Nancy Koehn

Leading with Courage and Determination in Critical Times: Lessons from Ernest Shackleton

In this compelling keynote, historian and leadership expert Nancy Koehn explores how leaders can navigate uncertainty with resilience and determination, drawing from Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Antarctic expedition. Faced with impossible odds, Shackleton’s bold leadership offers timeless lessons for overcoming crisis and inspiring teams.

Audience members will walk away with actionable strategies to:

• Navigate uncertainty by making strategic, point-to-point decisions while keeping the larger mission in focus.
• Take accountability and adapt by learning from mistakes and adjusting course without getting stuck in the past.
• Lead with agility through experimentation, real-time learning, and thoughtful improvisation.
• Cultivate courage by triumphing over fear, taking bold action, and setting the tone for others.
• Build confidence and self-belief by becoming their own best coach, recognizing strengths, and leading with conviction.
• Sustain team energy by managing morale, acknowledging effort, and exercising authority with humanity.

Through riveting storytelling and real-world leadership insights, Nancy Koehn delivers a powerful blueprint for leading with courage and determination in the face of uncertainty.

How to Lead Courageously During a Crisis

In times of fear and uncertainty, leaders face a rare opportunity to rise to the challenge. Organizations need strong and inspiring leadership to help teams navigate turbulent and unpredictable circumstances.

In this session you will learn how to:

• Lead with transparency and honesty
• Establish a routine to create order
• Integrate recovery periods and tools for releasing fear
• Prepare a long-term plan to deal with the waves of the crisis
• Communicate strategically by incorporating learnings and collective purpose

Focus, Determination, and Success: Thriving in Non-Stop Uncertainty

The world is being tested with pandemic setbacks, ongoing ambiguity, and widespread anxiety sweeping across the globe, but there is hope for a better future ahead! Focus. Determination. Success. Nancy Koehn, a Harvard Business School historian with a wealth of real-world perspective and experience, explores these elements and guides leaders, audiences and organizations of all backgrounds on how to effectively think through the problems and uncertainties presented each day, recognize priorities, access the right set of tools at our disposal, and identify the next steps to take in becoming more courageous, resilient, and mission-focused for a brighter tomorrow.