Elevating your leadership and thriving in the workplace through
CONFIDENCE | COMMUNICATION | CULTURE
Choose the Right Speaker
Dr. Jessica Metcalfe is an award-winning international speaker, best-selling author and recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2023 for her transformative insights and strategies on leadership, burnout recover and team development.
Her diverse career includes operations management at Nestlé Canada, owning a rock 'n' roll music school, practicing dental oncology, and serving as Education Director at a leading cancer center. Currently, she works part-time in private practice and manages two clinics while speaking globally on leadership development. Driven by personal experience, Dr. Jessica focuses on improving workplace dynamics through 3 pillars: Confidence, Communication and Culture.
Her best-selling book, Speak Kindly, You’re Listening, guides leaders in navigating their dialogues to enhance organizational culture.
Learn more about Dr Jessica's story here.
Keynotes and Workshops
Programs are customized to meet the needs of the organization.
Include:
- A pre-engagement call
- 30-90 minute live session
- An unlimited number of seats
- An optional Q&A
Include:
- A pre-engagement call
- Length of time dependent on organization needs (from 1 hour to full day workshops)
- # of seats vary with workshop
- Q&A built in
- Interactive components throughout: brain training exercises*
* What are brain training exercises? These are workshop exercises to improve mental performance for the individual and team. Digging deep means doing the work individually and together. That is how you start to enact long-lasting change.*
All Topics
There are 3 pillars to all of Dr. Jessica's workshops: Confidence, Communication and Culture. She calls them the 3C's of being human. Each pillar is broken down into a step-by-step process in order to learn about oneself and to interact with others.
You need confidence to push through self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
You need communication to navigate burnout or to navigate through difficult topics of conversation at work.
You need confidence and communication to build culture.
The 3 C's are intimately connected.
Every company, every team, every human being uses confidence, communication and culture every single day of their lives and they are all skills that can be honed.
Check out the topics below. If you are looking for something customized or tailored specific to your organization, Dr. Jessica can do that too. During the pre-engagement call, she'll pinpoint your organization's needs.
Are you looking for something more than just a keynote? Maybe a 4-part development program? If so, check out these programs, at www.skyl.ca/courses
Speak Kindly, You're Listening
Mastering Your Inner Narrative
Have you ever thought of how you speak to yourself? The words you choose? The tone of voice? The pitch or volume? How you choose to speak to yourself has a profound impact on your identity and worth.
Speak Kindly, They're Listening:
Building Confidence, Communication and Culture
Work and the workforce are in a major state of flux, driven by AI advancements, evolving leadership demands, well-being challenges and shifting worker expectations. This is where 'soft' skills will be your superpower and create opportunities.
Lead Forward:
Building Resilient Teams and Leaders
Small breakdowns, often overlooked, accumulate over time and compound into systemic issues that hinder organizational performance and team cohesion. Dr. Jessica’s approach highlights the interconnectedness of systems, emphasizing that success stems from proactive alignment of goals, processes, and culture.
The Edge:
Using Emotional Intelligence
At the heart of this topic is the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, not just in oneself but also in others, to build strong, cohesive teams capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment. Emotional intelligence (EI) has become a cornerstone of effective leadership and team collaboration.
The Impostor Syndrome Epidemic
The Truth and The Deception
A lot of people talk about impostor syndrome but aren't sharing what's actually going on. There is more then just self-doubt and feeling like a fraud. It's confidence, internal and external communication and culture.
The Intersection of Burnout & Success
Is Work-Life Balance A Scam?
There is no true work-life balance but you also don't need to be hustling. This isn't your quick fix magical equation that will make you feel successful; it's more than that.
Speak Kindly, You're Listening:
Mastering Your Inner Narrative
Topic Description
In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, organizations are prioritizing a human-centric initiative to support well-being. "Speak Kindly, You’re Listening" challenges participants to rethink their inner dialogue and build a more resilient mindset. Drawing from Dr. Jessica Metcalfe’s book, this course combines brain training exercises, an exploration of the inner-voice-high-expectations-burnout link, and actionable strategies to enhance emotional and mental well-being.
As organizations face uncertainty and shifting workplace dynamics, along with navigating 4 generations in the workforce, this topic allows individuals to embrace self-compassion, combat self-sabotage, and cultivate internal validation. The result? Audience members will thrive in high-pressure environments without succumbing to burnout. Mental well-being and burnout prevention are now top priorities in organizational development, underscoring the critical need for self-awareness, psychological safety, and resilience—key components that this topic equips businesses with.
By applying strategies that align with current trends in organizational development and employee well-being, participants will learn to build the confidence and autonomy required to stay focused, even amidst evolving challenges. This course taps into the leadership evolution needed to navigate the future of work, aligning with the broader shift toward more resilient, human-centered leadership strategies.
Learning Objectives
- Dissect how self-talk influences emotional, mental, and professional well-being, and understand its impact on human effectiveness.
- Recognize and challenge patterns of impostor syndrome and perfectionism, and how they hinder human potential.
- Explore the scientific link between inner dialogue, high expectations, and burnout, and how to break the cycle.
- Practice internal validation techniques and learn to reframe your inner dialogue, reducing reliance on external approval and strengthening your confidence.
Develop strategies to prevent burnout and cultivate sustainable high performance, aligning with the well-being priorities that drive organizational success.
*based off of Dr. Jessica's best-selling book: Speak Kindly, You're Listening*
Speak Kindly, They're Listening:
Building Confidence, Communication and Culture
Topic Description
Work and the workforce are in a major state of flux, driven by AI advancements, evolving leadership demands, well-being challenges, and shifting worker expectations. Many organizations lack the critical people and 'soft' skills to meet these challenges, but foresight, preparation, and practice can actually transform these obstacles into opportunities for growth and innovation.
"Speak Kindly, They’re Listening" provides a roadmap for building high-performing teams by focusing on the key pillars of confidence, communication, and culture, the 3 C's. This session combines actionable strategies—like the Be C.L.E.A.R. method for managing difficult conversations—with tools to assess and strengthen organizational culture using Jessica’s seven-point checklist. Grounded in human-centric leadership principles and aligned with emerging trends, this session empowers participants to adapt and lead in a constantly changing landscape.
Learning Objectives
- Grow confidence and autonomy across the organization by defining clear expectations, improving individual and team assertiveness, and applying strategies to prevent burnout and enhance well-being.
- Apply advanced communication techniques, including the Be C.L.E.A.R. method, to manage difficult conversations, set expectations, and promote psychological safety.
- Analyze the influence of culture on team dynamics and propose actionable strategies to foster a positive, high-performing work environment.
- Develop practical skills for team collaboration through engaging activities tailored to hybrid and in-person settings.
- Design an inclusive culture using Dr. Jessica’s seven-point culture audit to align values, improve engagement, and drive organizational success.
Lead Forward:
Building Resilient Teams and Leaders
Topic Description
In an era where technology, labor markets, and employee priorities are shifting faster than ever, organizations face a critical challenge: adapt and thrive, or remain stagnant and fall behind. Without active management, systems naturally degrade, leading to inefficiencies, employee disengagement, and turnover. Small breakdowns, often overlooked, accumulate over time and compound into systemic issues that hinder organizational performance and team cohesion. Dr. Jessica’s approach highlights the interconnectedness of systems, emphasizing that success stems from proactive alignment of goals, processes, and culture.
At the heart of this transformative course are the 3 C's: Confidence, Communication, and Culture. Designed for leaders and teams alike, this program equips participants with tools to address foundational challenges, drive operational efficiency, enhance collaboration, and prepare for future growth. Drawing on emerging trends in leadership and workforce dynamics—such as managing energy, fostering wellbeing, and embracing adaptability—this course enables teams to cultivate high performance, innovation, and resilience in an ever-changing landscape.
Learning Objectives
- Identify and address small, recurring inefficiencies that accumulate and impact systemic performance.
- Develop strategies to align shared leadership values, cultural goals, and team decision-making to improve collaboration.
- Apply tools for operational efficiency, including task delegation, change management, and performance measurement to enhance productivity.
- Strengthen team dynamics through emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and effective communication frameworks.
- Prepare for future challenges by fostering innovation, talent retention, and strategic foresight in evolving workplace environments.
The Edge:
Using Emotional Intelligence
Topic Description
In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, emotional intelligence (EI) has become a cornerstone of effective leadership and team collaboration. With technological advancements, shifting worker expectations, and the challenge of managing a multi-generational workforce, leaders must navigate diverse communication styles, emotional triggers, and complex team dynamics. At the heart of "The Edge: Using Emotional Intelligence" is the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, not just in oneself but also in others, to build strong, cohesive teams capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment.
This topic empowers leaders to build the 3 C’s: Confidence, Communication, and Culture—three pillars essential for fostering emotional intelligence and creating high-performing teams. Participants will learn to cultivate self-awareness, self-management, relational awareness, and relational management, applying these skills to build resilience, adaptability, and grit. In a world where employee well-being is increasingly recognized as a critical priority, this topic also addresses the loneliness epidemic and the growing need for leaders to foster connection and psychological safety. By understanding the emotional wakes they leave behind, leaders will make more confident decisions, drive collaboration, and create a supportive environment where innovation and sustained high performance can flourish.
Learning Objectives
- Enhance self-awareness and emotional regulation to foster resilience and create an authentic leadership presence.
- Develop relational awareness and empathy, building trust and rapport within diverse, multi-generational teams.
- Apply self-management techniques to reduce stress, improve decision-making, and foster a positive mindset.
- Strengthen relational management skills to navigate complex relationships, resolve conflict, and build collaborative team dynamics.
- Foster a psychologically safe and adaptable work environment by leveraging emotional intelligence to drive sustained high performance and innovation.
Note:
This topic can incorporate two assessments: the O.C.E.A.N. Personality Assessment and an evidence-based Emotional Intelligence Assessment, providing participants with actionable insights to improve interpersonal effectiveness and team collaboration.
The Impostor Syndrome Epidemic:
The Truth and The Deception
Topic Description
A lot of people talk about impostor syndrome but aren't sharing what's actually going on. "Unleash your true potential." "Be authentic and be you." "Own your success and power." Yes, these are all great affirmations but a mantra isn't going to help you. Let's talk about the science, psychology and behaviours around impostor syndrome. It's more than just self-doubt and feeling like a fraud. Learn about the truths and the deceptions that society and social media are portraying. And no, you don't have to have impostor syndrome to learn about the truth and the deception behind it all.
Learning Objectives
- Define impostor syndrome and impostor phenomenon
- Identify the origin of impostor syndrome for you the high achiever by breaking down gender stereotypes, society and culture expectations and upbringing
- Evaluate the 5 different impostor types and experiment with helpful tips
- Take a turn around the impostor cycle (or what I like to call the high-achiever with a loud inner critic cycle) and learn the 6 checkpoints to get you out of the cycle
- Investigate the difference between impostor syndrome and self-doubt
- Rewrite your inner narrative by analyzing 4 steps to take you from inner gremlin to inner wise one
The Intersection of Burnout and Success
Is Work-Life Balance Is A Scam?
Topic Description
Welcome to a paradigm-shifting presentation that cuts through the noise. No more sugar-coating or clichés about work-life balance; it's time to face the harsh reality of burnout and its impact on your success, your business and your team. As we slowly navigate this post-pandemic era, it's time to bring to light the importance of talking about burnout, being busy and feeling blech all while trying to reach the summit of success.
In this engaging presentation, Dr. Jessica debunks the work-life balance myth while describing what’s truly going on at the intersection of burnout and success that has left countless leaders and teams feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated.
The truth: Dr. Jessica learned the hard way that work-life balance is a scam and then watched her colleagues spiral too. Being busy, thriving on goals and reaching 'success' didn't provide ‘fulfillment’. Instead, it came with finding it hard to relax, always feeling guilty for taking a break and heading into burnout more than once. Burnout doesn’t have to be a badge of honour nor should overworking to the point of exhaustion be praised and glamorized. There is no work-life balance for the high performing company if your success and happiness are always after the next goal.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the relationship between success, burnout, and confidence, and how each influences performance and well-being
- Develop a stress management plan for yourself and your team, integrating effective coping strategies to prevent and manage burnout
- Enhance communication skills to navigate difficult conversations and engage with diverse personality types within the team
- Apply proactive strategies to address workforce challenges such as the Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, and the Great Retirement, fostering a resilient and engaged mindset.
- Implement Dr. Jessica’s culture audit checklist to build trust and create a supportive, high-performance work environment.
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