Speaking 

Living Real: The Courage to Lead Authentically

When the gap between who you are and how you show up is costing you more than you realize

Most leaders spend enormous energy managing their image, perfecting their performance, and hiding the parts of themselves they think don't belong in professional settings. But what if your greatest leadership asset isn't your polished exterior—it's your integrated whole self?

Dr. Preston explores the neuroscience behind authentic leadership, why vulnerability creates stronger teams, and how leaders can bridge the gap between their inner wisdom and outer presence. Learn practical strategies for leading from a place of genuine confidence rather than performed competence.

Key Takeaways:

• How authenticity becomes a competitive advantage in leadership
• The difference between vulnerability and oversharing in professional contexts
• Strategies for integrating your values into your daily leadership decisions
• Creating psychological safety through authentic modeling

Beyond the Mask: Authentic Leadership in a Performance Culture

For leaders tired of the exhaustion that comes from being "always on"

The modern workplace demands constant performance—always confident, always having answers, always projecting strength. But research shows that leaders who bring their whole selves to work create more innovative, resilient, and engaged teams.

This talk dismantles the myth that effective leadership requires perfection and explores how leaders can show up authentically without sacrificing credibility or authority. Dr. Preston shares practical frameworks for navigating the tension between being real and being professional.

Key Takeaways:

• How to maintain authority while embracing vulnerability
• The energy cost of constant performance and how to reduce it
• Building trust through consistency between values and actions
• Creating environments where others feel safe to be authentic too

The Integration Imperative: Head, Heart, and Gut in Leadership

When your best decisions come from more than just data and logic

The most effective leaders don't rely solely on analytical thinking—they've learned to integrate their intellectual insights with emotional intelligence and intuitive wisdom. Yet most leadership development focuses exclusively on cognitive skills, leaving leaders with only a fraction of their available intelligence.

Dr. Preston explores how to access and trust the full spectrum of your decision-making capacity. Learn how to honor data while also listening to the subtle signals that often contain crucial information about timing, people, and possibilities.

Key Takeaways:

• How to recognize and trust your intuitive intelligence
• Balancing analytical rigor with emotional and somatic awareness
• Making better decisions by integrating multiple ways of knowing
• The neuroscience behind gut feelings and when to trust them

Sustainable Leadership: Thriving Without Burning Out

For leaders who want to achieve more by forcing less

High-achieving leaders often operate from a paradigm of constant pushing—more hours, more effort, more sacrifice. But sustainable impact requires a different approach: learning to work with your natural rhythms rather than against them.

This presentation explores how authentic leadership involves honoring your actual capacity, setting boundaries that serve your mission, and achieving success without sacrificing your well-being. Dr. Preston shares research on sustainable high performance and practical strategies for leaders who want to thrive in the long term.

Key Takeaways:

• How to recognize and honor your natural energy patterns
• Setting boundaries that enhance rather than limit your impact
• The difference between sustainable intensity and unsustainable pushing
• Creating organizational cultures that support rather than drain leaders

The Courage to Be Seen: Vulnerability as a Leadership Strength

For leaders ready to transform their relationship with uncertainty and imperfection

Many leaders fear that showing uncertainty, admitting mistakes, or revealing their learning process will undermine their authority. But research consistently shows that leaders who model appropriate vulnerability create more psychologically safe, innovative, and resilient teams.

This talk explores how to embrace vulnerability as a leadership strength without oversharing or undermining confidence. Dr. Preston provides practical frameworks for navigating uncertainty with grace, admitting what you don't know while maintaining credibility, and creating cultures where learning is valued over knowing.

Key Takeaways:

• The difference between vulnerability and oversharing in leadership contexts
• How to maintain authority while embracing uncertainty
• Creating psychological safety through authentic modeling
• Transforming failure and mistakes into learning opportunities for your team