Dr. Sarah M. Kipp is on a mission to close the gap between what student leaders know they can do and what they actually do under pressure. Drawing on her doctoral research in self-talk, her TEDx talk, and her book Presenting to Leaders, she helps colleges and universities build leaders who are present, authentic, and unafraid of hard conversations.
Keynote Topics
In the Moment™: Navigating Change in Challenging Times
College is one long crash course in change—new roommates, new leadership roles, new pressure, and about five minutes to figure it all out before the next thing hits. Dr. Sarah M. Kipp has spent over two decades studying how people move through disruption, combining doctoral research on the inner voice with real-world experience helping leaders stay clear-headed when everything feels like it’s moving too fast.
In this dynamic session, Sarah draws on her research into self-talk patterns to show student leaders how the stories running through their heads during stressful moments either steady them or send them spiraling. Participants will learn to spot the difference between panic and clarity, and leave with a practical framework for staying present—whether they’re leading a floor, a chapter, a team, or just trying to get through finals week in one piece.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the internal patterns that hijack clear thinking during stressful or high-pressure moments
- Learn a research-backed framework for recognizing and interrupting unhelpful self-talk in real time
- Develop a personal practice for staying grounded when things feel out of control
- Understand the difference between reacting to change and navigating it with intention
- Leave with a concrete strategy for leading themselves—and their peers—through whatever comes next
Create Connection™: Leading with Authenticity, Presence, and Risk-taking
What does it actually cost us when we play it safe—especially in college, where reinvention feels one Instagram post away? Dr. Sarah M. Kipp believes the leaders people remember aren’t the most polished ones—they’re the ones willing to be real. A TEDx speaker, published author, and executive coach, Sarah built her Capacity Curve for Change™ framework around a simple but demanding idea: authentic connection requires risk.
In this session, Sarah walks audiences through the Capacity Curve for Change™—Authenticity, Risk-taking, and Connection—showing how each element builds on the last to create trust that holds under pressure. Participants will explore where they currently play it safe, what it would look like to show up more fully, and how presence (not perfection) is what turns a room of individuals into a genuinely connected team.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the Capacity Curve for Change™ framework and how authenticity, risk-taking, and connection build on one another
- Identify specific moments where they default to self-protection instead of presence
- Learn practical ways to take relational risks that deepen trust rather than undermine it
- Develop a stronger, more authentic leadership presence in high-stakes moments
- Leave with tools to build genuine connection across teams, not just rapport
Impact and Influence™: Accelerating Change with Courageous Conversation
How many conversations are you avoiding right now—the ones that could actually move things forward? Sarah has spent her career helping leaders say the hard things well. Drawing on her doctoral research, her book Presenting to Leaders, and decades of executive coaching, she equips audiences to stop managing around difficult conversations and start using them as a lever for real influence.
In this session, Sarah reframes “courageous conversation” from a dreaded obligation into a leadership skill that can be built and sharpened. Participants will learn how to prepare for high-stakes dialogue, read what’s happening beneath the surface of a conversation, and speak in ways that create movement instead of defensiveness—accelerating change instead of stalling it out.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn a practical framework for preparing for initiating difficult conversations
- Understand how avoidance quietly slows down change and erodes influence
- Develop language and techniques for speaking directly without triggering defensiveness
- Practice distinguishing between conflict avoidance and genuine diplomacy
- Leave with a plan for one courageous conversation they’ve been putting off
The Game Changer: Shifting a Moment™
Just as everything can change in a moment, in one moment we have the power to change. While our circumstances may stay the same, how we show up in a given moment can make or break us. When we react instead of respond, we create disconnection. When we fight, flee, or freeze, we lose our ability to influence and impact others in the way we intend.
Dr. Sarah M. Kipp offers research-based insight into how we remain present and connected in the most challenging of circumstances. The Game
Changer: Shifting a Moment™ approach gives audiences access to authenticity, vulnerability,
and congruence through a practical strategy that can be implemented anywhere, anytime, and in moments that challenge us to the core. Leaders who embrace this approach are able to influence others by embodying presence, being aware and aligned, and cultivating connection.
Learning Outcomes
- A proven approach for cultivating connection
and confidence in any moment - Inspiring stories and examples of how shifting
the energy and mindset of a moment leads to
transformative, game-changing results - Strategies and tips to make this approach
their own—memorable, actionable, applicable,
and available—anywhere and at any time
All keynote addresses are customized to the audience. The topics above help clients generate ideas.