Peter Docker

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• Leading from the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control

  In business and in life, handing over the reins to others is inevitable. Everyone will eventually leave their team, retire from being the CEO, or see their kids leave home and lead their own lives. Leading from the jumpseat enables us to embrace this inevitability. It’s a metaphor for how we can choose to lead. It’s about the journey we take so we can hand over control to others, who are then equipped to continue forward. When we lead from this perspective, it accelerates our team’s growth and what we accomplish together much faster than would otherwise be possible.

  In this fast-paced, interactive keynote, Peter Docker, author of Leading from the Jumpseat and co-author of Find Your Why and formerly a founding Igniter at Simon Sinek Inc., delivers the powerful message that leadership is about lifting people up and giving them the space they need so that, when the time is right, they can take the lead.

  Organizations that lead from the jumpseat have the ability to:

  • Lead during times of uncertainty and change.
  • Feel confident leading when they “don’t know the answer”.
  • Find the courage to step into the unknown.
  • Identify, amongst all the noise, what really matters to us as individuals and as an organization.
  • Grow leaders who step-up and take responsibility, at all levels of the organization.

  Becoming a jumpseat leader takes practise and together, Docker and attendees will take his inspirational concepts from his book and turn them into practical application.

  • Commitment: When we source ourselves from commitments, we are able to tap into a deep reserve of energy that makes us better equipped to handle the unknown or a crisis.
  • Humble confidence: When we lead with Humble Confidence we unlock potential by creating an environment where others feel they can offer ideas and contribute, rather than giving the impression we alone have all of the answers. This enables our team to move forward more rapidly and with greater agility.
  • Belonging: When we nurture a sense of Belonging we create an environment in which our people are recognized for who they are and the contribution they can make. This gives rise to more innovation, mutual support, and discretionary effort – all of which builds leaders.

  Learning objectives include:

  • To think afresh about what it means to hand over control and how that can generate growth that is sustainable.
  • To share the distinctions in language needed to practice commitment, humble confidence, and belonging.
  • To understand that leading from the jumpseat is a lifelong journey and it is our role as leaders to look for opportunities to hand over control.
  • To commit to equipping others so they can carry forward what is deeply important to us.

  What you will learn from attending:

  • How to create an environment where people are equipped and empowered to lead.
  • The value of having a personal commitment to lift others up.
  • How to embrace the focus of jumpseat leadership as the opportunity to create more leaders who can accelerate growth and sustainably scale business.

  Please note: Docker co-designs every keynote with the client to tailor it to their event and unique needs.  

• Workshop: Foundation in Jumpseat Leadership: Bringing Jumpseat Leadership to Life

  Leadership is about lifting people up and giving them the space they need so that, when the time is right, they can take the lead. So, what gets in the way and keeps this from happening?

  Many times, it’s the fear of not knowing – the discomfort of stepping into the unknown. So how do we shift the dynamic?

  This fast-paced highly interactive workshop gives a different perspective on the dramatic events of NASA’s Apollo Space Program Mission, Apollo 13. Together, we will explore jumpseat leadership in action — how it’s okay to NOT know the answer, how making a commitment to something WE stand for can open up possibilities when dealing with the unknown, and how becoming comfortable with not knowing the answer can become our greatest strength.

  Learning objectives include:

  • To see the practices of jumpseat leadership in action.
  • To think differently about NOT knowing the answer and embracing the collective genius of the team.
  • To practise the language needed to work through adaptive challenges and when facing times of uncertainty.
  • To build understanding of the difference between delegation and abdication, and how that relates to handing over control.
  • To commit to valuing each person on our team, to foster leaders, and create opportunities where we increasingly “lead from the jumpseat” where history-making outcomes are possible.
  • To start the conversations needed to take their company to the next level.