Leadership They’ll Use Before They Graduate
Chris Sund is a keynote speaker for university leadership programs, student orientations, and campus events. Author of You Are Capable of More and a Maxwell Leadership Certified Coach, he gives students a leadership message built on what he actually does: leading companies, developing young professionals, and betting on people before their résumés justify it.
Students Don’t Need Another “Future Leaders” Speech
They’re leading now — clubs, teams, jobs, group projects nobody else will carry. Chris treats student audiences like the emerging professionals they are. His message tackles the comfort ceiling that keeps talented students playing small, the discipline systems that outlast motivation, and the ownership mindset that makes 22-year-olds get promoted at 24. As an executive who hires and develops young professionals every week, he tells students exactly what employers are actually looking for — and it’s rarely the GPA.
- The comfort ceiling: why capable students self-select out of big opportunities
- Ownership over excuses — the trait every employer is screening for
- Discipline systems for when motivation runs out (it always does)
- What a hiring executive actually looks for in new grads
- A 30-day challenge students can start before the semester ends
Student & Young Professional Audiences Chris Has Served
- YP Summit — one of the region’s largest young professionals conferences
- Greater Omaha Chamber — Young Professionals Workshop
- emPower Breakfast
- See all speaking engagements →
Formats for Campus
Leadership Program Keynote
For leadership academies, honors programs, and student leadership conferences.
Orientation & Welcome Week
Set the tone for the year — ownership, belonging, and the habits that decide the semester.
Career Readiness Session
From a sitting executive: how hiring actually works and how students can stand out.
Student-Athlete Crossover
Pair a campus keynote with an athletics session — see the College Athletics page.
Who Books Chris on Campus
Related pages: Emerging Leaders Speaker · School Banquet Speaker · Omaha Keynote Speaker
What Campus Planners Ask
How does Chris connect with college students?
By treating them as professionals-in-progress, not kids. He speaks regularly to young professional audiences — including the YP Summit and Greater Omaha Chamber programs — and his content is built on real hiring, promotion, and leadership decisions he makes as an executive, which students find refreshingly concrete.
Does this work within a student programming budget?
Campus events are priced differently than corporate keynotes, and Nebraska and Midwest campuses save on travel. Programming boards often co-sponsor with career services or leadership programs to share the cost.
Can Chris do multiple sessions in one campus visit?
Yes — a common format pairs an evening keynote with a daytime workshop for a leadership cohort, or a campus keynote with an athletics team session, maximizing one visit.
Is there follow-up material for students?
Yes — free companion tools from the You Are Capable of More toolkit, including a 30-day challenge and goal-setting resources that advisors can build programming around.
Bring a Real-World Leadership Voice to Campus
Tell Chris about your students, your program, and your date. You’ll get a fast, straight answer on fit and availability.