Dave Clare.

EVENT ORGANISER RESOURCES

Meet your speaker.

Short biography

Dave Clare is a keynote speaker, author and Founder of Circle Leadership Global. His position is clear: Leadership is the property of the organisation. Not a position within it. Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership practice across three continents, Dave challenges audiences to build organisations that lead. He is the author of Lead Different, humAIn and SIMPLIFIED.

Your event brief

Bring your event date, audience, theme, location and the question you want delegates to think about. Confirm the final introduction and technical requirements as part of your booking.

ABOUT DAVE

Purpose. Conviction.
Real Mondays.

Dave Clare's purpose is to create and inspire purpose-driven leadership. His work asks how an organisation can express leadership through the way people think, decide and act.

He is Founder of Circle Leadership Global, International Chair of the Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Region Ambassador for the Global Company Culture Association, and an Ambassador and mentor with Inspiring Rare Birds.

Based in Brisbane and originally from Barrie, Canada, Dave brings more than 30 years of leadership practice across three continents to his speaking and writing.

His three sole-authored books are Lead Different, humAIn and SIMPLIFIED.

A CONVERSATION STARTER

When the leader
leaves the room.

Think of a recent decision in your organisation. Use these questions to open a discussion with your team.

1. Could the people closest to the work make the decision?
2. Could they explain how purpose and values guided their choice?
3. Would the decision still move forward if the designated leader were unavailable?

Where an answer is no, ask what the organisation needs to make sound judgement possible. Keep the responsibility for the decision clear.

APA FLORIDA · CONFERENCE PLENARY

Allara Mills-Gutcher, AICP

Managing Principal, The Planning Collaborative

WOW! What an inspirational, thought-provoking speaker.

Dave was one of our plenary speakers at the American Planning Association, Florida Chapter 2024 annual conference, with over 1,100 attendees in person. It was very evident he spent much time researching us as an organization in order to cater his presentation to our audience, a very specialized group of highly-educated professionals.

As a bonus, he came to speak with our executive committee (EC) to help us understand and think deeply about our purpose and efficiency as an organization. Prior to his arrival, he read through our by-laws, our SOP, and several agendas. After his arrival and before his time with us he attended our pre-conference EC meeting to learn how we operate and what we work through. This gave him valuable insight which allowed his personalized time with us be strategic and effectual.

He also provided a one-hour session to our attendees at a break-out event. I polled several of those attendees at the exit, and all conveyed glowing and very positive reviews.

I can't recommend Dave enough. If you are seeking a highly influential speaker at your next event, please reach out to him and start that conversation. You will be very impacted and fulfilled with his message, inspirations, and encouragement for your group.

FWD EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DAY

Craig ‘CJ’ Josic

Co-Founder, Silicon Coast & FWD Fest

I had the pleasure of first meeting Dave Clare at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Melbourne. After sharing the vision for our entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Sunshine Coast, Dave immediately recognised the potential and enthusiastically stepped in to contribute. His energy, insight, and passion made him the perfect fit for our FWD Fest, where he delivered powerful talks on "Evolve the World of Work" and "Genesis of the New Risk and Opportunity Landscape for Australia and the Globe" during our FWD Executive Leadership Day, overlooking our new smart city in Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast.

Dave has an exceptional ability to connect with his audience. He distils complex concepts into clear, actionable strategies that inspire leaders and entrepreneurs to think differently and take purposeful action. His commitment to purpose-driven leadership is infectious, and his genuine desire to help organisations succeed shines through in every engagement.

Beyond being an outstanding speaker, Dave is also a collaborative partner who goes above and beyond to align his contributions with the broader vision of the event and community. His impact at FWD Fest has been transformative, leaving a lasting mark on our ecosystem and helping shape its future direction.

I highly recommend Dave Clare to any company, organisation, or event seeking a dynamic and engaging speaker who consistently delivers both inspiration and practical, real-world insights.

Strategically and Collaboratively Yours,

Craig 'CJ' Josic

Co-Founder of Silicon Coast & FWD Fest

LEADERSHIP THINKING

Sue Mason-Baker

Managing Director, Mingary Care

Dave Clare has a distinctive and deeply insightful approach to leadership.

After hearing Dave speak, I came away with greater clarity about what it means to lead well—and, importantly, to leave leadership well. His definition of leadership particularly resonated with me:

"Helping other people become the best version of themselves, so they can do their life's best work, while in your care and beyond."

Dave challenges leaders to measure their success by the lasting capability they build in others, rather than by how indispensable they become. His practical insights—embracing "miss-takes" as opportunities to learn, helping teams understand what to say no to, and connecting purpose with the problems we most want to solve—are both thought-provoking and immediately useful.

Dave has a rare ability to explain complex leadership ideas in a clear, memorable and engaging way. I would highly recommend him to any organisation or leadership team seeking fresh thinking, meaningful conversations and a lasting positive impact.

ASSOCIATION BOARD & MEMBERS

Stefanie Dodge Svisco, QAS

Executive Director, APA Florida

Dave Clare is truly one of the most dynamic and interactive speakers I have every worked with in my event planning career and to top it off, he is a lovely individual. The message he has brought to my board, association members, and me will allow us to continue to grow and look at things from a new perspective. I highly recommend Dave Clare to any association or group that is looking to expand and open up to better ways of functioning as a whole and as a person. I plan to have him back to work with our association in the future and very much look forward to more learning and inspiration!

LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

Brian Turner (MBA)

Centre Manager, Sunshine Plaza Shopping Centre

I recently had the pleasure of engaging Dave to facilitate a leadership workshop for my team, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

What stood out immediately was Dave's willingness to make himself available at very short notice. That flexibility alone spoke volumes about his professionalism and commitment to his clients.

Dave delivered a genuinely compelling session on how organisations can unlock their true potential by developing a powerful vision, crafting a meaningful mission statement, and establishing a strong set of core values. His perspective was both thought-provoking and refreshingly clear — a balance that is not easy to achieve, but one that Dave executed effortlessly.

From the outset, the audience was engaged. Dave has a natural ability to connect with a room, and that connection translated into a level of energy and participation that I honestly did not anticipate. He strategically wove interactive elements throughout the workshop, keeping everyone alert and, more importantly, giving each participant a genuine sense of ownership over the outcomes.

The session left my team inspired and equipped with a clearer sense of direction and purpose.

If you are looking for a facilitator who combines expertise, adaptability, and the rare ability to bring a group together around a shared vision, Dave Clare is absolutely someone you should be speaking to.

Thank you, Dave — it was a fantastic experience.

DISTRICT32 · ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Dean Keating

Director, D32 Business Network

Dave recently presented at District32 around entrepreneurship. The feedback from our members has been outstanding. Dave shared his story, his wisdom and his honesty on all aspects of his journey resonated with the entire room. Dave gave so many nuggets to our members on the day that the value will have an impact on them improving their business and give guidance on growing a sustainable business. District32 are grateful for Dave's contribution to our community and left our members inspired on the day. Truly brilliant presentation that was emotive.

BUSINESS MAXIMISED EVENT

Lorraine Garvie

Co-Founder & CEO, D32 Business Network

Dave recently spoke for us at a business maximised event; not only did he do it in record time with very limited time to prepare but he blew the socks off the participants at the event. Dave shared his story including his ups and downs and the path he took to get to where he is now. Some of the comments were: that was profound, doesn't get better than that, one of the best business talks I've ever seen and his story is inspirational. Why? Because Dave demonstrated the value of being vulnerable and, for me, that made his story genuine, authentic and the learning real.

The feedback speaks for itself. Dave is an exceptional speaker and business leader and I highly recommend him for any keynote speak or leadership workshop. Thank you Dave!

RECRUITMENT YARNS · FELLOW SPEAKER

Stacey Copas

Keynote Speaker, Resilience Rocks®

I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Dave recently as part of the Recruitment Yarns tour. I've seen a lot of people speak on Leadership, Culture and Sales over the years and Dave shared insights that were fresh, relevant and did so in a way that was engaging and memorable. I highly recommend getting Dave to come and share his "Clarisms" with your team!