Duncan Stevens Shows VINCI Energies' Support Function Leaders the Art of Influence
With Duncan Stevens, behavioural psychologist, keynote speaker and best-selling author
OUTCOME 1
A network in step
Around 60 support function leaders left the meeting with a shared view of what influence is and how it works.
OUTCOME 2
Influence made clear
Colleagues began to see influence as a skill built on understanding people, not a talent for pushing harder.
OUTCOME 3
Habits to try Monday
Simple ideas on trust, listening and asking well gave every leader a first step to try with their own teams.
THE CHALLENGE
VINCI Energies wanted its support function leaders leaving the network meeting better able to bring people with them.
Support functions rarely get to give orders. At VINCI Energies’ Support Function Network Meeting, around 60 leaders from HR, finance and communications had to win people over across a busy group of businesses, and influence mattered more than authority.
Hannah Ghiani, Head of HR for VESI DACH, asked Duncan to give the keynote. She wanted the network to leave with a clearer idea of how influence works and how to use it well, at work and beyond.
DUNCAN’S SOLUTION
A tailored influence keynote built on behavioural psychology, live demonstrations and questions from the room.
Before the meeting, Duncan spoke with the organisers to learn how the network works, where its leaders needed to bring others with them and what they’d want to try afterwards.
He shaped a 50-minute keynote on the art of influence, showing how trust, understanding and clear asks drive decisions. On-stage behavioural psychology demonstrations let the audience feel each principle at work, and a short Q&A turned ideas into next steps.
THE RESULT
A network meeting that finished with fresh insight into influence and a top score from its host.
Hannah Ghiani said the network found the keynote engaging and enlightening, and she rated it 10/10. She said it explored the dynamics behind influence and its impact on professional and personal success. In the survey, 95% of leaders said they’d recommend Duncan.
The audience survey below shows how the session landed with the people in the room.
Bringing a network of leaders together? Check Duncan’s availability or explore his Influence and Persuasion keynote.
THOUGHTS FROM DUNCAN
Influence starts with understanding, not with volume.
Leaders in support functions can’t rely on job titles, so they succeed by earning attention and trust. People say yes when they feel understood, so I teach them to listen first and then ask clearly. Small shifts in wording can change the answer they get. That’s why I keep the ideas simple enough to use in the next meeting, the next negotiation or the next difficult conversation.
The VINCI Energies network was thoughtful, warm and quick to join in, and I’d love to work with them again.
HOW VINCI ENERGIES' NETWORK LEADERS RATED DUNCAN'S INFLUENCE KEYNOTE
95% of VINCI Energies’ network leaders would recommend Duncan, and 97% are extremely or highly likely to use his takeaways. The words they used most to describe the keynote were insightful, engaging and captivating.
Survey of leaders at the Support Function Network Meeting, completed straight after the keynote.
LIKELIHOOD TO USE DUNCAN'S TAKEAWAYS
HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO RECOMMEND DUNCAN
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE DUNCAN’S KEYNOTE
Want your own leaders influencing more effectively across your organisation? Talk to Duncan about your next network event.
SEE WHAT OTHER CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT DUNCAN'S KEYNOTE:
“It is evident that Duncan has a passion for delivering outstanding results and look forward to partnering again!”
Jenny Tsimpouka
Events Co-ordinator, CEO Clubs Greece
“His speech was very motivational and inspirational and the entertainment part was just mind-blowing!”
Tonya Winders
CEO, GAAP Barcelona
“I would highly recommend Duncan to anyone looking for an amazing speaker who can inspire and motivate diverse audiences!”
Natasha Amurao
Event Organiser, Abu Dhabi
“His content was delivered perfectly. Exactly what we were looking for! Actionable takeaways for everybody!”
Ashleigh Goodchild
Director, PM Collective
Popular Keynote Topics
Duncan Stevens is a behavioural psychologist, high performance expert and globally recognised keynote speaker. He inspires and educates leaders and teams at conferences around the world, in person or virtually.
His award-winning keynotes cover high performance, change, collaboration and influence.
Turning High Potential Into High Performance: Duncan’s signature keynote gives leaders the behaviours and mindsets to deliver strategic goals, drive change, inspire teams and strengthen culture.
The High Performing Team Advantage: An inspiring, entertaining keynote that gives teams the tools to collaborate better, drive marginal gains, take ownership and thrive through change.
Practical strategies to navigate uncertainty, overcome resistance, build resilience and create a culture that adapts quickly when things change.
Proven strategies to break down silos, build trust, share ownership and help teams achieve more together than they ever could alone.
How to build a culture where people want to perform at their best, using the 8 Pillars of High Performance Culture.
Built on Duncan’s best-selling book Effective Influence, this talk shows audiences how to build trust, communicate with impact, shape decisions and inspire action.
Let's Work Together.
Duncan’s helped global organisations like VINCI Energies lift their teams, their culture and their bottom-line results. Let’s do the same for your event.
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