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Keynotes
With these keynotes, I dare to go deep, while still holding the room lightly.
If you were standing outside the room during one of my talks, you’d hear both laughter and silence.
That contrast is intentional. It’s how I make a message stick so people keep thinking about it long after the event is over.
Can’t find the exact keynote you’re looking for?
If the tone or topic speaks to you, let’s connect. Together, we’ll shape a talk that truly fits your audience.
The predictability of toxicity
"Everything happened, the way she said it would! It's as if she was in the room. "
This keynote shows leaders that toxic behavior isn’t random; it’s predictable.
Annick Seys helps leadership teams decode the subtle patterns that derail trust, hold teams hostage, or go unnamed because the person causing them is seen as irreplaceable.
Blending behavioral science with humor and lived experience, she shows how these dynamics can be named, understood, and shifted, not just in others, but in yourself.
What audiences take away:
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A new lens to read and anticipate disruptive behavior
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Tools for difficult conversations
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Clarity and calm to act before things escalate
This keynote is a wake-up call and a massive relief. Because once you see the patterns, you can change them.
This keynote can be customised to fit your team’s challenges or evolve into a full leadership or development program.
Curious what that could look like for your organisation? Let’s connect.
Grounded, Solid, Connected, Real Leadership
Did you know that 90% of us don’t feel truly connected to the people around us? Leaders are no exception.
And without that sense of connection, how do you motivate others? How do you challenge them to grow, give feedback they might not want to hear, or have the courage to stand your ground?
Connection isn’t always the answer, but it helps in almost every leadership situation.
In this keynote, I unpack the five fundamental relational skills every leader needs to guide, confront, and support their people without losing themselves in the process.
Expect behavioral science, practical tools, and stories that’ll make you laugh and think. You’ll walk away feeling both challenged and inspired, with a clearer view of what kind of leader you are... and what kind of team you want to build.
This keynote can be customised to fit your team’s challenges or evolve into a full leadership or development program.
Curious what that could look like for your organisation? Let’s connect.
What clients say
“As a coordinator in a Network for Palliative Care, I invited Annick to speak at a Flemish Palliative Care Congress in Belgium, where she addressed more than 500 palliative care professionals on how to stay connected in communication when under intense pressure. What stands out is her authenticity and the clarity of the message she conveys. She gently provokes reflection with small nudges, trusting the process that follows. She doesn’t shy away from using humor. Her language is direct and at times confrontational, but always warm and deeply engaged. Annick fills the space with her presence. Her energy is dynamic, swirling, and contagious — and so is the interaction she sparks during her talk. But don’t be mistaken: it’s the vulnerability she sees beneath it all that defines her. Gripping in her message, soulfully present in the way she shows up.”
- Els Noels Staff Member Expertise & Quality Assurance · Palliative Care Limburg Belgium
The hidden influence of self-doubt on leadership and what to do about it
Ever caught yourself overexplaining?
Not because someone asked but to control the narrative?
In that moment, you’re not the leader you could be.
Your mind isn’t free. Your behavior isn’t either.
You people-please. You micromanage.
Let’s look at the root cause of why others’ opinion weigh so heavily on you?
Let’s talk about the hidden cost of self-doubt, self-worth and self-image with lightness, honesty and humour.
My goal is to inspire you to stop proving yourself and start trusting yourself.
And then you can lead the way with impact.
This keynote can be shaped to reflect your organisation’s reality or serve as a starting point for a deeper leadership or team journey.
Interested? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind.
Leading by Example: Why Your Team Needs You, Not Your Perfection
What if your team doesn’t need more tools but a leader who models growth, and invites others to grow too?
For some, leading others comes naturally. For others, it’s a real challenge to have difficult conversations, or to let people take full responsibility for their results. So they avoid them.
Instead, they try to look accessible. Like they’ve got it all together.
They hide their mistakes.
They focus on being liked not on leading.
But leadership isn’t about control or perfection. It’s about connection.
Because how else will you help your team grow, if you’re not in real contact with the people you lead?
This keynote is an honest exploration of vulnerability as a leadership strength; a gateway to connection, trust, and psychological safety.
Only when people feel safe, can they truly be coached, challenged, and inspired.
Before you confront others with their mistakes, learn to normalize making them. By showing your own learning process, you give others permission to grow.
Let’s stop pretending. Let’s start leading.
This keynote can be tailored for your organisation or form the foundation of a deeper team or leadership program.
Curious? Let’s talk.
The Gamechanger:
Leading by Choice, Not by Habit
What if your greatest strength as a leader isn’t decisiveness, but the ability to stay present, adapt, and choose your response?
This keynote introduces psychological flexibility as the game-changing skill behind clear, calm and courageous leadership.
I'll show how leaders fall into reactive habits, shutting down, avoiding, micromanaging or chasing perfection, and what it takes to shift from survival mode to values-driven action.
Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about staying connected to yourself, your people, and what really matters in the moment.
With humor, behavioral science, and lived experience, Annick invites leaders to stop performing, and start choosing.
From reactivity to presence. From pressure to clarity. From habit to real leadership.
What audiences take away:
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Awareness of the patterns that hijack clarity and connection
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A new language for leading from values, not emotion
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Practical tools to stay grounded, even under pressure.
This keynote can be tailored to your team’s challenges or form the foundation of a deeper leadership program.
Curious what that could look like in your organization? Let’s connect.
From Survival to Strategy: Healing Old Patterns in Leadership
n this keynote, I reveal how leadership habits like control, overperformance, or people-pleasing often begin as ways to feel safe and how they impact the way we lead today and the results that are linked to it.
As a trauma survivor and behavioral expert, I bring both lived insight and psychological precision to the stage.
With clarity, humor, and compassion, I help leaders move beyond outdated strategies and into grounded, values-based leadership.
Growth isn’t just about knowing what to do, it’s about seeing what’s been running the show.
What audiences take away:
• Recognition of hidden patterns driving their leadership
• A shift from control to conscious choice
• Tools to lead from strength, not survival
This keynote can be adapted to your leadership context — or form the foundation of a deeper transformation journey.
Curious how this could impact your team or culture? Let’s connect.
