALs, and leading corporations like Goldman Sachs and Intel. Participants will learn to adapt, build resilience, foster collaboration, and seize opportunities under pressure.

Key takeaways include techniques to manage the brain’s response to pressure, enabling individuals to think, lead, and perform effectively when it matters most. Attendees will also discover the single most important daily habit to enhance focus and reduce burnout, along with actionable strategies to help their teams excel despite the challenges they face.

This program is grounded in insights from a 12,000-person study featured in the New York Times best-selling book Performing Under Pressure, now available in 65 countries.

For sales professionals, the session can be tailored to focus on leveraging emotional intelligence to handle pressure, strengthen client relationships, foster internal collaboration, and navigate the uncertainty and setbacks inherent in sales. This program empowers participants to succeed in even the most demanding environments.

Research shows that most individuals handle 92% of a feedback conversation effectively. However, when it comes to addressing the Last 8%—the most challenging part of the conversation that carries significant consequences—they often hesitate. The emotional weight of this feedback can cause people to back off, avoiding the tough conversations that are crucial for growth and improvement.

Avoiding these conversations creates issues for both parties. The recipient is left uncertain about where they stand, increasing their anxiety, and missing opportunities to improve. Moreover, they may feel less psychologically safe and emotionally connected, which negatively impacts their performance and engagement.

This program equips participants with the insights and tools needed to manage emotions and confidently tackle the Last 8% of any feedback conversation. By understanding the science of effective communication and the brain’s response under pressure, individuals can learn how to deliver impactful feedback that others can truly hear and act on.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding the Last 8%: Learn why addressing the most challenging part of a conversation is critical for growth and performance.
- The Brain Under Pressure: Discover how the brain reacts during stressful situations and why it often leads to avoidance in tough conversations.
- Building Self-Awareness: Identify habitual responses to feedback and understand how they signal openness to others.
- Starting Difficult Conversations: Gain practical strategies to initiate the Last 8% of feedback without letting anxiety or perfectionism hold you back.
- Creating Psychological Safety: Explore the key components of fostering an environment where innovation and performance thrive.

Replacing an employee can cost an organization between 50% and 200% of that individual’s annual salary. For a 100-person company with an average salary of $50,000, this translates to annual turnover and replacement costs of $800,000 to $2.6 million.

The most troubling aspect? Over half (52%) of employees who leave their jobs report that their manager or organization could have taken action to retain them. Many noted that in the three months prior to their departure, no one asked about their job satisfaction or future aspirations. At the core of this issue lies a lack of empathy from leadership—a problem that can be addressed and resolved.

This transformative program, available virtually or in person, equips managers and leaders with essential skills to foster empathy and emotional intelligence. By learning to connect with employees on a deeper level, leaders can reduce turnover, retain top talent, and build stronger, more engaged teams.

Key Takeaways:

- The Root of Empathy Gaps: Understand the primary cause of a lack of empathy in leaders and how to address it.
- Developing Emotional Intelligence: Gain practical tools to identify and address challenges employees face before they lead to turnover.
- Building Empathy: Learn how to cultivate empathy to empower teams, inspire innovation, and enhance collaboration and performance.
- Leveraging Brain Science: Use neuroscience-based techniques to regulate emotions, build resilience, and become a stabilizing force in times of uncertainty.
- Navigating Disruptive Change: Discover strategies to guide teams effectively through periods of significant transition.