Kate Russell is a speaker, facilitator and a leading voice in Conflict Transformation - helping people move from reaction to reflection, and from disconnection to connection.
Trusted by leaders, organisations and communities across Australia
Kate’s work begins where most conversations stop.
For over three decades, she has worked alongside leaders, teams and individuals navigating complex, emotionally charged situations, the kind where trust feels fragile and the stakes are high.
Rather than avoiding conflict or rushing to resolution, Kate invites people to slow down. To listen beneath the words. To recognise what’s really being protected, feared or misunderstood.
Her approach blends deep experience in mediation, leadership development and psychology with a profoundly human way of working. She creates spaces where people feel safe enough to be honest and supported enough to change.
Kate believes conflict is not a failure of leadership or relationship.
It is an invitation, to grow, to understand, and to reconnect.
Learn from Kate
Now, You're Talking28 July 2026, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm ACSTOnline workshop
Speaking Topics
Having Difficult Conversations
The conversations you avoid are the ones that matter most.
Every leader knows the feeling; a performance issue left too long, a relationship that has quietly deteriorated, feedback that never quite gets said. Avoiding difficult conversations does not make them disappear. It makes them harder and it might escalate the issue.
In this practical, hands-on workshop, you will build the skills and confidence to have the conversations that matter with clarity, care, and without damaging the relationship.
Using the Conversation Compass Cards, you will practice real scenarios in a safe environment, developing a repeatable approach you can use the very next day.
You will leave knowing how to:
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Prepare for a difficult conversation without over-scripting it
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Open the conversation in a way that invites dialogue, not defensiveness
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Stay calm and curious when emotions run high
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Close the conversation with clarity and a path forward
Who is this for?
Leaders, managers, and team members in the public sector who want to lead with confidence — even when the conversation is hard.
Format
Half day | Interactive | Small group | Includes Conversation Compass Cards
Managing Conflict in the Workplace
Conflict is not the problem. Not addressing the conflict is.
In every workplace, tension and conflict is inevitable. Competing priorities, different communication styles, and the pressure of public sector delivery create the conditions for conflict every day. The difference between teams that thrive and teams that fracture is not the absence of conflict, but how leaders respond to it.
In this workshop, you will move beyond conflict avoidance and develop a practical, empathy-led approach to resolving workplace tension before it escalates.
You will leave knowing how to:
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Recognise the early warning signs of conflict before they become formal complaints
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Understand what is really driving the conflict beneath the surface
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Facilitate a conversation between parties that moves toward resolution
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Own your contribution to the conflict (workplace conflict is always more than a personality clash) and be prepared to address issues the parties raise
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Protect psychological safety while addressing the issue directly
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Know when to escalate and when to hold the space yourself
Who is this for?
People leaders, HR practitioners, and senior public sector managers responsible for team culture and performance.
Format
Half day | Case-based learning | Small group | Includes Conversation Compass Cards
Building Psychological Safety in Teams
People do their best work when they feel safe enough to be honest.
Psychological safety is not about being nice or making everyone feel comfortable. It is about creating the conditions in which people feel safe to speak up, take risks, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas without fear of humiliation or retribution. It is the single biggest predictor of high-performing teams.
It is a necessary leadership skill.
In this workshop, you will discover what psychological safety looks like in practice, why it is so easily eroded in public-sector environments, and how to build it deliberately, one conversation at a time.
Using the Conversation Compass Cards, you will practice the micro-behaviours that signal safety to your team: the questions you ask, the way you respond when things go wrong, and the culture you create in every interaction.
You will leave knowing how to:
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Assess the current level of psychological safety in your team
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Identify the leadership behaviours that build and destroy trust
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Create a team environment where honest feedback flows freely
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Use everyday conversations to strengthen connection and safety
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Lead with a learner mindset, even under pressure
Who is this for?
Leaders and managers at all levels who want to build high-trust, high-performance teams in complex public sector environments.
Format
Half day | Experiential | Small group | Includes Conversation Compass Cards
Conversations That Change How Teams Work Together
Kate’s keynotes are designed for moments when relationships matter and pressure is high. Rather than offering surface-level motivation, Kate helps teams understand what’s really happening beneath conflict — and what becomes possible when people feel safe enough to listen, speak honestly and take responsibility.
Her sessions blend real-world experience, positive psychology and deeply human insight, giving audiences language and tools they can immediately apply in meetings, feedback conversations and everyday interactions.Teams leave not only inspired, but better equipped to work together.
