I speak on Strategy
For leaders and teams who need to make brave decisions in chaotic times.
My keynotes and strategy sessions help audiences cut through chaos, find language for what they’re facing, and choose what matters next.
Trusted by
Speaker. Strategist. Author. Founder of Be Brave.
The world can feel like riding a psychotic horse towards a burning stable.
And the horse is on fire.
And you’re on fire.
Most teams don’t need more noise, they are drowning in data.
What they need is a way to see clearly, tell the truth, choose what matters, and move.
And that is where my work lives.
I’m on a mission to help people and businesses find their way.
I build systems of thought — maps that make sense of chaos — and help people become just a little braver, so they can build things that move our world forward.
I speak about strategy, not the 100 page deck kind, not the spreadsheet kind, the courageous, deeply human kind. The kind you need when the future is foggy, the stakes are real, and everyone is pretending to be slightly less scared than they actually are.
What Audiences walk away with
A map for the chaos
A way to think clearly, make sense of complexity, and navigate the strange terrain of change without getting lost in the noise.
A deeper sense of identity
A rediscovery of who they are, what they carry, and how to show up with more of their talent, energy and humanity in an AI world.
A better way to make decisions
Practical frameworks for choosing what matters next, especially when certainty is not available and the pressure is on.
Courage in spite of fear
A braver posture towards uncertainty, helping people face the chaos honestly and move forward without waiting to feel fearless.
Part strategist. Part modern-day philosopher. Builder of maps.
Pierre du Plessis is the founder of Be Brave, a Strategy Design Lab that helps businesses and people find clarity in the chaos.
With over two decades of experience developing people, building products and designing strategies, Pierre blends ancient wisdom, systems thinking and gut feel to create brave roadmaps for the future.
He has spoken on four TEDx stages, written four books, won the Desmond Tutu Gerrit Brand Prize for literature, and worked with global brands including Tencent, BP, Yum!, Allan Gray and HATCH.
He often says that the philosopher’s lecture hall is a hospital, not a spa. His talks help people look honestly at the world, themselves and the choices in front of them and then find the courage to move.
He lives in Cape town with his wife and two kids and when he is not reading or lifting weights enjoys a fair bit of doomscrolling.
FLAGSHIP KEYNOTE:
Only the Brave.
A keynote about courage, clarity and choosing what matters next.
Only the Brave is my flagship keynote for leaders and teams navigating uncertainty, change and decision fatigue.
It explores one deceptively dangerous question:
What do you want to do with this one wild and precious life?
More keynotes and Masterclasses
Other talks for teams trying to make sense of strange times
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Teams to Tribes
Strategy fails without the right people to carry it.
This talk unpacks how teams become tribes, aligned, committed, and able to win together.
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AI & I
When AI enters the chat, where do humans stand?
AI is making us question our place in the world. This talk explores how we stay centred, creative, and courageous in an automated world.
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Chaos is a Gift
What if the mess is the way forward?
Chaotic times and liminal spaces unlock growth, creativity, and transformation. This talk shows how to embrace them.
WHEN TO BOOK PIERRE
Bring me in when you to stop circling the problem and start choosing the way forward.
This work is especially useful when your facing:
uncertainty, change or strategic drift
decision fatigue or overthinking
teams that are busy but not aligned
leaders who need to recover courage and conviction
organisations facing a moment of transition
people who need more than hype, but less than another 90-slide strategy deck
WHY IT WORKS
The talk is engaging. The thinking is serious. The outcome is movement.
Pierre brings the energy of a keynote speaker, the discipline of a strategist, and the depth of someone who has spent years helping people and businesses make sense of complexity.
Audiences laugh, think, lean in and leave with language they can use. Not just a good feeling. A way to see, choose and move.
That is the goal: not vague inspiration, but clearer thinking, braver decisions and practical momentum.
BEYOND THE KEYNOTE
Sometimes the keynote is the spark. Sometimes the team needs to sit around a table and do the work.
Through Be Brave, I facilitate strategy sessions for leadership teams who need to make sense of complexity, align around what matters and design a way forward.
These sessions are practical, reflective and outcome-driven.
No corporate theatre. No vague inspiration. No pretending the hard questions are not in the room.
We name reality, clarify the future, choose the strategic moves and decide what needs to happen next.
Explore strategy sessions
Give your people a way through the chaos.
Book Pierre for a keynote or strategy session that helps your audience think clearly, decide bravely and move with conviction.
“In a time where speakers all seem to sound exactly the same. Pierre manages to sound completely different. He’s the Ernest Hemingway to their Dan Brown, the Pink Floyd to their Nickelback.”
“A thought provoking collection of ideas and musings, that if taken to heart will add immense depth and richness (with compounding interest) to your life”
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Work with pierre.
“Pierre is that intellectual heavyweight in my corner who also deeply understands matters of the heart - a rare find in a sparring partner.”