Leadership keynote · Booking 2027
Leadership keynote speaker for when the plan gets tested
Pressure doesn't create leadership problems. It reveals them. Three-time Olympian Devon Harris helps leaders make clear decisions, keep trust and get their teams moving again when the plan stops working.
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Your presentation was so well received by our managers that virtually all of them asked that you come back to speak to our lower level managers and staff.Schenker Logistics, annual meeting
Leadership meetings
Reach out 3 to 6 months before your meeting or offsite. For dates inside 60 days, email speaker@devonharris.com.
Check your dateWhy leaders book Devon
A leadership speaker who led while the whole world was watching
Devon learned leadership twice. First as an officer: he graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served as a Captain in the Jamaica Defence Force. Then on the ice. In 1988 he was part of the Jamaican bobsled team that crashed in Calgary in front of the world and walked the sled across the finish line. He came back to two more Winter Games as captain.
That is the room your leaders are in now: results are visible, conditions are not ideal and people are watching how they respond. Devon's leadership keynote is not a hype talk. It is a clear, practical look at what pressure exposes in a leadership team, and what to do about it.
Your leaders leave with a shared language for ownership, setbacks and resets that they can use in staff meetings, one-on-ones and planning sessions long after the event.
- Decisions made when information is incomplete and time is short
- Trust when results matter and excuses do not help
- Focus when disruption hits the plan
- Performance when there is nowhere to hide
Why clients bring him in
“It was obvious to all that you had done your homework on us and took the time to understand our team’s goals and priorities. Your message resonated with all on both personal and professional levels. We are looking for our group to up its game in terms of teamwork and execution and you provided the springboard that focused our conversations and energized the group.”
The keynote
When Pressure Reveals EverythingLeadership when the plan gets tested
Pressure doesn't create problems in a leadership team. It exposes what is already there. Devon walks your leaders through the four things it reveals, then gives them his 3R System (Responsibility, Reframe, Reset) for what to do next.
01
Are they real, or rehearsed?
Leadership habits
The habits that work in calm conditions, and the ones that fall apart when the plan is tested.
02
Who owns it when it goes wrong?
Accountability
Moving a team from "that's not my job" to shared ownership of the result.
03
Does teamwork hold when deadlines tighten?
Team alignment
Like a four-man bobsled crew at the start, everyone has to push in sync, or nobody moves.
04
Do the values survive real stress?
Culture
The gap between the culture on paper and the culture people see when results are visible.
Your leaders keep the language going after the event, in staff meetings, one-on-ones and planning sessions.
Check Devon's availabilitySee Devon on stage
The 90-second leadership preview
Made for executive meetings. See how Devon connects the bobsled push start to the question every leadership team faces before a big year: are your people ready?
Filmed after Devon left the stage
Keynote plus leadership session
The Team Captain's Toolbox for your managers
Leadership isn't defined by a job title, expertise or years of experience. Add a half-day or full-day session after the keynote so your managers can work on the traits that get results through people.
01
Clear vision
Where are you going and how will you get there? Purpose, and goals that challenge the team.
02
Communication
Communicating with emotion, not just logic. Passing information on accurately and on time. Listening.
03
Participation
Building competence, focusing on strengths, empowering others and being a role model.
04
Courage
Taking responsibility and making the final decision with conviction.
05
Integrity
Being honest, fair and candid, which builds the trust everything else depends on.
Format: talk, workbook and handouts, interactive discussion and activitiesLength: half day to full dayBest for: new and mid-level managers, leadership programs
Where Devon fits
Built into your leadership agenda
Every format starts with Devon's pre-event survey and a prep call with your leadership team.
Leadership offsite
Opening keynote
Set the tone for the strategy work ahead, with your plan, your language and your challenges woven into the story.
Management conference
Keynote plus leadership session
The keynote for everyone, then The Team Captain's Toolbox for the managers who carry the message into the year.
All-hands or town hall
Company-wide keynote
One message from the top that the whole organization hears in the same way. See corporate keynotes.
Final session
Closing keynote
Send leaders home with one clear commitment they will act on in the first week back.
Virtual and hybrid
Live on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar platforms for distributed leadership teams.
Related keynotes
Keep On Pushing™ on resilience, The Sales Reset for sales leaders, and The Human Advantage on leading people through AI-driven change.
Length and fee
Up to an hour including Q&A, adjusted to your agenda. Fees are quoted for your date, location and format. Ask for Devon's fee
What leaders say
Trusted by leadership teams and the people they lead
“On the day of SELF, you impressed the audience with your knowledge of leadership and teamwork as well as your knowledge of NJ TRANSIT. Not only did your message resonate with our audience, but your practical advice was useful immediately.”
“We were so impressed with Devon’s ability to motivate our staff and incorporate our company goals within his inspiring presentation that we booked him to return the following year.”
“We were fortunate enough to have Devon join one of our team meetings to both inspire and reflect on past success and running hard at the future.”
“Devon’s inspirational story of personal triumph and testament on the values of leadership were a perfect fit for our organization. His professionalism, positive attitude and friendliness served us well.”
Planning questions
Leadership keynote speaker FAQ
What leadership teams and event planners ask before they book. Anything else, ask Devon's team.
About Devon Harris
Raised in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica. Graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and a former Captain in the Jamaica Defence Force. Original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team that inspired Cool Runnings, and captain in 1992 and 1998. Author of Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings.
What does a leadership keynote speaker do?
A leadership keynote speaker gives your leaders a shared way to think about a challenge they are all facing, in a form they can remember and repeat. Devon uses his story as an Olympic bobsled captain and a former army officer, and his 3R System (Responsibility, Reframe, Reset), to help leaders act with clarity when the plan gets tested.
What will our leaders take away?
A simple language for ownership, setbacks and resets that works in staff meetings, one-on-ones and planning sessions. Clients often describe the advice as practical and useful immediately, not just inspiring on the day.
Can Devon tailor the keynote to our strategy or theme?
Yes. Every keynote starts with Devon's pre-event survey and a prep call with your leadership team, so your strategy, your language and your challenges are part of the talk. Arch Capital Group wrote that it was obvious to all that he had done his homework on their team’s goals and priorities.
Can Devon run a session for our managers as well?
Yes. The Team Captain's Toolbox is a half-day to full-day leadership session on vision, communication, participation, courage and integrity, with a workbook and interactive activities. Many organizations pair it with the keynote.
Does Devon speak at virtual or hybrid leadership meetings?
Yes. Devon delivers live virtual and hybrid keynotes on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar platforms, which works well for distributed leadership teams.
How much does it cost to book Devon as a leadership speaker?
Fees depend on the date, the location and the format, such as a keynote alone or a keynote with a leadership session. Send your event details through the form on this page and Devon's team will reply with fee and availability.
How far ahead should we book?
Reach out 3 to 6 months before your meeting or offsite. For events inside 60 days, email speaker@devonharris.com to check short-notice availability.
Check availability
Planning a leadership meeting? Check Devon's dates.
Tell us your date, location and leadership audience. Devon's team will come back to you with availability, fees and format options.
- Send your event detailsDate, location, audience size and what your leaders are facing this year.
- Talk with Devon's teamAgree on the format, the audience and your goals for the meeting.
- Get a keynote built for your leadersThe pre-event survey and prep call shape When Pressure Reveals Everything around your strategy.
Prefer to talk now? Call 844-853-3766 or email speaker@devonharris.com.