Speaking

Lift up your next internal conference or leadership presentation with Sonali and recharge and inspire your people. You’ll find a highly engaging speaker and storyteller in Sonali who genuinely connects with her audiences and gives them a reason to practice inclusion.

Sonali gets to the heart of why organisations and teams are incomplete without inclusion. She makes it engaging and practical to be more inclusive, so everyone can feel safe, respected and like they can belong at their workplace.

Sonali’s work is often valued by organisations on themes of inclusive leadership and belonging, and how to thrive in a changing and complex work environment. Take Sonali’s Leading with Inclusion Self-assessment here.

Sample Presentation Topics

How to Lead with Inclusion In a Diverse Workplace

Many leaders could lead with more inclusion if only they knew how. These leadership shifts are often not as complicated as imagined and seem daunting only from a distance. This presentation will make inclusive leadership an accessible and attainable skill set for leaders.

What your audience will learn

How leadership expectations have shifted at work
Being aware of the people benefits of inclusion
Addressing the everyday obstacles to inclusion
Discovering why teams do better when included
Learning practical strategies to lead with inclusion

Creating Psychological Safety and Belonging at Work

Know what helps teams experience emotional safety at work and why. Safety allows a team to take interpersonal risks without fearing judgement or rejection. Learn to take actions that instil psychological safety and belonging, and help people to be fully present and engaged.

What your audience will learn

How psychological safety impacts teams
Creating a respectful and safe workplace
What triggers lack of psychological safety
Why safe teams are also high performing
Learning to create and sustain safety at work

Developing a Culture of Connection and Belonging

A disconnected and disengaged team experiences hurt and falls into lack of commitment. Help your leaders to make belonging a tangible leadership action, identify moments of disconnection and find meaningful ways to offer connection and belonging to a team.

What your audience will learn

What a culture of belonging looks like
Why teams need to feel belonged at work
Detecting the early signs of disconnection
Fuelling inclusion through engagement
Leadership actions that accelerate belonging

Interrupting and Managing Leadership Biases

Learn about the five key decision-making biases that get in the way of leaders and prevent them from being inclusive, fair, empathetic and accountable. Learn smart ways to identify and interrupt these biases before they derail leadership efforts or exclude your team.

What your audience will learn

How unconscious biases affect decisions
The five key biases that derail leadership
Learning effective ways to interrupt biases
Discovering ideas to jumpstart inclusion
Making progress on inclusive leadership

Building Inclusive and Diverse Teams

Having diversity alone is not enough, and leaders need to have the tools that enable team inclusion, so everyone can deliver on the promise of diversity. Learn how inclusive leaders activate differences to create an energising, inspiring and inclusive work environment.

What your audience will learn

Why diversity is incomplete without inclusion
How to put inclusion before diversity
Learning high impact inclusive practices
Getting your team onboard with diversity
Activating differences and raising inclusion

Advancing Leadership and Opportunity for Women

Find smart ways to get around the age-old issues of women getting stalled in their careers at work. Don’t just stop at hiring more women, but chart the path to their inclusion and provide equal opportunities for them to thrive and advance into leadership and progress.

What your audience will learn

What gender equality really means at work
Involving men in advancing women’s leadership
Leading through smart mentoring practices
Adopting powerful retention strategies
Creating a sense of gender inclusion at work

Developing Visible Women Leaders

What your audience will learn

What makes women more visible at work
Reframing confidence and self-worth at work
Finding ways to be visible on your terms
Clarifying your leadership values and strengths
Moving from networking to connecting

Check Sonali’s Availability to Speak at Your Event

Client Testimonials

Through AITD, I had the privilege of co-hosting an amazing webinar delivered by Sonali, called ‘Activating an Inclusive Learning Experience'. Sonali’s depth and breadth of knowledge around D&I is quite simply incredible. Her webinar uncovers varying types of facilitation, which are important...

Jennifer Waltmon

Former Programs Manager | Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD)

Sonali facilitated a team session for our group as part of a team day. Her approach is curious, energetic and positive. Sonali and I had a number of open and pragmatic conversations prior to the day, informing her approach and the material covered. She led an engaging and thought-provoking...

Claire Pocock

Manager Studies | BHP, Olympic Dam Asset Projects

Sonali’s knowledge and passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is second to none. Her professional yet relatable approach to her workshops allows her to connect to all her participants in a very unique way. This in turn means that the learning is absorbed and understood regardless of your...

Alex Jennings

Infrastructure Manager | La Marzocco Australia

Sonali presented at Beyond Bank Australia ‘In Conversations with D&I” speaking about the topic of Inclusion to our employees. She is an inspiring presenter who speaks authentically, sharing numerous personal experiences around the topic of Inclusion and giving simple practical strategies for our...

Deborah Beltrame-Ross

Organisational Development Manager | Beyond Bank Australia

I can unhesitatingly provide a high recommendation for Sonali. She has advanced skills and knowledge in designing and facilitating leadership programs for a range of audiences. Sonali has been a part of our panel of expert facilitators and delivered successful leadership programs for our clients...

Joanna Carrick

Former Programs Manager | PACE at the University of Adelaide

I recommend Sonali D'silva for designing and developing inclusive leadership development programs. Sonali supported Arup to present a seven-module program across Southeast Asia - opening hearts and minds to the leadership qualities and behaviours which enable inclusive teams.

Abbie Wright

Diversity & Inclusion Associa te | Arup