Meet Renée Smith
Leadership Speaker, Researcher, & Strategist
Expert in Love-Centered Leadership & Human-Centered Workplaces
Renee Smith is a leadership speaker, researcher, and strategist known for helping leaders and organizations replace fear-based leadership with love-centered ways of working - so people and performance thrive together.
Her talks challenge outdated leadership norms while offering a grounded, research-backed path forward to lead with love, not fear.
A Bold, Human Message for Today’s Leaders
Most leadership advice doesn’t fail because leaders don’t care.
It fails because fear becomes the default - impacting behaviors, decisions, and cultures under pressure.
Renee helps audiences recognize how fear shows up at work, and what to do instead.
Her keynotes and workshops show leaders how to:
Build trust and psychological safety
Translate empathy and compassion into real leadership behaviors
Create workplaces rooted in dignity, belonging, and accountability
This is not timid, soft leadership.
It is bold, courageous, deeply human, and highly effective.
What Audiences Experience
Renée’s sessions are:
Warm, clear, and courageous
Research-grounded and highly practical
Designed to shift both mindsets and habits
Audiences leave with:
Recognition of fear-based patterns and down-to-earth language that explains love as a business imperative.
Practical tools to lead differently in any situation
Renewed confidence in and commitment to human-centered leadership
She speaks to leaders and teams across government, healthcare, higher education, technology, professional services, and mission-driven organizations.
Learn more about Renée on her LinkedIn profile.
Why This Work Matters
Fear is an old habit - learned early and reinforced often.
Love is a learnable leadership practice - one that creates healthier teams, stronger results, and more sustainable work.
Renée’s work invites leaders to build cultures where people feel safe, seen, and able to do their best work.
Love is the work.
And leadership is where it begins.
Bring Renée to Your Event
Renée partners closely with event planners to deliver meaningful, memorable experiences tailored to your audience and goals.
If you are looking for a speaker who is visionary, grounded, and deeply human, connect with Renée for a conversation to learn more.
