the irrelevant leader
The Art of Leading by Letting Go
The real test of leadership is how well the team you lead can keep moving forward when you’re not there.
SIGNATURE KEYNOTE
THE IRRELEVANT LEADER
What if the mark of a great leader isn’t how essential you are — but how well your team thrives without you?
In this perspective-shifting keynote, Phil Jewell pulls from 20+ years of leadership across combat zones, working in public service, and his numerous diverse roles and responsibilities in between, to challenge everything we think we know about effective leadership. Whether leading troops through the Afghan desert or navigating the complexities of leading corporate teams, Phil learned that the most resilient, high-performing teams aren’t built through control — they’re built through trust.
With raw, real stories — from military patrols to parenting, from fast-food jobs to federal strategy — Phil explores what it means to step back so others can step up. This talk is packed with practical questions, field-tested insights, and a refreshingly human take on modern leadership.
This is not a talk about ego or authority. It’s about what it means to lead with courage, clarity, and humanity — and how to build teams that thrive when you step back, not when you step in.
TAKEAWAYS:
Uncover the single most important measurement there is to leadership ability and performance.
Discover the importance of character and mindset in creating an environment where empowerment and delegation can thrive.
Understand how to attach meaning to work.
Gain the courage and confidence to be truly authentic and show-up exactly as ones true self.
Leave with the one enduring thought that is at the core of everyone’s success.
Enhance Any Keynote With The Irrelevant Leader Book!
“Perfect for organizations ready to develop confident, capable leaders who empower others, elevate performance, and leave a lasting impact — not by being the centre of the team, but by making the team the centre.”
OTHER SIGNATURE TALK
10 lEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS THAT SABOTAGE SUcCESS
This dynamic keynote exposes the subtle yet damaging pitfalls that undermine effective leadership. It challenges leaders to see opposition as loyalty and to seek fresh perspectives beyond titles and experience. It warns against the blurring of lines when we prioritize friendship over respect and becoming the leader teams want instead of the ones they need. This keynote shows the limits we create when we focus on accountability and not capability, pile on tasks without clearing clutter, and become too accessible, inadvertently reducing resilience. Finally, it challenges the role of a leader in motivating the team and highlights how we waste energy solving the wrong problem. This talk empowers leaders to break these habits and lead with clarity, strength, and purpose.
*EQUALLY IMPACTFUL VIRTUALLY & IN PERSON
What the audience is Saying
“Phil’s session hit in ways other sessions haven’t in years, if gave fresh insights that can be transferable to many sectors. Thank you for such a great session”
— Brittany, Canadian Credit Union Association
“Leadership told through emotional storytelling and how to apply not only in business but also in life”
— David, Ingram Micro/Trust X Alliance
“It changed my way of thinking in one hour.”
— Attendee, Florida Real Estate Association
“This session opens your perspective to a whole new dimension. It forces you to think about elements of leadership and being part of a team that you’ve never thought of before. Incredibly engaging.”
— Mya, Acadia University
“This session was a good reminder of what it is to be human, and what it is to be human together.
— Gabrielle, Municipality of the County of Inverness
“This session reminded me of my own greatness and the power I have to impact people in my everyday life for the better, not only for them but for myself as well.”
— Attendee, Marriott Halifax
