BRISBANE FPA Keynote Series - OCT 2026 - Practical Tools for Leading Innovation in Rapid Change: 'Ambidextrous Leadership' Made Simple

The pace of change isn’t slowing -  and for‑purpose organisations are feeling it first. Funding models shift overnight, community expectations evolve, and technology keeps rewriting the rules. When everything moves at once, leaders need practical ways to innovate quickly without losing stability.

Innovation becomes essential not because it’s fashionable, but because the challenges are compounding and won’t stand still. Yet many leaders feel torn between the competing demands. With stretched teams and high stakes, this tension is real -  and it’s no surprise that only 32% of nonprofit leaders believe their organisation has the capacity to innovate.

In this high‑energy, hands‑on session with, Dr Gaia Grant, an innovation leadership researcher at the University of Sydney Business School and one of our FPA Hub Chairs, gives you the tools and confidence to lead change with clarity. Across 90 interactive minutes, you’ll dive into simple, practical frameworks that strengthen your leadership mindset and skillset, unlock the cultural patterns that accelerate (or stall) innovation, and help you make smarter decisions faster.

You’ll discover how to build leadership ambidexterity — the capability to drive new ideas and improvements while keeping your organisation grounded in what matters most. You’ll learn how to apply it immediately in your team, your programs, and your strategic decisions.

If you’re ready to move from feeling stretched to feeling equipped, this session delivers exactly what you need.

You’ll walk away able to:

• Apply ambidextrous innovation leadership in fast‑moving environments through the Dynamic Polar Positioning (DPoP) model.

• Balance breakthrough ideas with operational continuity using the Innovative Change Leader (iCLi) tool.

• Make responsible innovation decisions faster with the Purpose-Driven Innovation Radar (PDIR) tool.

• Build collaborative, agile and adaptable teams that can shift direction without losing cohesion.

• Create a personalised action plan to strengthen adaptive leadership capabilities and build organisational readiness.

This is research-driven innovation leadership made practical, accessible and immediately actionable - helping you lead change by design, not by crisis.

The Brisbane October keynote will be expertly facilitated by:

Dr Gaia Grant 

Gaia Grant (PhD) is committed to advancing purpose‑driven leadership for transformational innovation and culture change. As co‑founder of Tirian Innovative Solutions and an associate at the University of Sydney Business School, she has spent over three decades working with global senior leaders and their teams to navigate complex challenges. Her clients span multinationals such as Colgate‑Palmolive (Asia & Latin America) and Google (USA), through to not‑for‑profits and government organisations such as the World Bank (Asia) and the Indonesian and Australian governments (on a joint project in Indonesia). Gaia is the author of several books including Purpose‑Driven Innovation Leadership, The Change‑Ready Capabilities Action Guide, and The Innovation Race: How to Change the Culture to Change the Game. Through her original research and practical tools, she equips organisations to build high‑impact, sustainable leadership capabilities

EVENT DETAILS: 

• Date: Thursday 8 October 2026

• Time: 11.30am - 1.00pm

• Location: Brisbane CBD

PRICE: 

• FREE for FPA members (FPA Leadership HUB; Coaching; Associate Members only)

• $49 for Guests/Non-members

Register/purchase your tickets below. We look forward to you joining us.