Speaking
I’m Dr. Najwa Zebian (pronounced nej-wah zay-be-in). I’m a big believer that words have the power to transform the world through inspiring authentic change.
Take a minute to watch Najwa Zebian's speaking reel.
I completed my Doctorate in Educational Leadership where I created a unique model for authentic inclusion, led by tenets of culturally responsive leadership, leadership for social justice, and transformative leadership. I devised an organizational improvement plan that aims to ensure equitable opportunities at academic success through proactive planning that is rooted in leadership for social justice.
I worked in schools for over ten years where I led initiatives related to mental health, leadership and inclusion. The most powerful lesson I took away from that is that we are all fundamentally seeking one thing; to lead a life where we can be our most authentic selves. This combination of education and experience makes my work both impactful and actionable while providing research-informed and practical strategies for effecting change using a distributed leadership approach, where everyone involved is seen as a leader.
As someone who’s experienced the challenge of moving to a new country at 16, I had to learn the hard way that adopting a fixed mindset to life is not the answer. I chose growth over the stagnancy of victimhood and wishing things were different. I learned that you have to make things different through intentional action fueled by intrinsic motivation.
Change is an inevitable truth in any organization and the key to successfully embracing it lies in knowledge. To make sure change is embraced with intention, it's important to consider where we want to be, how we get there and what gaps need to be closed between our current and desired reality. After studying these questions for five years, I devised an organizational improvement plan that tailored to the specific needs of an organization. My research focused on understanding the organization’s history and context, as well as on developing strategies that work over the long term, creating meaningful, systemic change that allows everyone within and served by the organization to benefit. Of course, planning and executing change isn't enough - in order for real growth to happen, we must also ensure that change is sustained over time. This requires investing in the growth, development and mental health of all stakeholders within the organization.
My goal is to help you unlock the power of knowledge and use it to bring about real change for yourself, your employees, and the people you serve through educational leadership.
FLAGSHIP KEYNOTE
The Art of Emotional Resilience
Mastering Emotional Intelligence At Work
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Transformational, Inspiring and Life-Changing.
This keynote presentation aims to completely transform both the personal and professional lives of participants at all organizational levels to become the masters of their own path.
What if the trick to effectively leading others lies in your ability to harness the power of your emotions? What if working cohesively in a team requires being in touch with your own feelings?
There is a myth that there is no room for emotion in the big leagues. Whether we want them to or not, emotions guide how we do almost everything, not just how we handle failure. Our feelings dictate how we manage our time and energy. They help us navigate conflicts, take responsibility for our actions, communicate with others and adapt to changes under stress. All these skills are required to be a good leader, teammate, or employee. Instead of focusing on one skill at a time, we can strengthen our emotional intelligence and build resilience that enables us to handle anything that comes our way.
For anyone to reach their full potential professionally, they must go through many ups and downs – they must learn how to be resilient. Resilience doesn’t come from not feeling the pain of failure- it comes from understanding and truly feeling that pain. When we have room for emotions, we process that failure more effectively; our ability to say “I’m going to try again” comes from being able to truly feel and work through that pain. Unless we examine our pain and truly feel it, we cannot feel the joy of success as keenly.
How can our personal and professional lives improve through emotional resilience?
As participants engage in this presentation, they will personally reflect on their own experiences and stories to deconstruct what’s standing in the way of their emotional resilience and use that as a starting point to set goals. They will use the analogy from one of my poems: These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.
Who is Najwa?
Najwa is an author, speaker and creator. As a high school teacher, Najwa has spoken at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching. Najwa’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions worldwide- many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.
Keynote Presentation Goals:
- Increasing awareness about emotional intelligence
- Removing barriers to maximized employee performance
- Developing practical emotional resilience skills in the workplace
- Challenging the status quo and stigma surrounding emotions in the workplace
- Fostering a culture of cohesion and support in the workplace
Added Benefits:
- Creating a positive work environment
- Creating a safe space for employees
- Destigmatizing mental health in the workplace
- Increasing productivity in the workplace
AVAILABLE OPTIONS:
- Keynote: 45 min. / 60 min. / 75 min. / 90 min.
- Keynote + Workshop: ½ Day / Full Day
- Custom Training: ½ Day / Full Day
- Moderating/Facilitating ½ Day / Full Day
- All services are available in English and/or Arabic
Custom Keynote Title:
Clients can choose to change the title of the keynote to correspond to the event’s main theme.
OTHER KEYNOTES
Walking Through the Mirage of Fear
The Metamorphosis Of A Leader
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Invigorating, Inspiring and Moving - This keynote presentation aims to empower participants to step into the leaders they are each meant to be.
Designed for employees, entrepreneurs, and managers, this conference explores the importance of moving from a top-down approach to leadership to a distributed type of leadership. What does a workplace where every employee is a leader look like? What does it feel like? And how could it transform both the professional and personal lives of every employee to be more productive and fulfilling? Najwa brings both her knowledge on leadership from her graduate studies and her expertise as a leader to this life-changing talk.
Participants, whether in conventional leadership positions such as management or CEO or not, will reflect on their own understandings of leadership and their application of it in the workplace and in their personal lives. They will also learn strategies to break through their existing fears that are hindering them from becoming the leaders they are meant to be.
Who is Najwa?
Najwa is an author, speaker and creator. As a high school teacher, Najwa has spoken at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching. Najwa’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions worldwide- many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.
Keynote Presentation Goals:
- Deconstructing fear and using it as a springboard for change
- Bridging the gap between personal and professional perseverance skills
- Fostering a sense of distributed leadership
- Understanding that servant leadership is the most effective
- Highlighting humility as a key leader characteristic
- Moving away from the race to compete and moving toward excellence
Added Benefits:
- Defining fear as an ally instead of an enemy to growth
- Instilling mindfulness skills that allow for constructively using fear
- Practical strategies on going from “I” to “We”
- Fostering a team spirit by empowering each part of the team
- Ensuring that every person feels valued and valuable
AVAILABLE OPTIONS:
- Keynote: 45 min. / 60 min. / 75 min. / 90 min.
- Keynote + Workshop: ½ Day / Full Day
- Custom Training: ½ Day / Full Day
- Moderating/Facilitating ½ Day / Full Day
- All services are available in English and/or Arabic
Custom Keynote Title:
Clients can choose to change the title of the keynote to correspond to the event’s main theme.
Authentic Influence
Moving A Million People With A Message
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Real, Raw and Authentic - This keynote presentation aims to open the eyes of participants to the dangers of falling into influencer culture with no vision or purpose. Real impact begins with real, hard work.
In a world where recycled content is used to increase views just for numbers, how do you succeed and stand out with original content?
This presentation is designed for entrepreneurs, influencers, brand-builders, social media managers, and anyone who wants to create impact through social media. Participants will engage in activities geared towards them reflecting on their real purpose and intentions behind seeking growth and recognition on these platforms. They will also be guided through an analysis of profiles of current influencers who are effecting real change and ones who are only seeking recognition. As someone who’s paved her way in this field through authentic, real and intentional content creation, Najwa will share her secrets on effecting impact that ripples through millions.
Organizations as a whole can learn to strategically position themselves to create long-lasting influence that creates brand loyalty, increases conversions, and makes them stand out amongst the crowd.
Who is Najwa?
Najwa is an author, speaker and creator. As a high school teacher, Najwa has spoken at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching. Najwa’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions worldwide- many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.
Keynote Presentation Goals:
- Deconstructing fear and using it as a springboard for change
- Bridging the gap between personal and professional perseverance skills
- Fostering a sense of distributed leadership
- Understanding that servant leadership is the most effective
- Highlighting humility as a key leader characteristic
- Moving away from the race to compete and moving toward excellence
Added Benefits:
- Defining fear as an ally instead of an enemy to growth
- Instilling mindfulness skills that allow for constructively using fear
- Practical strategies on going from “I” to “We”
- Fostering a team spirit by empowering each part of the team
- Ensuring that every person feels valued and valuable
AVAILABLE OPTIONS:
- Keynote: 45 min. / 60 min. / 75 min. / 90 min.
- Keynote + Workshop: ½ Day / Full Day
- Custom Training: ½ Day / Full Day
- Moderating/Facilitating ½ Day / Full Day
- All services are available in English and/or Arabic
Custom Keynote Title:
Clients can choose to change the title of the keynote to correspond to the event’s main theme.
Facilitating A High-Performing Workplace
Creating Workplaces on the Foundation of Diversity and Inclusion
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Challenging, Life-changing and Revolutionary- This keynote presentation aims to change the culture of the organization from the root upwards instead of the conventional top-down approach to significantly impact a teams performance, productivity, and results..
Instead of creating space for diversity and inclusion, the organization must be built on a foundation that combines the two. These buzzwords often end up as posters on a wall or as a newsletter highlight, when they should be seamlessly incorporated into every aspect of the organization, from policy to practice. Instead of perpetuating the perception of these two words as a burden, a trend or a band-aid, this presentation offers the organization practical ways to authentically implement practices that, at their core, serve the true holistic meanings of diversity and inclusion.
Packed with knowledge from years of experience in the educational field and planning for a differentiated approach that caters to the needs of employees at every level of the organization regardless of their background, this presentation promises to infiltrate the organizational structure in a way that enhances productivity, creates a positive work culture, and encourages equity.
Who is Najwa?
Najwa is an author, speaker and creator. As a high school teacher, Najwa has spoken at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching. Najwa’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions worldwide- many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.
Keynote Presentation Goals:
- Deconstructing fear and using it as a springboard for change
- Bridging the gap between personal and professional perseverance skills
- Fostering a sense of distributed leadership
- Understanding that servant leadership is the most effective
- Highlighting humility as a key leader characteristic
- Moving away from the race to compete and moving toward excellence
Added Benefits:
- Defining fear as an ally instead of an enemy to growth
- Instilling mindfulness skills that allow for constructively using fear
- Practical strategies on going from “I” to “We”
- Fostering a team spirit by empowering each part of the team
- Ensuring that every person feels valued and valuable
AVAILABLE OPTIONS:
- Keynote: 45 min. / 60 min. / 75 min. / 90 min.
- Keynote + Workshop: ½ Day / Full Day
- Custom Training: ½ Day / Full Day
- Moderating/Facilitating ½ Day / Full Day
- All services are available in English and/or Arabic
Custom Keynote Title:
Clients can choose to change the title of the keynote to correspond to the event’s main theme.
CUSTOM KEYNOTES
BASED ON CLIENT REQUESTS
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In the age of cookie-cutter solutions to organizational needs, this presentation will be created with the client’s needs in mind.
This will be more of an individualized presentation, done by collaboratively working one-on-one with the organizer. The organizer will have the option to choose multiple topics including diversity, inclusion, social media growth, leadership, emotional intelligence, and other discussion points upon request. Any required resource creation that serves the organizer’s goals will also be provided.
Who is Najwa?
Najwa is an author, speaker and creator. As a high school teacher, Najwa has spoken at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching. Najwa’s unique journey of breaking out of the mold that society and culture suffocated her with has been an inspiration to millions worldwide- many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.
Keynote Presentation Goals:
- Tackling specific organizational goals
- Implementing organization-driven change
- Solving specific problems hindering a positive work culture
- Creating a more dynamic workplace where all employees feel valued
- Embracing diversity in the workplace
- Creating a culture shift through the practice of distributed leadership
- Increasing knowledge related to fair and equitable opportunities in the workplace
Added Benefits:
- Embracing originality over numbers
- Relieving the pressure of competition
- Fostering a sense of community
- Removing the fear of risk taking
- Increasing engagement and reach
AVAILABLE OPTIONS:
- Keynote: 45 min. / 60 min. / 75 min. / 90 min.
- Keynote + Workshop: ½ Day / Full Day
- Custom Training: ½ Day / Full Day
- Moderating/Facilitating ½ Day / Full Day
- All services are available in English and/or Arabic
Custom Keynote Title:
Clients can choose to change the title of the keynote to correspond to the event’s main theme.
BOOK NAJWA
Looking for a Speaker?
Are you looking for a speaker for your event, conference or team? Feel free to get in touch to inquire about booking Najwa to speak.