Book IWD Speaker: Kate Russell
The quiet superpower of listening: How leaders can transform conflict, reduce drama & build trust through empathy & curiosity
Kate Russell is one of Australia’s leading experts in conflict transformation.
A trusted advisor to leaders navigating conflict and crisis, she is known for her warm, empathetic, and practical approach that helps organisations turn tense moments into opportunities for stronger relationships and healthier workplace cultures.
In this compelling presentation, Kate explores why listening is an under-utilised leadership skill and how it can transform even the most difficult conversations.
She demonstrates how blame often lands like shame, fuelling defensiveness and drama, and shows leaders how to shift instead towards empathy, curiosity, and accountability.
Drawing on her extensive experience with executives, technical leaders, and teams under pressure, Kate shares real-world strategies for:
- Making difficult conversations less frightening and more constructive.
- Using curiosity to uncover what is really going on beneath the conflict.
- Building trust and psychological safety by owning your own contribution.
- Turning high-stakes, high-stress situations into opportunities for connection and collaboration.
Audiences leave equipped with practical tools to reduce defensiveness, de-escalate conflict, and strengthen trust in their own teams.
Kate’s engaging and relatable style ensures the message resonates across industries, making her an ideal choice for events seeking to inspire leaders to approach conflict differently.
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