Change & the Brain: How to Lead People Effectively Through Uncertainty

During the expert session, Sarah Farmer engages the audience through visuals, interactive Q&A, and live polling.

• How the brain responds to change: Why uncertainty triggers fear, defensiveness and emotional spikes - even when the change is positive.
• A simple, powerful behaviour-change model "The Change House” explained: what each stage represents, how it impacts behaviour, and what people need to move forward.
• How to recognise where people are in the change process: What each stage sounds like, looks like, and how to spot the emotional cues that signal what support is required.

Imagine leading people through change with confidence, clarity and calm - instead of resistance, confusion or emotional turbulence.
The truth is, most change efforts don’t fail because the strategy is wrong; they fail because leaders underestimate one critical factor: the human brain’s response to uncertainty. Change disrupts our sense of safety, predictability and control. So when something shifts — a new structure, a new boss, a new system - the brain goes on high alert: “What does this mean for me? Am I safe? Will I still belong here?”
These reactions aren’t laziness or negativity.
They’re biology.
When leaders understand the neuroscience behind human behaviour during change, everything becomes easier. You can anticipate reactions, interpret behaviours accurately and support your people to move forward faster and with far less stress.
This practical, game-changing masterclass helps you understand how the brain navigates uncertainty, and how to lead people through transitions with far greater ease.

From Imposter to Empowered: Ditch self-doubt and live a life without limits

At the heart of bold decisions and breakthrough results is a confident, emotionally intelligent inner world. When self-doubt takes over, even high performers hesitate, hold back, or undermine their own success, and that ripple effect can shape team culture and business results. This fast-paced masterclass breaks down what Imposter Syndrome really is (and isn’t), why it affects top talent the most, and how it shows up in everyday behaviours. You’ll leave with a practical “brain-rewiring” technique from SPARK Step 3 to shift your thinking, strengthen your confidence, and take stronger, more decisive action.

 

Difficult Conversations: How to Have Them and Keep Relationships Intact

Imagine walking into your next difficult conversation feeling calm, clear and genuinely confident, not bracing for impact, not second-guessing every word, not replaying worst-case scenarios at 2 a.m. Most people avoid these conversations because they fear the reaction, the awkwardness, or the damage it might cause, but that avoidance has a real cost: stress, sleepless nights, frustration, strained relationships, and a nagging sense you’re not operating at the level you know you’re capable of. And the ripple effect is bigger than you think: when leaders dodge hard conversations, teams drift, expectations blur, performance slips, trust erodes, and results eventually show it. The good news? Once you understand why your brain resists these moments and you have a simple, effective structure to guide them, everything changes: you stop spiraling, you stop avoiding, and you start leading, with clarity, confidence and emotional control, while protecting the relationships. 

 

Communicating Change: Increase Trust and Reduce Fear

When change occurs, communication can either calm people or create panic. Leaders often focus on what is changing rather than on how people emotionally and psychologically experience it. Humans don’t resist change itself; we fear the unknown, triggering protective responses like fight, flight, freeze or fawn. This reaction can last from seconds to years but improves when core needs — Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness — are supported. When communication fails, the brain fills gaps with fear-driven thoughts. When it succeeds, trust increases, resistance falls and people adapt faster. This masterclass shows how to communicate change clearly and safely.