Say The Thing That Changes Things.
Conference keynotes, company all-hands, leadership and manager sessions, team offsites, and association breakouts.
Most workplace problems are communication problems wearing a costume. The standard nobody stated, the concern nobody raised, the good work nobody mentioned. Teams that learn to say the real thing early and kindly get better at everything else on their own, and it costs nothing to start. Chris Sund has spent two decades building teams where people speak up, and he speaks to it in plain language.
Clear beats clever. Early beats perfect.
My KC Live, KCTV5 Kansas City →Judge a communication speaker by watching one.
This is the one topic where the clip matters more than the bio, because how somebody communicates is the entire proof. Send it to your committee. Chris has been on morning television in six markets, hosts a weekly podcast, and has written for Inc. and Forbes.
Five things a team uses that afternoon.
No personality assessments, no communication style quadrants, no presentation coaching, and no crisis communications or PR content. This is about what people say to each other at work and whether it lands.
On what the communication session is about
- Saying it early and kindly. Most difficult conversations are only difficult because they waited. Early is smaller, warmer, and far more likely to work, and it is a habit rather than a talent.
- Clarity is a kindness. Vague feedback and unstated standards feel gentler and are not. People can meet a standard they can hear stated plainly, and most have never been told one.
- Listening that actually changes something. Not nodding technique. Asking the question that surfaces what somebody was not going to volunteer, and then doing something with the answer.
- Delivering a message people act on. Announcements, changes, and expectations land differently depending on how much of the why comes with them. See communicating change.
- One move, not a program. Every session closes on a single specific action, sized for somebody with a full inbox and a meeting in ten minutes.
Eight ways organizations book this session.
Conferences usually pair a general session with a breakout. Companies usually pair an all-hands with a session for people who lead others.
Conference Keynote
General session at an association conference, annual meeting, or industry event.Company All-Hands
The whole organization together. Works with frontline, office, and leadership in the same room.Manager & Supervisor Session
The people having the conversations that decide whether staff stay. Manager development.Leadership Team Workshop
Executive and leadership groups working on the standard they set and the conversations they avoid.Team Offsite Session
Departments and cross-functional teams working on how they talk to each other. Offsite details.Emerging Leaders Session
Newer professionals learning to speak up and be heard. Emerging leaders.Conference Breakouts
Repeatable concurrent sessions alongside a general session at an association event.Meeting Opener
A shorter version to open a leadership meeting, planning day, or annual gathering.Built for any room where people work together.
This is the most portable session on the site. What changes is the examples, not the framework.
Associations & Conferences
Annual conventions, chapter meetings, and education days. See association speaking.Companies & All-Hands
Organizations of any size running all-hands meetings, kickoffs, and development days.HR & Learning Teams
HR conferences, SHRM chapters, and internal learning and development programs. See HR conference speaking.Leadership Programs
Leadership academies, chamber leadership classes, and management development series.Healthcare Teams
Clinical and support teams where a missed message has real consequences. See healthcare speaking.Frontline & Shift Work
Plants, sites, branches, and stores where handoffs between shifts carry the message.Sales Organizations
Sales teams where internal clarity is as valuable as external persuasion. See sales speaking.Boards & Nonprofits
Board retreats and nonprofit teams where volunteers and staff have to align. See nonprofit speaking.Four movements. Ten principles.
Every session runs the same architecture as the book. Communication runs through all four, but movement three is where this one lives.
The Foundation
Ownership and time. Taking responsibility for the message rather than blaming the room for not hearing it.The Breakthrough
The comfort ceiling and the inner voice. Why people stay quiet when they know the right thing to say.The Standard
Truth over praise, and the hidden gear. The core of this session, and what a team does once somebody goes first.The Purpose
Finishing, and leaving people better. The close, and what honest communication is actually for.A copy for everyone in the room.
A session gives a team an hour. A copy gives everyone the same ten principles and the same words, which is what makes a new habit stick past the week the slides come down.
You Are Capable of More: A No-Excuses Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. An Amazon bestseller from Game Changer Publishing, with a foreword by Ben Newman.
Ten chapters across four movements, written plainly and short enough that people actually finish it. Chapter seven, truth over praise, is the one teams quote back after a communication session. The free companion toolkit includes a discussion guide sized for a team meeting, a self-assessment, and a thirty day challenge. Nothing is gated behind an email address.
The feedback speaks for itself.
His engaging style draws the audience into the conversation, creating a relaxed atmosphere that encourages learning and reflection. You leave not only inspired but equipped.
Chris would be an incredible addition to any live audience. Each time he finds a unique way to connect on both a personal and professional level, keeping everyone engaged and attentive.
Chris consistently brings knowledge, insight, and practical advice. He led two impactful sessions and left everyone with tools they could use immediately.
Chris is a thoughtful, intentional leader who understands the influence he carries. His message challenged me to think differently about how I lead, serve, and influence others.
Chris was an outstanding speaker and a highlight of our event. He took the time to deeply understand our organization and thoughtfully personalized every moment.
His engaging style draws the audience into the conversation, creating a relaxed atmosphere that encourages learning and reflection. You leave not only inspired but equipped.
Chris would be an incredible addition to any live audience. Each time he finds a unique way to connect on both a personal and professional level, keeping everyone engaged and attentive.
Chris consistently brings knowledge, insight, and practical advice. He led two impactful sessions and left everyone with tools they could use immediately.
Chris is a thoughtful, intentional leader who understands the influence he carries. His message challenged me to think differently about how I lead, serve, and influence others.
Chris was an outstanding speaker and a highlight of our event. He took the time to deeply understand our organization and thoughtfully personalized every moment.
Events already on your calendar.
He built teams that said the real thing.
Chris Sund is the bestselling author of You Are Capable of More, a keynote speaker, and an executive leader.
As President and COO of Uniti Med, GQR Healthcare and Nebula, he helped grow Uniti Med 10x in revenue in two years and earn the number three ranking on the Inc. Regionals list among the fastest growing companies in the Midwest, while the organization earned Fortune Best Workplaces recognition and Great Place to Work certification three years running.
He is a father of three, based in Nebraska, a Maxwell Leadership Certified speaker, trainer, and coach, Vice President of the NATHO Board of Directors, and the founder of Amplify Speakers. He writes for Inc. and Forbes and hosts the Amplify Speakers Podcast weekly. He is not a communication academic and does not teach a proprietary model. What he teaches is what worked while building a company where people told each other the truth.
Details your committee will ask for.
Meeting planners and HR leaders ask these.
Is this based on a communication style model?
Is this presentation skills or public speaking training?
How much does a communication speaker cost?
Will you make people role play?
Can it work for a mixed room?
Our problem is really that people avoid conflict. Does that get covered?
We are going through a change. Should we book this or the change session?
Can we get books for everyone?
How do we start?
Other ways organizations book him.
Same framework, built for the specific room you are filling.