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“The feedback from colleagues was overwhelmingly positive, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sal as an authentic, humble, and engaging speaker. I’m already looking forward to future opportunities to work with him again.” Shaheda Hussain, InCommunities

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Talks that make
change happen

Sal’s keynotes help leaders understand how real systems change happens and what it takes to create lasting impact. Organisations work with Sal when they want a speaker who can make complex ideas clear, practical and inspiring, especially when they are trying to shift culture, strengthen leadership and respond to the pressures shaping how people think, lead and behave.

Sal focuses on the themes that matter most to leaders today: agency, moral courage, values led leadership, hope, psychological safety and the conditions that shape culture and allow people to flourish.

Each keynote uses storytelling, unique frameworks and research to give audiences practical insight into how leaders can influence systems change in three ways:

  • 1. Values-Led Leadership

  • 2. Leading with Moral Courage

  • 3. Creating Systemic Change

If your organisation is looking for a keynote speaker who can help people understand systems change, strengthen leadership capability and build a culture where people flourish, Sal would be delighted to support your event.

KEYNOTE
TOPICS
Values-Led Leadership

Holding on to Your True North

Culture change sounds simple when values sit on a wall or in a strategy document. The real challenge comes when those values collide with pressure, politics, fear, scrutiny and the instinct to keep things comfortable. This is where most organisations get stuck.

In this keynote, Sal Naseem explores how leaders stay anchored to their True North when the system around them feels difficult or morally compromised.

Through powerful storytelling and practical frameworks, Sal helps audiences recognise the values that guide them, understand what those values demand in hard moments and build the courage to hold on to them when it matters most.

 

This keynote is for leaders and organisations navigating cultural change, ethical pressure, scrutiny, mistrust or a gap between stated values and lived experience.

It is especially valuable for senior leaders, public sector leaders, professional services firms, HR and people leaders, boards, leadership teams and organisations that want to move beyond good intentions and create systemic change.

Audiences will leave with:

  • A clearer understanding of what it means to hold on to your values when leadership becomes difficult
  • A practical framework to identify the values that shape personal and professional decision-making
  • Tools to help leaders act with greater agency, even when operating inside complex or systems resistant to change.
Values-Led Leadership

Stepping Into Your Voice

Stepping Into Your Voice is a keynote designed for organisations to unlock the potential of people who have something important to offer but need the confidence to speak up and be heard.

Through compelling storytelling and leadership insight, Sal shows how our voices are shaped by the confidence and persistence to step into difficult spaces. Sal shows how he went from stammering to stand-up comedy to the global media stage and uses that journey to explore what might help others.

He takes audiences through five steps that defined his own journey. This keynote gives people a relatable path for developing their own voice and understanding how values, agency and experience shape the way they lead.

This keynote is for organisations that want their people to feel more confident in how they speak, lead and contribute. It resonates with teams who are navigating pressure or change and with leaders in professional services, the public sector and values-driven organisations.

It is ideal for events focused on culture, inclusion, resilience or leadership development.

The audience will understand how to:

  • Build confidence through small acts of courage.
  • Let go of limiting expectations.
  • Quieten and manage their inner critic.
  • Anchor their voice in their values.
  • Communicate with authenticity and impact.
LEADING WITH MORAL COURAGE

The Hope of Morally Courageous Leadership

In high-pressure environments, leadership is tested not by what people believe, but by what they are willing to do. This keynote explores the role of hope and moral courage and their unsung role in guiding leaders to act with integrity and conviction when it matters most. And what can happen as a result.

Drawing on Sal’s experience leading complex misconduct investigations and helping shape change at a national level, this keynote shows that morally courageous leadership isn’t just reserved for rare defining moments. It’s actually built through everyday choices that we make that create cultures where teams and organisations can flourish.

It also explores the role moral courage plays in creating agency during a time when that feels rare.

This keynote is designed for senior leaders, executive teams, school and college leaders, public sector organisations and values-led businesses facing complexity, pressure or cultural challenge.

It is especially relevant for organisations that want their leaders to make better decisions under pressure, build trust, lead through uncertainty and model the behaviours they expect from others.

Audiences will leave with:

  • A practical understanding of how moral courage strengthens leadership and drives meaningful change.
  • A clear, unique framework for putting morally courageous leadership into practice in everyday decisions, conversations and culture.
  • Inspired by Sal’s real-world experience of challenging systems, influencing change and leading with integrity in some of the most demanding environments.
creating systemic change

Male Allyship & The Role of Empathy

Male Allyship is a keynote for organisations where many men want to support gender equality but lack clarity, confidence or practical tools. This uncertainty creates hesitation, silence and missed opportunities for cultural change. This keynote gives men a grounded understanding of allyship and shows how everyday actions can shift workplace culture.

Drawing on research, neuroscience and lived experience, Sal explains why male allyship matters and the misunderstood importance of empathy in creating lasting behavioural change.

The keynote moves beyond awareness into action. Sal introduces a unique framework and shows what allyship looks like in meetings, decision-making and moments of bias. He challenges men to be honest with themselves and to recognise why equality can feel uncomfortable if it is not examined with courage.

This keynote is for organisations that want men to play an active role in culture change rather than a passive or uncertain one. It is ideal for leadership teams, male-dominated sectors, professional services, public bodies and organisations seeking to strengthen gender equality with practical, confident engagement from men at all levels.

The audience will take away:

  • A clear understanding of allyship and its purpose.
  • How systemic inequalities shape women’s experiences at work.
  • How empathy strengthens leadership and decision making.
  • What everyday allyship looks like in real situations.
  • How men can act with courage, consistency and self‑awareness.

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CREATING SYSTEMIC CHANGE

Recognising Anti-Muslim Hatred

Recognising Anti‑Muslim Hatred is a keynote for organisations that want their people to understand the scale and impact of anti‑Muslim hostility, and to build cultures where colleagues feel safe and respected. Many workplaces underestimate the issue or assume it sits outside their walls, when in reality it affects staff, service users and organisational trust every day.

Drawing on the latest evidence, using storytelling and practical insight, Sal shows how empathy, allyship and moral courage can shift cultures.

He helps audiences understand how bias forms, misinformation spreads and how small actions can create meaningful change. The keynote gives organisations a clear path to building workplaces where Muslim colleagues feel valued and where everyone understands their role in challenging hatred.

This keynote is for organisations that want to strengthen inclusion, improve cultural competence and build confidence in addressing anti‑Muslim hatred. It is ideal for public sector bodies, professional services, regulators, unions, education, health and any organisation with a diverse workforce or public‑facing role.

The audience will understand:

  • What anti‑Muslim hatred looks like in the UK and globally.
  • How media, politics and online spaces shape bias.
  • How to recognise and challenge harmful narratives.
  • How to build empathy and understanding.
  • What effective allyship looks like in practice.

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CREATING SYSTEMIC CHANGE

Leading. Building. Becoming.

Leading, Building, Becoming is a keynote for organisations where capable people hesitate to lead because they don’t see themselves as leaders. Many teams believe leadership belongs to hierarchy or seniority, which means talented individuals stay quiet or underestimate the influence they already have. This keynote challenges that misconception.

Drawing on Sal’s leadership experience working across the public sector, he shares how he rebuilt trust with communities, challenged resistance inside his own organisation and delivered national change in policing.

Through stories of persistence, moral courage and real-world impact, Sal gives audiences a practical and human way to think about leadership. He shows how ordinary people can achieve meaningful outcomes when they step into their agency and lead from where they are.

This keynote is for organisations that want to strengthen leadership capability at every level. It resonates with teams navigating change, public scrutiny or cultural challenges, and with leaders who want to build trust, influence and confidence in complex environments. It is ideal for public sector audiences, professional services, unions, regulators and values driven organisations.

Audiences will know how to:

  • Lead with values in high-pressure environments.
  • Build trust through action rather than rhetoric.
  • Work in common purpose with people with whom they disagree.
  • Develop resilience when the work is difficult.
  • Grow into leadership and, without relying on hierarchy, create followership.
Leadership Development
TALKS FOR
SCHOOLS
how to be a changemaker everyday

What’s this talk about?

How to Be a Changemaker Every Day shows young people that changemaking isn’t something reserved for famous activists. It is something they can do in their own lives, starting now. Through personal stories from his childhood and career, Sal helps students understand, through five ideas, how young people can look beyond limiting beliefs and lean into that limitless potential.

Who would enjoy this?

Secondary schools that want to inspire confidence, resilience and positive action in their students. Ideal for assemblies, enrichment days, leadership programmes and PSHE.

What will children take away from this?

  • How to understand their values.
  • How to build resilience.
  • How small acts of courage create change.
  • How to think beyond the ceilings set by others.

The impact could be felt in the room in the moment and the extremely positive feedback received after the event showed just how much it had resonated with colleagues. Sal understands the demands and nuances of modern workplaces but finds a way to balance professional challenge with the human touch. Highly recommend.”

Angela Brodie, Police Scotland

Frequently
asked questions

Sal can tailor to your requirements and offer a 15 minute TED talk, a 1 hour keynote  , or a 90 minute keynote including Q&A.  Please just let Sal know when sending through your query.

Sal can offer bespoke keynotes, please just let us know when you send your enquiry through and we would be happy to explore your requirements.

Yes, Sal is happy to travel in person or speak virtually.

Yes, Sal speaks at events internationally and regularly works with organisations across different countries and time zones. Sal is happy to travel for in‑person keynotes. Virtual delivery is also available when preferred.

Yes. Sal is happy to take part in these formats. Please let us know when sending through your enquiry and happy to discuss.

You can get in touch via the ‘Book Sal to Speak’ section on this site.

 

Yes. Sal offers a range of workshops and follow‑up sessions that build on the themes of his keynotes. These sessions can be fully customised to the needs of your organisation, whether you’re looking for a deep dive with senior leaders, a practical skills session for teams, or a facilitated space to explore values-led leadership, moral courage, and leadership in complex environments.

Ready to discover your agency to create systems change?

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hello@salnaseem.co.uk
PRESS/ORGANISERS KIT

Short Bio (43 words)

Sal Naseem is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and bestselling author who helps leaders and organisations find the agency to create systemic change. He draws on experience leading complex change across policing, local government, the UK electoral system and the national fire service.

Medium Bio (76 words)

Sal Naseem is a keynote speaker, award-winning public servant, leadership consultant, and bestselling author who helps leaders and organisations find the agency to create systemic change. He has led work on systemic change across policing, local government, the UK electoral system and the national fire service, working in environments marked by scrutiny, complexity and cultural challenge. Through his keynotes and leadership development, he helps leaders practice moral courage and build values‑led cultures that enable long-term change.

Long Bio (101 words)

Sal Naseem is a keynote speaker, award-winning public servant, leadership consultant,  and bestselling author who helps leaders and organisations find their agency to create systemic change. He has worked across some of the UK’s most challenging public services, including policing, local government, the UK electoral system and the national fire service. Sal’s work focused on systemic change and addressing systemic inequity. Through story‑led keynotes, leadership development and executive coaching, Sal helps leaders understand how systems behave and their own agency in driving change. He equips organisations with the tools that help leaders reconnect with their agency, values, and their moral courage.
tECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
To provide the best possible experience for your audience, here are Sal’s preferred technical requirements for delivering his keynotes:
  • Presentation Format: Sal uses PowerPoint for his presentations and will send the final presentation in advance. He will also bring a backup copy on a dongle.
  • Multimedia: Sal integrates videos into his presentations, so please ensure sound capability for video playback.
  • Microphone: For optimal audio, Sal prefers a lapel or head microphone, depending on room size and setup.
  • Control: A clicker is requested to advance slides.
  • Comfort Monitor: If available, a comfort monitor is helpful,  though not essential.
  • Timer Display: Sal likes to keep an eye on the time; a visible clock or timer is ideal.

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