Top 10 Speakers on Leadership & Teamwork for Business Success in 2025

In today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business landscape, strong leadership and effective teamwork are essential for success. The ability to inspire and lead teams, while promoting collaboration and innovation, is key to driving organisational growth and achieving long-term goals. In this blog post, we highlight the top 10 speakers on leadership and teamwork, offering expert insights and practical strategies to help businesses reach their full potential.

How are Leadership and Teamwork Related?

A speaker can effectively cover both leadership and teamwork by demonstrating how they complement each other. Great accomplishments rarely happen alone; every breakthrough, whether in business, science, or sports, relies on a strong team. For leaders, building and nurturing effective teams is crucial to success. Despite nearly 75% of employers rating teamwork as vital, 39% of employees feel their organisation lacks collaboration. A skilled speaker can show how strong leadership fosters collaboration, while teamwork enhances leadership capabilities, creating a powerful, productive environment where both thrive together to achieve organisational goals.

Sources: Forbes & Harvard Business School

Who are the Official Top 10 Speakers on Leadership & Teamwork for Business Success in 2025?

Chosen from 221 leadership and teamwork events in 2024 and 2025, these speakers bring powerful insights and strategies to improve collaboration, leadership, and business success. Their expertise provides the tools needed to drive performance and achieve lasting growth.

• Martin O’Neill
• Jo Salter
• Jessica Oliver & Charlotte Harris
• Andrew Bustamante
• Alex Scott
• Guenther Steiner
• Daniel Coyle
• Cath Bishop
• Simon Sinek
• Charlotte Edwards

1. Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill OBE is an exceptional choice as a speaker, bringing invaluable leadership insights from his illustrious football career. Renowned for his ability to inspire teams, Martin combines his experience as a former player and successful manager with a unique, engaging style that resonates with audiences. Having led teams like Leicester City, Celtic, and Northern Ireland, his lessons on perseverance, strategy, and teamwork are highly transferable to business and organisational success. Martin’s reputation as a motivational speaker, coupled with his entertaining personality, makes him an ideal speaker for any corporate or team-focused event.

2. Jo Salter

Dr Jo Salter MBE is a pioneering leader, renowned as the first female fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her remarkable career, which began at 18, includes piloting the Panavia Tornado and leading an all-male squadron. Jo’s leadership and resilience under pressure have translated into a successful business career, including roles at PwC and NetConnect. A sought-after public speaker, Jo shares her experiences on leadership, overcoming challenges, and empowering others. Her inspiring journey has earned her recognition as one of the world’s 50 most inspiring women, making her an ideal speaker on high-performance and leadership.

Official Testimonial for Jo Salter:

“Jo delivered an exceptional speech. She was engaging throughout and successfully addressed our serious subject matter of Safety while weaving in her wit and great sense of humour throughout her presentation. Jo brought a great level of energy to the room and presented to over 700 colleagues in person and virtually. Our colleagues described Jo’s speech as ‘inspiring,’ ‘interesting’ and ‘exceptional’. Due to Jo’s versatility and range, I would recommend Jo for any event, from something with a more series subject matter, to a light hearted or inspirational topic. She was professional throughout and her wealth of knowledge and skills made for an engaging and exciting speech. Thank you Jo.” – Charlotte, Communications Specialist, AngloAmerican

3. Jessica Oliver & Charlotte Harris

Jessica Oliver and Charlotte Harris are exceptional speakers on teamwork and leadership, having broken world records as the fastest female pair to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Their journey through the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, where they overcame massive challenges such as 50-foot waves, equipment failures, and extreme fatigue, showcases the power of resilience, collaboration, and strong leadership under pressure. Their story demonstrates how perseverance, effective communication, and a shared mindset can lead to extraordinary achievements, making them powerful role models and inspiring speakers for audiences seeking to enhance their own leadership and teamwork skills.

Jessica Oliver & Charlotte Harris’ Official Speaking Topics:

• Endurance
• Teamwork
• Grit/Determination
• Extreme Sports
• Women in Sport
• Women Supporting Women
• Imposter Syndrome

4. Andrew Bustamante

Andrew Bustamante, a former Covert CIA Intelligence Officer and decorated combat veteran, is a highly sought-after speaker with unparalleled expertise in espionage, human intelligence, and high-stakes decision-making. His background in covert operations and counterintelligence has equipped him with a unique understanding of human behaviour, negotiation under pressure, and risk management. As the founder of EverydaySpy, Andrew now teaches business leaders and teams how to apply spy-inspired strategies to enhance influence, decision-making, and leadership. His engaging storytelling, actionable insights, and ability to captivate audiences make him an ideal speaker for corporate events, leadership development, and strategy workshops.

Andrew Bustamante’s Official Speaking Topics:

• Business Lessons from Terrorists: Turning Individual Ability Into Business Agility
• Directing Human Behavior to Drive Predictable Outcomes
• The Spycraft Secret to Increasing Sales
• Risk Prism

5. Alex Scott

Alex Scott MBE is a pioneering figure in women’s football and an expert in leadership and teamwork, making her an inspiring speaker for any event. As a former professional footballer for Arsenal and the England National Team, Alex demonstrated exceptional leadership on and off the pitch, captaining Arsenal and competing in prestigious tournaments such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the UEFA Women’s Euros. Transitioning into a successful media career, Alex now shares valuable lessons on overcoming adversity, building strong teams, and leading with resilience. Her unique experiences make her a powerful speaker on leadership, teamwork, and empowerment.

Official Testimonial for Alex Scott:

“Our employees loved Alex, the conversation flowed and there were lots of questions from the audience and lots of laughs!” – RBC Capital Markets

6. Guenther Steiner

Guenther Steiner is a renowned motorsport engineer and team manager, best known for his role as Team Principal of the Haas F1 Team. With extensive experience in rallying and Formula 1, Guenther’s leadership and team-building abilities have shaped his successful career. His appearances on the Netflix series Drive to Survive and his ongoing work as an expert analyst have made him a respected figure in motorsport. As a speaker, Guenther shares invaluable lessons on leadership, resilience, and motivating teams, offering audiences insights into the strategic and managerial aspects of high-performance environments. His straightforward approach and humour make him an engaging and inspiring speaker.

Guenther Steiner’s Official Speaking Topics:

• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Communication
• Formula One
• Innovation
• Inspiration
• What It Is Like to Succeed in Motorsport
• Risk
• Safety
• Success

7. Daniel Coyle

Daniel Coyle is a renowned leadership expert and New York Times bestselling author, best known for his influential book The Culture Code, which has been widely acclaimed as one of the best business books of the year. As a trusted advisor to elite organisations such as Navy SEALs, Microsoft, and Google, Daniel shares his expertise on group dynamics, team culture, and performance. His work helps organisations foster trust, connection, and high performance. With his background in sports journalism and his deep understanding of talent development, Daniel is a highly sought-after speaker who provides actionable insights to strengthen leadership and enhance team culture.

8. Cath Bishop

Cath Bishop is an inspiring leadership speaker with a distinguished career spanning elite sports, politics, and motivational speaking. As an Olympic silver medalist in rowing and a World Rowing Champion, Cath brings valuable insights into high-performance cultures and leadership. Her experience representing Team GB at multiple Olympic Games, combined with her roles in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, has equipped her with unique expertise in resilience, teamwork, and performing under pressure. Now, as a sought-after keynote speaker, Cath helps businesses and teams cultivate long-term success, drawing from her diverse experiences to motivate and transform organisational cultures.

Official Testimonial for Cath Bishop:

“Cath worked with me on a programme for senior leaders from an investment company approaching a time of rapid change. Her insights into excellence, collaboration and communication were memorable for the participants due to her credibility, experience and stories from both Olympic sports as well as international diplomacy which illustrated well the critical factors for successful leadership and high performance from not just one exciting world, but two.” – Ashridge Executive Education

9. Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a world-renowned motivational speaker, author, and leadership expert, best known for his concept of ‘Start with Why.’ His groundbreaking TED talk, “Why Great Leaders Inspire Action,” has become the second most-watched talk of all time, propelling him to global recognition. Simon’s ability to inspire actionable change has led him to work with top organisations, including the UN Global Compact and the US Government. As a best-selling author and a regular speaker on leadership, motivation, and personal fulfilment, Simon’s innovative strategies continue to transform how individuals and teams approach success.

10. Charlotte Edwards

Charlotte Edwards CBE is one of the most accomplished and influential cricketers in England’s history, having captained the national women’s cricket team for over a decade. A record-breaking player, Charlotte led her team to World Cup victory in 2009 and a World T20 Championship win on home soil. With an impressive 20-year international career, she’s earned numerous accolades, including the ICC Women’s Player of the Year and Wisden Cricketer of the Year. Now a pundit for Sky Sports, Charlotte uses her expertise to inspire others, delivering powerful talks on leadership, pressure, and success, making her an ideal speaker for any corporate or sports-related event.

Official Testimonial for Charlotte Edwards:

“I want to extend a personal thank you for joining us at Lloyd’s for our International Women’s Day event last week. It was fantastic to hear your story and perspective as we discussed life’s challenges and choices, and most importantly how to respond to them. We were joined by more than 200 women (and a few men) in the room and more than 400 people tuned in to our live broadcast stream.  The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – so many were truly inspired by listening to what you have achieved.  Getting that life balance right was the advice that resonated with me so much. Thank you again for being part of our push for inclusive progress in the insurance sector and more broadly across society. Your contribution was hugely valued and it was a real pleasure to meet you.” – Inga, Lloyds of London

What are the Key Challenges Businesses Face When Building Strong Teams?

Building strong teams can be challenging, as success or failure is often attributed to individual team leaders or team “chemistry,” which can be vague and unreliable. In reality, creating a high-performing team requires more than just leadership upskilling. Research shows that about 60% of work teams fail to accomplish their goals, highlighting the need for a structured approach to collaboration and performance. A skilled speaker can offer invaluable strategies for overcoming these challenges, providing practical insights on fostering trust, aligning goals, and developing effective communication, ensuring your team can reach its full potential.

Sources: McKinsey & Company & Blanchard LeaderChat

Hire an Official Top 10 Speaker on Leadership & Teamwork for Business Success in 2025!

Uncover the leading speakers on leadership and teamwork, who are empowering businesses to thrive in 2025. These experts share their extensive knowledge on building resilient teams, navigating challenges, and driving innovation. By bringing them in for your event, you’ll provide your audience with practical insights and strategies that can transform organisational performance. From inspiring leadership lessons to actionable teamwork tactics, these speakers offer a unique opportunity to elevate your company’s success and cultivate a culture of collaboration and excellence.

If you’re looking to empower your team with actionable strategies and insights from some of the top leadership and teamwork experts, we’re here to help. Our speakers are ready to inspire and motivate your audience, ensuring your event has a lasting impact. Reach out today to discuss how we can match you with the perfect speaker for your needs. Call us on 0203 0070 319 or fill out our online contact form to get started. Together, let’s drive your organisation’s success to new heights.