Leading in Perpetual Liminality
Leading through uncertainty with human wisdom, imagination, and consilience
In a world shaped by AI, the changing nature of work and profound social transformation, leadership is no longer about control or certainty. It is about navigating perpetual liminality: a continuous state of transition in which yesterday’s models no longer apply, while tomorrow’s reality has not yet emerged.
In this keynote, Katja Schipperheijn introduces Liminal Leadership as a way to lead in this continuous state of transition. At its heart is Human Wisdom, or Phronesis: bringing knowledge, experience, values and imagination together through consilience, so leaders can see beyond a single perspective and act wisely in complexity.
Katja equips leaders with the mindset, strategic imperatives and design patterns needed to prepare an organization for uncharted territories in a world created by Artificial Intelligence.
— Peter Willems — President Local Medical Safety at J&J and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Janssen-Cilag
Who is this keynote for?
For executives, leadership teams and anyone taking responsibility for direction, change or self-leadership. In perpetual liminality, leadership is not only a hierarchical role; it is the capacity to navigate uncertainty, make choices, and help yourself and others move in a positive direction.
Amplify the impact
For a deeper experience, use the Professional Learning Mindset & Leadership Amplifier before the keynote. Katja can then integrate anonymised audience data into the session, making the keynote more relevant and personal while extending the impact through Reflect – Relate – Reframe.
In this talk, Katja unpacks:
- Why liminal leadership requires letting go of outdated assumptions and using uncertainty and imagination as a space for exploration and possibility
- How Human Wisdom (Phronesis) helps us make better choices when data, technology or expertise alone cannot provide the answer
- How to empower people and teams through learning and shared intelligence, both human and artificial
- Which human competencies and mindsets help create resilient, inclusive and adaptable organisations
- How to work with AI responsibly and future-oriented while protecting human agency, values and global ethics.
- What all of this means for the future of work, leadership and the evolving relationship between people and intelligent technologies
The session was a great success, and Katja delivered an inspiring presentation, sharing powerful stories that deeply resonated with the audience.
— Presidential Protocol and Strategic Narrative Authority (PSN) – Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed Session Abu Dhabi
We truly appreciate the dedication and preparation that went into making the event a success, from the rehearsals to the seamless execution. It was a pleasure meeting Katja in person and getting to know her. Her passion and expertise were evident, and we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with her
Amazing Keynote!! So good that our main stakeholders where commenting there praises of you to each other even during and not after! Thank you so much for taking part of this Katja and I’m really happy that we had you for the last week as you preffered, defenitely turned some heads!
— Filip Videira – Senior Manager Open Innovation and Partnerships — United Kingdom
Mind-blowing! People walked out changed, inspired, and ready to think differently about the future of work. This wasn’t just a talk. It was a wake-up call, a moment of truth, and a gift of perspective.
— Andrew Watkins – Director, GP Strategies— United Kingdom.
Probably the most coherent, provocative, and sobering presentation about the shift needed in organisations to adapt to the new work context. What stood out wasn’t just the clarity of thought it was the way the story touched everyone.
Katja didn’t simply present ideas; she offered an emotional journey, one that made space for reflection, discomfort, and hope.