For decades, leadership was defined by strength, authority, and control. Leaders were expected to show confidence at all times, to never waver, and certainly to never reveal their weaknesses. But in today’s world—where complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change are the norm—this traditional model of leadership is no longer enough.

What sets truly effective leaders apart today is not how invincible they appear, but how human they allow themselves to be. Vulnerability has become the most powerful leadership skill of our time.

Saturday, 11 October 2025 | Virtual Event

Leaders Inspired by the Discipline of Elite Athletes

On 11 October 2025, professionals and executives joined Nick Jonsson for a powerful virtual keynote hosted by ARTDO International.

The session, Bring Your A-Game to the Office: What Leaders Can Learn from Elite Athletes, showed how the discipline, mindset, and resilience of top athletes can be applied directly to leadership and business.

It was a profound honour to deliver the closing keynote together with Dr Richard Lim at the NCPC 2025 in Singapore, a one-day gathering of professionals and advocates committed to mental health and healing.

Our joint session, “Why Support Groups Matter in Recovery — But Aren’t Enough on Their Own,” explored the vital role of community in recovery, while also highlighting why groups alone are not the complete solution.

In July 2025, Nick Jonsson delivered a keynote for the NextGen Women Leaders Fellowship hosted by United Leaders Global, a groundbreaking initiative focused on uplifting young women leaders, many of whom are from Afghanistan—a country where over two million women are currently denied access to basic rights like education, employment, and freedom of expression.

In the high-pressure world of executive leadership, performance, clarity, and presence are everything. Yet, behind the closed doors of boardrooms and business travel suites, many leaders silently wrestle with a growing disconnect—a nagging sense that something isn’t aligned. For some, that disconnection is tethered to alcohol use.

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Nick Jonsson Inspires Founders in Amsterdam with a New Model of Leadership

On July 8th, the Amsterdam Founders Club welcomed a powerful and timely message from international speaker and Holistic Leadership advocate, Nick Jonsson. In his transformative 50-minute workshop, titled “From Burnout to Breakthrough: 5 Founder Habits to Scale Without Losing Yourself,” Nick shared hard-earned lessons from the edge of burnout — and the five foundational habits that helped him rise stronger, more purpose-driven, and deeply connected.

Mental health isn’t just something leaders should think about—it’s something we need to take seriously, both for our work and our lives. I’ve been through burnout myself. I know what it feels like to hit that wall, even when everything looks fine on the outside.

In a world obsessed with output and "always-on" culture, burnout has become a silent epidemic among professionals—and especially among those at the top. Burnout quietly erodes creativity, energy, and leadership presence. But resilient, self-aware leaders outperform their peers—some dramatically.

Leadership, for me, wasn’t about titles or achievements—it’s been shaped by the toughest moments. From dealing with executive loneliness and burnout to grappling with addiction and alcoholism, each experience has challenged my resilience and redefined what authentic leadership truly means. Today, through my keynotes, I don’t share these stories to revisit the past—but to look to the future and highlight the route in front of you. 

Life’s greatest lessons often emerge from its toughest challenges. For me, the journey to becoming a keynote speaker has been shaped by personal struggles that transformed into powerful stories of resilience, connection, and growth. These experiences are the foundation of the messages I now share with audiences around the world, helping them navigate their own challenges with courage and determination.