KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Before there were organizations, there were games—systems designed to prepare us for moments we couldn’t predict. This keynote draws on the principles of game design to show how performance under pressure is shaped, not taught. James Kane reveals how leaders can create environments that drive clearer thinking, sharper decisions, and better outcomes. Because when you design the decisions, you change everything that follows.
ADD-ON WORKSHOP
What Games Teach Us About Running Better Organizations
Most organizations prepare endlessly for what they expect — strategies, forecasts, playbooks. But the moments that define performance are the ones no one planned for. This workshop gives leaders a framework for designing organizations that make better decisions, especially under pressure.
Where did it get so complicated?A clear-eyed look at where your organization has made things harder than they need to be and exactly where to start fixing it.
Seven principles that change how you run thingsDrawn from the world's greatest game designers— practical ideas any leader can use to make their organization faster, sharper, and easier to run.
When everyone's doing their job but things still fall apartPractical tools for the problem most organizations have but few talk about: the work that lives between teams, and the accountability that doesn't.
The conversation most leaders avoidA common framework for deciding not just how to get more — but what you're willing to give up to get it.
Who This Is For
This workshop is designed for executive teams, senior managers, and anyone responsible for how an organization makes decisions — not just what decisions it makes. It works equally well as a standalone program or as an extension of James' keynote presentation.
"Most organizations try to manage people. The best organizations design the decisions people must make."
What Games Teach Us About Running Better Organizations
FORMAT: Half-day (4 hours) or Full-day (8 hours)
AUDIENCE: Leaders & managers
GROUP SIZE: 12–60 participants
STYLE: Interactive + applied