Sonia McDonaldKeynote Speaker

Vibrant! inSpiring! Engaging!

Known as “The Accidental Entrepreneur,” Sonia’s entrepreneurial journey to CEO was unexpected and unpredictable.

From single mum, struggling to survive in an alien land, to being named as one of The 250 Most Influential Women Leaders Across the Globe by Richtopia. Sonia became a leader by accident, and her experiences, good and bad, have equipped her as one of Australia’s top leadership experts. Sonia has chosen to share her experiences to help others become the leader they want to be.

With a wealth of experience in human resources, management, and organisational development, Sonia set out to work in the field of leadership and leader development.

What she soon discovered was that ‘leadership’ was viewed as a role, not as an attitude; she discovered a world where leaders didn’t understand their individual qualities - let alone how to manage the qualities of the different personalities in their teams. A driven and motivated woman, Sonia is not one to run from risk, so when she decided that the old

concept of leadership needed a good shake-up, she knew she was the right person to do it.

Sonia is now CEO of her successful business, LeadershipHQ - a company specialising in the neuroscience of leadership, and the transformation of process-focused leaders into people-oriented leaders. Great leaders are, above all human!

Using evidence from her neuroscience studies, Sonia creates a pathway for leaders to succeed by helping them to understand why they, and others around them, work the way they do.

Sonia’s passion is to build a world where we all see ourselves as leaders. She is committed to working with organisations, teams and leaders in building their leadership capability and mindset.

Sonia is currently a finalist in the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women (ACLW) 2016 National Diversity Award.

Sonia, thE lEaDEr

Sonia iS alSo thE author of hEr latESt booK lEaDErShip attituDE

Sonia, thE SpEaKErThrough her exciting, inclusive and high energy presentations, Sonia puts the humanity and humour back into leadership.

Sonia is a fun, dynamic and vibrant speaker, as evident in her keynote presentations;

» Leadership is an Attitude » Confidence is SO Hot » You Rock » You Lead Our World

Each of Sonia’s presentations digs deep into the foundations of what it means to be a leader. With Sonia, leadership gets real.

Described as ‘passionate’, ‘committed’ and ‘inspiring’, Sonia’s energetic presentations encourage people to listen to her infectious enthusiasm and practical advice. With Sonia as a leadership coach, your current and emerging leaders will learn to understand how their brains influence their actions, so they make better leadership decisions. They will learn how to lead through inspiration rather than instruction, and inspire their teams to work together.

Sonia will educate leaders to think beyond the traditional model of leadership and help create an organisation of engaged and committed people working for the same goal.

Find out more about Sonia’s presentations on the Sonia McDonald Website at www.soniamcdonald.com.au

now thiS iS iMportant. Are ready to roll up your sleeves and uncover your

potential as a leader? If you want someone to take your company, and its leaders to the heart of leadership, dissect the topics within leadership

and encourage you to understand yourself and your unique skills all while enjoying yourself,

Sonia McDonald is the speaker for you.

Sonia has been speaking at the AHRI events and conferences for many years. Her workshops and

presentations are always insightful, engaging and empowering. She is generous and inspiring with her

audiences and focuses on bringing out the best in her participants.

Corinne Butler State President, AHRI

Sonia’S KEynotES incluDE

1. ConfidenCe is so hot If you don’t have confidence in yourself as a leader, your team won’t have confidence in you, either. But don’t despair – confidence can be learnt.

Become the director of your own brain. Teach it to focus on your successes and your strengths. When you know yourself, and understand your emotions and your reactions, you develop a confidence that is unbreakable. Once you’ve got it, your confidence shows on the outside. It’s in the way you walk, the way you talk and the way you present yourself.

‘Confidence is SO Hot’ will help you understand where confidence comes from, discover how to develop your self-confidence and show you how to wear it like you own it!

2. Leadership is an attitude Leadership is an attitude, not a job. If you want to rock as a leader, all you need is the right attitude, and this presentation shows you how to get it.

Through the ‘#Leadership is an Attitude’ address you will learn why your mindset really matters when you define yourself as a leader, how to build your leadership presence and how to become the kind of leader who inspires people to follow them.

3. You roCK! You may not realise it, but you ROCK. Stop hiding away your talents and start showing them off. In becoming a great leader, there is little time to follow the herd. Only people who stand out get a chance to show what they are really made of.

This presentation will help you discover what it is that makes you ROCK! You will identify what makes you different, uncover your values and build an awareness of your strengths. When you learn to focus on what’s great about you and your leadership style, you can lead with confidence and authenticity. Learn to focus on your strengths and talents, and let yourself ROCK! Never be afraid to show it. That’s what will make you the leader to be watched and followed.

4. You Lead our WorLd Would you like to discover the secret skills of leader-ship? In this presentation, you’ll realise why leader-ship isn’t about power, and how the leaders you’ve always admired have access to a secret toolbox of skills which makes them great. I’ll give you a hint. It’s about influence and inspiration, not bending people to your will!

When you begin to lead people, you begin to lead the world. If you want a world where there is a change, lead the way. Leadership starts with you, and it begins right here!

Sonia McDonald is an inspirational keynote and workshop presenter with a distinctive ability to bond and engage with her audiences. Sonia is well known for her dynamic, and charismatic workshop/presentation style and people walk away on an emotional and inspired high, feeling informed.

Tony Wiggins, HR Architect & AHRI Convener

Sonia’S haS SpoKEn at

Contact information: E-mail: sonia@soniamcdonald.com.au Website: www.soniamcdonald.com.au

• HR Summit for Key Media• EA/PA Summit• HR Leadership Summit• PMI Conference• National HR Summit• HR Directors Forum• National Women in Construction – NAWIC• Australian Institute of Project Management• Queensland Supply Chain & Logistics Conference• Project Management Institute Conference• Women in Engineering Conference• Women in Public Sector Conference • Authentic Leadership Summit • Clients such as CUA, Qantas and Woolworths • Australian Human Resources Institute Forums and Special Events• Business Women’s Association for International Women’s Day

If you need a speaker who will reach your people and inspire them to positive change and action, book Sonia McDonald now. This will be a presentation they enjoy, learn from and talk about for a long time to come.

Sonia traVElS froM briSbanE acroSS auStralia anD thE globE

booK Sonia now on 1300 719 665 or contact Sonia@SoniaMcDonalD.coM.au