Speaking
Josh George works with leadership teams, associations, and sales organizations on the one skill underneath every hard conversation: staying settled when it turns.
The Lower the Stakes, the Worse I Get
The conversations that leave marks are almost never the big ones. They're the small exchanges nobody trains for, where getting it wrong costs nothing in the moment and everything later.
Fowler Center, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Speaking topics
Hard conversations that feel bigger than they are
Why capable people can handle a crisis and still struggle with a short, ordinary conversation. This topic examines the gap between the actual stakes and the response the body produces.
Who it’s for
Leaders, managers, and technical experts whose responsibilities now depend on conversations as much as subject knowledge.
What they leave with
- A way to distinguish the stated issue from the pressure surrounding it.
- Early signs that a practiced response is taking over.
- A more deliberate first move when the room changes.
The structure of a difficult conversation
A practical examination of how to open a difficult subject, keep the real issue in view, and leave with a decision instead of a vague sense that something was discussed.
Who it’s for
Managers, people leaders, and cross-functional teams responsible for feedback, boundaries, performance, or competing priorities.
What they leave with
- An opening that names the issue without writing the other person’s motive.
- Questions that test an assumption instead of defending it.
- A close that records what happens next and who owns it.
Composure as a trainable skill
Composure is not the absence of emotion. It is the ability to remain available to the conversation while pressure is changing what you notice, assume, and say.
Who it’s for
Sales, customer, nonprofit, education, and leadership audiences who work in consequential conversations.
What they leave with
- The difference between suppressing a reaction and choosing a response.
- A method for creating time before the first irreversible sentence.
- Ways to practice before the conversation carries real consequences.
Audiences and formats
- Corporate and leadership teams
- Associations and conferences
- Sales organizations
- Education
- Nonprofit and community
- Keynote (45–60 minutes)
- Conference breakout (45 minutes)
- Fireside or moderated conversation
- Panel
Remote or in person.
Check a date
Programs can be shaped around the conflicts and pressures an audience actually faces. Use the inquiry to share the audience, event format, desired outcome, location, and date; the response can then cover fit, availability, fees, travel, production needs, and accessibility.