Motivational Speaking
Lisa Fitzhugh
Past Keynotes

A collection of excerpts from past keynote speeches that touch on leadership, introspection, creativity, stepping up, and more.

Past Keynotes
Team Building
Lisa Fitzhugh
Adventure on the High Seas

This essay was based on a vivid and disturbing dream. It describes a large ship of adolescents trying to sail into a fierce storm, unable to harness the power of their collective courage and creativity to save themselves.  It speaks to what’s needed for any team to assemble well and survive such times. 

Adventure on the High Seas
Creativity
Lisa Fitzhugh
A Fool's Errand

In this essay, I highlight the essential role of the fool and his/her capacity to challenge our assumptions about what we accept as the truth, the key to any creative endeavor worth its salt. This may be more relevant now in 2025 than when I wrote it in 2021.

A Fool's Errand
Team Building
Lisa Fitzhugh
An Act of Imagination

During the pandemic we had different experiences of the lockdowns, the virus, and other people’s choices.  I encourage people to consider that we are, each of us, afraid of different things. So if something scary is happening ‘out there,’ it’s important that some people hold less fear, otherwise the collective nervous system would collapse under the strain. 

An Act of Imagination
Leadership Coaching
Lisa Fitzhugh
Leading From the Inside Out

How we lead is directly related to how well we tend to our inner emotional and psychic landscape. Whatever untended ‘business’ inside of us will be projected onto the people around us, especially if we hold more positional authority.   

Leading From the Inside Out

team building case studies

PATH

PATH is a global NGO based in Seattle with offices in many developing countries.  Creative Ground was hired by a newly ascended Director to support her in her new position and bring her global team together for the first time after the pandemic.  This team had not previously been convened with the goal of becoming better strategic thought partners and decision-makers, so their group muscles were less strong.  I conducted an assessment of the Division’s leadership culture, facilitated several in-person retreats and several sessions to work through conflicts between individual members of the team.

“I had the pleasure of working with Lisa Fitzhugh when she was hired by our division to conduct a leadership evaluation within our team. Lisa made efficient use of our team's time, ensuring the process was streamlined and respectful of everyone’s schedule. What truly sets her apart, however, is her unique ability to go beyond the standard interpretation of the data.  Lisa pays close attention to each individual, bringing an intuitive understanding to her process that amplifies the impact of the results. Her keen insights helped us not only understand each other better but also unlock new potentials within our leadership team. Having been through many evaluations as a leader in Fortune 50 companies, I can confidently say Lisa's approach achieved a level of depth and impact that I’ve rarely experienced.  I highly recommend Lisa Fitzhugh for any team or organization looking to benefit from her extraordinary combination of data-driven analysis and intuitive guidance.”

-Pat Lennon, Global Program Leader, PATH

Seattle Center's McCaw Hall

Leadership at the City of Seattle had invested over $100 million in renovations of their Opera House, renaming it McCaw Hall in honor of their largest philanthropic contributor.  A decade later, the leadership team of the building, led by its General Manager, was fraying at the seams and needed space and support to find a more coherence to deliver on mission.  The team engaged Creative Ground in a 6-month process to identify the trust fractures and implement a road map to rebuild their team and its relational resilience.  The process resulted in a leadership change facilitated by the staff’s clarity and collective vision for new leadership required for them to succeed.  

“Creative Ground triggered major change in our team by providing a safe place and encouraging honest discussion without destructive judgment.  We felt heard and it gave us the courage to acknowledge our own voice in a manner that was constructive to the team as well as to us as individuals.  Lisa helped us remember we all have something to contribute.  We all have the same goals in mind.  Further, we all have a voice in whatever success we realize.  We so appreciate her help in putting us all back on track that is not only successful but filled with continual learning, openness and fun.”

–Michael Lowe, Seattle Center, McCaw Hall Facility Lead

League of Conservation Voters

Ed Zuckerman, Senior Vice President with League of Conservation Voters, hired Creative Ground to support his senior team in LCV’s  Washington State office.  The team was facing numerous challenges internally and externally and needed greater clarity around their strategic purpose and new practices to build more resiliency in their relationships within the team.  I was engaged in the process for 6 months, facilitated several team retreats and supported key staff to lean into their ‘groan zone’ and to adapt to the many changing conditions that were challenging the organization at that time.  

“Working with Lisa as our team building consultant allowed both our team and me to confront old paradigms of how we operate. It also allowed us to reach closer to our highest potential for work and leadership. The outcomes were stunning for all of us. We accessed a much greater understanding of the shifting landscapes we work within. I could not be more pleased with Lisa’s support to bring us to these new levels of awareness and reflection. The end result has been a new ability for me individually as well as for our team to meet the pressures of the seismic shifts within our working landscape. “
—Ed Zuckerman, former Senior Vice President, League of Conservation Voters