Keynote speaker and author
Leadership, feedback and accountability in an AI-saturated world.
Keynotes that help leaders build feedback systems they can trust, so performance conversations get sharper, faster and more honest.
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Is Your Leadership a Bad Joke?
Drew has worked with leaders at
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Two minutes of Drew on stage, so you know exactly what your audience gets.
Signature keynotes
Most leaders don't lack vision. They lack feedback they can trust.
01 · The flagship
Is Your Leadership a Bad Joke?
What stand-up comedians know about feedback that most leaders don't.
Comedians find out in seconds whether a line lands. Leaders often never do, and the higher they rise, the less honest the feedback gets. This keynote closes the gap between what leaders think is landing and what actually is.
02
The Feedback Advantage
How leaders turn feedback into clarity, trust and performance.
Most feedback fails because of the system around it, not the people in it. How to redesign that system so it drives performance instead of defensiveness.
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Receiving Feedback Under Fire
How effective leaders stay open, grounded and decisive when it matters most.
The inner skills to regulate your reaction, separate signal from noise, and act wisely under pressure.
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360s Without the Damage
Why multi-rater feedback so often backfires, and how to design it properly.
The common ways 360s go wrong, and the design principles behind feedback processes leaders actually respect.
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Formats
What event organizers say
“From the get-go, Drew was collaborative with his content and curious about the audience.”
“We would absolutely welcome the opportunity to have him back!”
About Drew
Practical, psychologically grounded, and never boring.
Drew Bird has spent more than 25 years in leadership and organizational development, working with senior leaders at organizations including the Bank of England, the United Nations, Vanguard, Microsoft and Cornell University. His talks are grounded in established research and respect the context of every room he walks into.
He is the founder of ClearPoint360, a managed 360-degree feedback service, and The EQ Development Group, and the author of The Leader's Guide to Feedback and The Leader's Guide to Emotional Intelligence.
- Executive FacultyUniversity of Alberta
- Master TrainerAccredited in EQ and AQ
- MSc and MAOrganizational Psychology; Leadership
Books
The ideas, in print.
Feedback · New in 2026
The Leader's Guide to Feedback
Why you need it, how to get it and what to do with it. The thinking behind all four signature keynotes.
- Why honest feedback rarely reaches leaders
- How to design feedback processes people trust
- The PROSPER framework for closing the loop
Emotional intelligence
The Leader's Guide to Emotional Intelligence
Understand and develop your EQ for maximum leadership impact, with practical exercises throughout.
- Quieting negative self-talk and building assertiveness
- Perspective-taking and better decision-making
- Managing stress under pressure
Book Drew
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- Keynote, workshop or fireside chat
- In person or virtual
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Drew will be in touch personally about your date. In the meantime, take a look at the signature keynotes.