Sumit Gupta

Leadership Coach

Speech  & Keynote Topics

Sumit is committed to elevating the level of leadership in the world. Sumit’s audiences learn how to discover the power of their own choice. They leave feeling empowered to make an impact in areas they care about.

Sample Speaking Topics

Deploying Yourself – A new paradigm of leadership 

This talk is an invitation to your leadership. In today’s complex and dynamic environment, it is very easy to get lost and feel disempowered. In this talk, Sumit invites you to the power of your choice. He will share what it takes to lead in the 21st century, and how people like to led differently in a VUCA world. Learn the 4 different states of Deploying Yourself, and how they can reveal new actions and results not available to you before. 

You Will Discover 

What is Deploy Yourself?

Moving from caring to taking care

The 3 levels of Deploying Yourself

Mastery in Conversations (in organisations) 

What is an organisation if not a network of commitments and conversations? And how are all commitments negotiated? Yes, through conversations. Even what we call culture is only the set of conversations people are having, and more importantly, not having. In this talk, Sumit helps you identify what is a leadership conversation, and what is not? Once you can do so, you can learn how to have conversations which integrate the analytical and empathic, the rational and intuitive, and the proactive and reflective skills of being a human being.  

You Will Discover 

Conversation is the glue of leadership

Identify conversations you are not having

How your mood impacts all conversations?

Listening – The Foundation of Leadership

Being known as a leader who listens can dramatically accelerate your professional success. In this talk, Sumit will show you how to listen well, what empathy really means, and the 3 levels of listening. Understand how all conversations and leadership begins with listening, and how listening can enable you to influence others and create alignment more easily for your best ideas.

You Will Discover 

The 3 Levels of Listening

Listening as an Leadership Act

Speaking From and Into Listenings

Communication & Influence for Geeks

Techies and geeks are in demand because we have mastered how to talk to computers. Yet, often we struggle when communicating with people. I will show you an unconventional look at conversations from a first-principle lens. Find out what is happening behind all conversations. The only question is – are you aware of it or not? Understanding gravity enabled humans to create skyscrapers. Similarly, these first-principles will allow you to create influence and strong relationships.

You Will Discover 

Is there a listening for your speaking?

We are all hallucinating (lesson from neuroscience)

Navigating difficult conversations

Productivity Without Stress

We are so used to living in Overwhelm – a state of too much time and too little time – that we do not even see it as abnormal. In fact, most of us have grown up wearing our busy-ness as a badge of honour. Yet, we all know that just working harder and doing more does not produce results. And the costs of living in overwhelm are real – burnout, stress, poor health and relationships, etc. In this talk, find out how to create results that matter by working less, how to say NO to everything that stands in the way, and how to shift from disempowering to empowering moods.

You Will Discover 

6 basic moods of life and work

The importance of saying NO

Holding yourself and others accountable

The Power of Self-Coaching

Does the fish know that it lives in water? No, it doesn’t. Unless you take the fish out of the water and it sees water for the first time. In this talk, Sumit will help you discover how we live in language the same way. Learn a self-directed process to uncover what is stopping you from showing up as the leader you need to be, and how to overcome or reshape your leadership to create the results that matter to you.

You Will Discover 

Human Beings Create All The Time

Uncover What Is Blocking You & Liberate Yourself

Create A Powerful Leadership Presence

Befriend Your Emotions

A lot of us think that emotions like fear, sadness, or anger stops us from achieving results. What I have found is that emotions never stop us. What stops us is that “we block emotions”. Learn to listen to the “gold” that lie behind all emotions. Discover how to deal with difficult conversations productively and make it safe for people to address those emotions which are usually hidden. Learn how we are all emotional beings, and how emotions can be a matter of choice.

You Will Discover 

How To Listen To & Allow Your Emotions?

The Important Message Behind Each Emotion

How To Deal With Your and Others Emotions?

Let’s connect if you would like to invite Sumit for a speaking engagement or a workshop. 

Public Appearances Library

Communication & Influence for Techies

I gave a talk at the WeAreDevelopers Javascript Congress 2021. I shared an unconventional look at conversations - and what I have learned from my 16 years software career about communication. 

Applying Leadership Beyond Work

I appeared on the Unlabeled Leadership podcast. In the interview, I share two powerful leadership stories that helped shape how I perceive leadership and lead. I also talked about how we can substantially impact our time by making a small change.

Creating trust in the hybrid world

I appeared on the Emotion at Work Podcast. In the interview, I talk about three attributes to help create this environment of safety and trust: approaching things as new or different as opposed to difficult or challenging, leading with trust, and the value of asking questions with curiosity.

The role of managers in shaping work culture

I was interviewed by Harrison Kim on the Working With People Podcast. We talked about defining a good work culture, the challenges involved in creating employee engagement for new culture initiatives.

How leaders can foster a learning culture

In this interview on the Learning While Working Podcast, I share my point of view on how leaders can foster a learning culture within workplaces and how nurturing one-on-one relationships with employees can help build trust and increase the motivation to learn.

Empowering Performance in Leadership

In this interview on The HR L&D Podcast podcast, I share and talk about underselling ourselves, the relationship between leadership and learning, expanding the capacity of people, and the importance of knowing our values. At the end, I also recommend a few books.

Leadership & Learning

I appeared on the Learning Effect Podcast. In the interview with Katie Godden, I talk about the important connection between learning and leadership at work, and in life.

5 Steps to Improve Work Culture

In this interview on the Unleashing Your Story Podcast, I talk about a few steps any manager can take to improve work culture. 

Two Minute Tip with Sumit Gupta

In this interview on Hacking Your Leadership Podcast, I provide some insights and advice on being an introvert and how to handle tough conversations.