David Bott - Hire Keynote and Guest Speaker

David Bott

Bestselling author and wellbeing strategist translating human science into practical leadership and culture change

David Bott is a wellbeing strategist and leadership advisor who helps organisations and educators turn wellbeing from intention into everyday practice.

With a background spanning education, psychology and system level change, David has worked across schools, government and complex organisations to design healthier, more effective cultures.

He is co founder of The Wellbeing Distillery and former Associate Director at the Institute of Positive Education, where he trained more than 20,000 professionals globally.

Known for his calm authority and practical insight, David equips leaders with tools they can use immediately to support performance, resilience and human sustainability under real world pressure.

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Key Points for David Bott

David Bott helps leaders and educators embed wellbeing as a practical driver of performance, not a separate initiative.
He brings system level insight from training more than 20,000 professionals across global organisations and government bodies.
His frameworks translate wellbeing science into tools leaders and educators can use immediately under real world pressure.
David supports all sectors navigating complexity, change and cognitive load with clarity, steadiness and human focus.

Topics for David Bott

What went well and what went wrong: Lessons from fifteen years of wellbeing education
This keynote shares hard won insights from implementing wellbeing science across schools, organisations and public systems. David explores what genuinely drives behaviour change, what fails despite good intentions, and how leaders can accelerate culture change without overwhelming already stretched teams.
Don’t worry, be happy. Great song. Terrible advice.
Why avoidance culture undermines performance and what works instead
Telling people not to worry does not reduce pressure. It increases it. Drawing on large scale wellbeing data and applied psychology, David unpacks the most common sources of worry across modern workplaces and introduces the Worry Well framework, a practical model for helping teams navigate uncertainty, risk and emotional load more effectively.
Humans cannot fly: The superpower of relationships
Why relationships remain our greatest performance advantage
In an era of automation, AI and constant disruption, human connection is still the most under leveraged capability in organisations. David explores the neuroscience and evolutionary science behind trust, connection and collaboration, offering practical strategies for strengthening relationships between leaders, teams and stakeholders.
Future fit organisations: Megtrends shaping all sectors through 2026 and beyond
The pace of change is accelerating faster than systems can adapt. David cuts through trend noise to examine the forces reshaping education, business and public service, including AI, credential shifts and workforce wellbeing. Leaders leave with clarity on what to double down on, what to stop, and how to protect human agency in increasingly automated environments.

Testimonials for David Bott

After my forty years of experience, David is one of the best educators I have ever met.
Head of School (retired)
Heritage Hall, Oklahoma

David's wisdom and knowledge in Wellbeing Education is incredible. He's enabling schools to build a better toolkit so that wellbeing makes a genuine, positive difference to school culture.
Principal
Sherborne School Qatar

Thank you for igniting a buzz @ISB about wellbeing.
Director of Teaching and Learning
International School Basel

An original, smart, gritty, honest, and disruptive invitation for educators to think differently.
Formerly Vice-Chancellor
The University of Buckingham