Media & Speaking
Changing the conversation. Changing lives.
James is a sought-after speaker, broadcaster, podcast guest and media voice on topics of leadership, relationships, personal growth and creating a more equal world.
Over three decades, James has built a reputation for seeing what others miss and saying what others won't with honesty, depth and a dry sense of humour.
His talks expose the hidden patterns shaping people, leadership and culture because you can't change what you can't see.
My Radio Show
Uplifting Conversations
with James Dakin
Real People. Deep Stories. A Trusted Voice In A Noisy World.
An hour to slow down, be moved and feel seen. Each week James sits down with remarkable people to explore the moments that shaped them, the lessons that changed everything and the ideas that can help us all live better, lead better and love better.
Topics James Speaks On
Understand the hidden patterns shaping our view of ourselves, leadership, relationships and organisational culture.
Every organisation has the culture its people create, tolerate and reward. If you want a different culture, stop writing new values and start changing those three things.
Because the problems that keep coming back are rarely separate. They're connected.
Audiences:
- Leadership teams
- Executive teams
- Women's leadership conferences
- Equality, Equity & Inclusion events
- Conferences that want audiences still talking about it weeks later
Audiences leave...
- Entertained, educated and challenged to think beyond the obvious.
- Able to recognise the hidden patterns shaping people, leadership and culture.
- Better equipped to create cultures where people and performance thrive together.
- Ready to change what people create, tolerate and reward.
How patriarchal conditioning quietly shapes confidence, careers and leadership.
Many talented women don't lack ability. They lack permission. James explores how subtle expectations, over-explaining, and people-pleasing shape career trajectories.
This talk unpacks how to break inherited conditioning, claim authority, and build authentic executive presence without compromise.
Best for
- Women's leadership networks
- High-performing teams
- Emerging leaders
- Personal development events
Key Takeaways
- Recognise the hidden cost of playing small.
- Communicate with greater authority and presence.
- Build self-trust instead of seeking approval.
How to get people, relationships and culture to change without creating conflict.
Most conversations don't fail because of disagreement. They fail because people become defensive.
James shares practical frameworks that help people navigate conflict, set boundaries, and guide difficult conversations with calm, clarity, and genuine influence.
Best for
- Leadership teams
- Managers
- HR professionals
- Relationship and wellbeing conferences
Key Takeaways
- Reduce defensiveness in difficult conversations.
- Set clearer, healthier boundaries.
- Create lasting change through understanding, not force.
How secure leadership helps women thrive, men grow and organisations perform.
True cultural health isn't built by pointing fingers; it's created through emotional security, self-awareness, and mutual respect.
James explores how developing secure leadership bridges gaps, fosters psychological safety, and elevates whole-system performance.
Best for
- Executive leadership teams
- Culture & People leaders
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion events
- Organisational development summits
Key Takeaways
- Foster psychological safety across teams.
- Shift from defensive reactions to collaborative growth.
- Build inclusive environments where performance thrives.
A keynote designed specifically for your organisation, your people and the conversations that matter most.
Every organisation is different. Every audience arrives with its own challenges, culture and ambitions.
Rather than delivering the same keynote everywhere I go, I work with you beforehand to understand your organisation, your messaging and what success looks like for your event. The result is a keynote that feels as though it was written specifically for your audience because it was.
Whether you want people to think differently, strengthen your culture, embrace change or simply leave energised and aligned around a shared direction, we'll build something together that people will still be talking about long after the event has finished.
The goal isn't simply for people to enjoy the keynote. It's for them to leave seeing themselves, each other and their organisation differently.
Best for
- Conferences & Annual Events
- Leadership Conferences
- Organisational Change Programmes
- Culture Transformation
- Awards & Celebration Events
Key Takeaways
- A keynote designed around your organisation rather than an off-the-shelf presentation.
- An engaging balance of storytelling, humour, insight and practical thinking.
- Memorable messages that reinforce your organisation's culture, values and direction of travel.
- An audience that leaves entertained, challenged, aligned and still talking about the conversation afterwards.
Looking to bring James to your event or audience?
James speaks at events, conferences and leadership teams on the patterns that hold people back.