David Clutterbuck
Global thought leader David Clutterbuck empowers organizations to master coaching, mentoring, and adaptive leadership through evidence-based insights and engaging, humorous storytelling.
Why book David Clutterbuck for your next event
- Co-founder of EMCC Global, David Clutterbuck is recognized as a Thinkers50 Coaching Legend, partnering with leading global organizations to redefine leadership excellence and develop world-class coaching and mentoring cultures that drive measurable business growth.
- With over 80 influential books published, David Clutterbuck has shaped modern leadership and mentoring practices worldwide, offering evidence-based insights that transform organizational culture, enhance collaboration, and sustain long-term talent development.
- As Distinguished Research Fellow at The Conference Board and Visiting Professor at Henley Business School, David brings unparalleled academic rigor and practical expertise to help leaders turn research into powerful, real-world transformation.
Non-binding request for David Clutterbuck
Transforming Leadership Through Coaching and Mentoring Excellence
A global authority in coaching and mentoring, Professor David Clutterbuck empowers organizations to unlock leadership excellence and adaptive thinking. With over 80 published books and decades of research-driven insight, his dynamic keynotes blend humor, science, and strategy, transforming complex challenges into actionable frameworks that drive growth, collaboration, and lasting organizational impact.
Keynote Speaker David Clutterbuck is one of the world’s most respected and influential voices in coaching, mentoring, leadership development, and organizational transformation. Recognized as a Thinkers50 Coaching Legend and ranked among the Top 30 Global Gurus, he brings decades of research-driven insight to help organizations navigate complexity, change, and leadership challenges with clarity and confidence.
As co-founder of EMCC Global, David has been instrumental in shaping professional coaching and mentoring standards worldwide. Author or co-author of more than 80 books, he has transformed how global companies approach leadership growth, team coaching, and systemic talent management. His groundbreaking concept of “simplexity”, making the complex simple but not simplistic, has guided thousands of leaders toward better decision-making and sustainable success.
Known for his sharp intellect, humor, and engaging delivery, David combines evidence-based research with real-world relevance, ensuring that every keynote provides practical tools and actionable strategies. He challenges conventional HR models and inspires organizations to adopt adaptive, learning-oriented cultures that thrive amid uncertainty.
When you book David Clutterbuck for your event, you bring your audience face-to-face with a pioneer who bridges science and storytelling. His keynotes ignite new perspectives on leadership, mentoring, and collaboration, helping leaders and teams unlock their full potential and drive meaningful, lasting impact in a rapidly changing business landscape.
Keynotes
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
Why leadership is too important to leave to leaders
What happens when traditional leadership models no longer deliver results in a world defined by complexity, disruption, and uncertainty? Many organizations still rely on outdated, top-down approaches that stifle innovation and slow adaptation.
Keynote Speaker David Clutterbuck challenges this mindset with his powerful presentation, “Why Leadership Is Too Important to Leave to Leaders.” Drawing on extensive research with global corporations, David reveals a new blueprint for future-fit leadership, one where leadership becomes a shared, collective responsibility.
Through his engaging and evidence-based keynote, David empowers organizations to move beyond “command and control” toward agile, collaborative, and learning-driven cultures. Audiences gain practical frameworks to build trust, enable accountability, and unleash the full potential of their teams.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to equip your organization with the tools to thrive amid uncertainty and turn leadership into a shared force for sustainable success.
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
How to avoid organisational arthritis - keeping your company agile in a VUCA world
Is your organization slowing down, losing its spark, innovation, and responsiveness in the face of constant change? Many companies suffer from what David Clutterbuck calls “organizational arthritis” rigid structures, outdated processes, and complacent leadership that limit agility and growth.
In his compelling keynote, David Clutterbuck reveals the seven critical factors that cause organizational stiffness and how to overcome them. Drawing on decades of global research and real-world experience, he equips leaders with practical tools to restore vitality, adaptability, and strategic movement across every level of the business.
Through humor, storytelling, and evidence-based insight, David helps organizations rekindle their youthful vigour, building cultures that thrive in a VUCA world, volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to future-proof your organization, enhance resilience, and ensure your teams remain agile, innovative, and ready for whatever comes next.
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
Rapid Teaming - how to create new teams that are high performing from day one
How often do new teams struggle to align, wasting precious time before they start performing? In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations can’t afford the slow “forming, storming, norming” process. They need teams that deliver results immediately.
In his dynamic keynote, David Clutterbuck exposes the myths surrounding high-performing teams and replaces them with evidence-based strategies for rapid team formation and success. Drawing on extensive global research, he reveals how trust, clarity, and shared purpose can be built from day one, without the traditional trial-and-error approach.
Packed with humor, insight, and practical tools, David’s keynote empowers leaders to create cohesive, high-impact teams that perform under pressure, adapt quickly, and sustain long-term excellence.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to learn how to turn new groups into high-performing teams instantly, accelerating collaboration, innovation, and business success.
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
If you want to improve diversity and inclusion - think systemically
Why do so many diversity and inclusion initiatives fail to create real, lasting change? Despite good intentions, many organizations still struggle to unlock the full potential of their diverse talent. The problem isn’t effort, it’s the system itself.
In his groundbreaking keynote, David Clutterbuck reveals how to move beyond surface-level programs toward systemic inclusion that transforms organizational culture. Drawing on cutting-edge global research, he introduces a powerful, proven approach: co-learning partnerships that connect people from the top and bottom of the organization to identify and dismantle hidden barriers.
Through engaging storytelling and evidence-based insight, David demonstrates how this method builds shared accountability, innovation, and equity from within.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to learn how systemic thinking can turn diversity and inclusion from a policy into a powerful driver of collaboration, engagement, and sustainable performance.
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
How to become the coach you don’t know you could be
Do you ever wonder what’s holding you back from becoming the coach your people truly need? Many leaders and professionals believe that great coaching comes naturally, but in reality, it’s a developed mastery, not an innate talent.
In his enlightening keynote, David Clutterbuck draws on groundbreaking findings from the Coach Maturity Research Group to reveal what truly differentiates novice coaches from those who inspire lasting transformation. With clarity, humor, and evidence-based insight, he separates fact from fiction, guiding audiences through the real journey from competence to mastery.
Participants gain practical frameworks, self-awareness tools, and new perspectives to elevate their coaching impact immediately.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to empower your leaders and teams to unlock their hidden coaching potential, creating a culture of growth, trust, and performance that drives your organization forward.
Keynote by David Clutterbuck:
How to make the coach-AI partnership work
What happens when artificial intelligence can coach better than most humans? For many professionals, this question sparks fear, but it should spark opportunity. As AI reshapes the coaching landscape, the challenge is no longer to compete with technology, but to collaborate with it.
In his forward-thinking keynote, David Clutterbuck reveals how coaches and leaders can stay ahead by transforming from doing coaching to being a coach. Drawing on his deep research and global experience, he demonstrates how to harness AI as a powerful ally, enhancing reflection, insight, and human connection rather than replacing it.
Through practical strategies and visionary thinking, David equips audiences to integrate technology ethically and effectively into their practice.
Book David Clutterbuck for your event to future-proof your organization’s coaching culture and unlock the full potential of human–AI partnership in leadership development.
Prof David Clutterbuck
Watch David Clutterbuck in action!
