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Closes the structure and decision gaps

Never Waste a Good Crisis

How to lead with intention when things are uncertain

Suzanne Knight on stage, play the speaking reel▶Watch the speaking reel

Pressure shows what is broken in an organization, and what is possible. A budget cut, a reorganization, a new competitor or a failed launch can stall a team for months, or give it the clarity it never had.

Suzanne has led transformation at Walmart Canada, Philip Morris International and Deloitte, and advised 80+ organizations in 14 countries. This keynote shows leaders how to recognize when it's time to reset instead of react, move from firefighting to intentional action, and use the pressure to decide what matters most.

She covers how to make confident decisions when the answer isn't clear, how to communicate when outcomes are uncertain, and how to spot the patterns that drain momentum. Your audience leaves with a way to turn the next disruption into a reset they choose.

Your audience leaves able to

  • Recognize the signals that it's time to reset, not just react
  • Shift from firefighting to intentional, strategic action
  • Make confident decisions when the answer isn't clear
  • Communicate with clarity and build trust, even when outcomes are uncertain

Best for

Strategic resets, reorganizations, growth periods and transformation programs

What audiences say

62 responses. 98% found it valuable.

Independent audience feedback on Talkadot.

“Inspiring about change, and how to make change more likely to happen.”

Sydney JaquesSARC 2025

“High energy, relevant, and passionate speaker.”

AttendeeSARC 2025

“Enthusiastic speaker, with a wealth of knowledge. … makes you think about commitment and prioritizing what is most important.”

LanceSARC 2025

Why it matters

This talk closes the structure and decision gaps.

How the Value Gap works →

The Structure gap

Organization design, governance, operating model

1 in 3 Only one in three leaders say the last change they led was adopted well by employees. Gartner, 2025

2× Organizations with above-average change adoption report twice the yearly revenue growth. Gartner, 2025

The Decision gap

Slow approvals, escalations, unclear authority

$250M in manager time lost a year to slow, ineffective decisions at a typical Fortune 500 company. McKinsey, 2019

2× Organizations that decide well and fast are twice as likely to report 20%+ returns on recent decisions. McKinsey, 2019

Formats

Keynote or workshop.

45-minute keynote

For conferences, summits and leadership meetings.

90-minute session

Keynote plus guided discussion, for executive teams.

Half-day workshop

Your leaders apply the ideas to their own priorities.

Full-day workshop

Leaders leave with decisions made and a plan to deliver them.

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