Sara Ross
In an increasingly uncertain, AI-accelerated world, the numbers tell a troubling story: 61% of leaders feel unprepared to navigate today's complexity, 62% are disengaged, and nearly half the workforce is running on fumes. To address these pressing challenges, organizations like Microsoft, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. Navy turn to leadership and workplace expert, Sara Ross and her LeadFULL™ framework— a vitality-powering, human-centered approach to leadership excellence.
Grounded in research but geared for real life, Sara works at the intersection of organizational culture, emotional intelligence, and energy management. Her pioneering multi-year study on workplace vitality formed the foundation of her bestselling book, 'Dear Work, Something Has to Change.' Known for her trademark energy and status-quo-challenging style, Sara Ross embodies her title of Chief Vitality Officer. Her conviction to reigniting a sense of aliveness in a world seemingly designed to smother it out has earned her recognition as a 2023 Women of Influence by SUCCESS magazine and the Global Gurus Top 30 Motivational Speakers list for 2025.
In an era where 73% of organizations are bracing for major technology-driven disruption, 61% of leaders feeling unprepared to navigate the growing complexity, 62% reportedly disengaged, and nearly half the workforce running on fumes—these aren’t just statistics; they’re warning signs. Our current approaches are leaving untapped collective potential, depleted talent, and a version of high performance that may be achievable in sprints but not sustainable over time.
As the Founder and Chief Vitality Officer at BrainAMPED, a leadership research firm, Sara Ross believes there’s a better way: what she calls the LeadFULL™ way—a human-centered, vitality-fueling approach to leadership that helps both people and performance thrive.
Named a 2023 Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine and recognized among the Top 30 Motivational Speakers by Global Gurus for 2025, Sara brings nearly two decades of experience integrating behavioral sciences into her work with leaders. Her expertise lies at the intersection of organizational culture, emotional intelligence, and energy management.
Her pioneering multi-year study on workplace vitality and sustainable high performance formed the foundation of her bestselling book, 'Dear Work, Something Has to Change' establishing Sara as a fresh, thought-provoking voice tackling today’s epidemic levels of stress, disengagement, and burnout.
Grounded in research but geared for real life, Sara has become a go-to expert for organizations ranging from Microsoft, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo, and T-Mobile to members of the U.S. Navy, judges, surgeons, air traffic controllers, and space engineers. Her diverse experience also includes working with leading healthcare systems, government agencies, global associations, universities, professional sports teams, and guest lecturing in the executive leadership program at Smith College. This broad perspective is why Sara is trusted by some of the most senior, technically sophisticated, and skeptical audiences.
On stage, you can count on Sara to challenge status quo thinking and embody her role as Chief Vitality Officer. With her trademark high energy, cutting-edge science, as well as humorous and relatable storytelling, Sara both inspires and provides a clear, actionable blueprint for helping both people and performance flourish.
Before founding BrainAmped, Sara spent over a decade immersed in the neuroscience of emotional intelligence and performance at a global organizational training company where she served as Vice President and Global Head of Leadership Development. She and her team led the development and delivery of award-winning leadership training programs (virtual and in-person), assessments, coaching, and accreditation offerings designed to help leaders across the globe be at their best—even in the most complex, high-pressure moments. This background in learning and development makes her uniquely qualified to respond to the expanding needs of clients looking for interactive experiences and extended learning sessions that drive sustainable behavior change.
Sara holds a Master of Science (MSc.) and multiple certifications, including Executive Coaching and Language & Behavioral Profiling. Outside of work, she’s a coffee-loving, meditation rookie whose husband describes her career as “professional eavesdropping and people-watching.” She insists she’s simply a devoted street scientist on a mission to better understand people and why they do what they do!
THE VITALITY STATE
Where Excellence Meets Energy to Expand Leadership Capacity, Foster Enduring High Performance, and Fuel a Vibrant Life
Leadership has always been demanding, but today, it feels like an unsustainable pressure cooker of complexity and competing demands where no amount of effort ever seems enough. These circumstances aren't temporary—they are trademarks of today's workplace. The question isn't how to overcome them; it's how to expand our capacity to sustainably thrive within them.
Drawing on nearly two decades studying the science of human behavior, advising leaders, and conducting a multi-year study of workplace vitality captured in her bestselling book 'Dear Work, Something Has to Change'—Sara Ross believes the answer is found in LeadFULLTM—a whole person approach to vitality-fueling leadership.
Grounded in research but geared for real life, this keynote focuses on the Self-Leadership pillar of LeadFULL™ and teaches the transformational power of learning to operate from the Vitality State. From here, performance excellence becomes more enduring, emotional intelligence skills more accessible, relationships more enriching, and purpose reignited creating a ripple effect of thriving across teams and organizations while deepening vibrancy in all dimensions of life.
THE EXCELLENCE MULTIPLIER
Activating the Three Vital Forces that Elevate Leadership and Collectively Bring Out the Best in Others
In today's rapidly changing workplace, where organizations are fiercely competing to leverage AI's potential while attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent, a powerful truth stands clear: an organization's greatest untapped competitive advantage is human potential. While new technologies and evolving policies continue to transform how and where we work, the ability of leaders to unify talents and convert them into collective excellence (without exhausting everyone in the process) remains the true differentiator between organizations that merely function and those that truly excel.
LeadFULL™—a vitality-fueling approach to human-centered leadership developed by Sara Ross—provides a powerful, science-backed blueprint for just that.
Grounded in the Lead Others dimension of the LeadFULL™ model, this keynote builds on data from over 10,000 survey responses to what brings the best out in others. In it, Sara focuses on three interconnected transformative human-centered leadership insights—accountability, empathy, and empowerment. In a world of complexity, Sara provides clarity, transforming how leaders approach and elevate their roles with instantly applicable tools to drive vitality-fueling success that benefits everyone—from team members with a ripple effect out to customers and beyond.
FUTURE-READY CHANGE RESILIENCE
Transforming Stress into Strength, Uncertainty into Opportunity, and Resistance into Energizing Momentum
In today's dynamic world, there are two human operating states from which we can approach change: the Scarcity State, where we're reactive, stressed out, frustrated, and change-fatigued, or the Vitality State, where we're strategic, energized, resilient, and future-ready. With research suggesting the average organization has undergone five enterprise changes in the past three years—and 73% expecting more ahead—leading change from the Vitality State isn't just an option; it's a competitive advantage.
Drawing on nearly two decades of experience researching, coaching and advising leaders and their organizations through change efforts, Sara shares how operating from the Vitality State transforms resilience from a reactive tactic called upon in moments of crisis—to a proactive practice strengthened daily. From here, stress is converted to a strength that reveals purpose, uncertainty becomes a gateway to innovation, and resistance shifts into a catalyst for energizing, momentum-creating growth. This is how to stay future-ready in a changing world.
DEAR WORK
The Burnout Stops Here—Redefining Success to Boost Happiness, Meaning, and Vitality
It all started with a letter. What began as a personal reflection on the consuming nature of work quickly evolved into a research-backed mission to find a better way to work. That letter, and the journey it sparked, became the foundation of Sara Ross’s bestselling book, Dear Work, Something Has to Change.
If you’ve ever found yourself pursuing bold goals but running on fumes, feeling stuck between choosing success or well-being, or frustrated that work-life balance strategies just aren’t cutting it, you’re not alone. In a world where exhaustion is often accepted as the price of excellence, Sara Ross has the data to prove otherwise.
In a multi-year study exploring our relationship with work through the lens of organizational culture, personal energy management and performance science, Sara found that people who thrive with vitality in demanding environments aren’t less ambitious or committed, but they do hold fundamentally different beliefs about success, stress, and rest. This keynote delivers mindset shifts and science-backed strategies to help people bring their best, most vitality-fueled selves forward and transform workplace cultures trapped in burnout cycles.
Sara Ross hit it out of the park! Our audience of Federal Chief Judges are a tough crowd to win over, but Sara delivered an informative and energetic keynote that really resonated with our executive audience.
The Federal Justice Center
Sara was FANTASTIC for a second time. Her content was super relatable, and we received nothing but positive feedback from the audience. We hosted a networking lunch right after the Town Hall and Sara was graceful with her time and joined us during lunch which allowed with follow on conversations with many of our team members. Overall fantastic engagement and we are very happy with the outcome.
Microsoft
Sara Ross was amazing and all our guests were so impressed! Sara was the perfect closing keynote speaker for LUX 2024!
Berkshire Hathaway
The time Sara took to interview our members and customize her keynote only added to the wonderful experience we had with Sara and the keynote on Leadership Vitality she delivered. The feedback has been amazing, and the on-demand recording has record views.
American Medical Association
Your message is exactly what my leadership team needed to hear; you are influencing culture change!
Naval Surface Warfare Center
I wanted to express our sincere gratitude for a fantastic virtual keynote speech. Sara, you skillfully touched upon the points and audience we discussed in our intake call and beautifully included the theme of National Advanced Practice Provider Week. The feedback we’ve received thus far has been great and very well-received. Thank you for making the experience so seamless; it was a pleasure working with you both again.
UT Southwestern Medical Center
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere thank you for the fantastic keynote and workshop you delivered at our conference this week. Your expertise and passion truly shined, creating an outstanding experience for our Regional Teams. Your energy and ability to captivate the group with your insights, knowledge, and engaging presentation style was well received. The content you shared was not only valuable but provided practical tips and techniques and will undoubtedly benefit our team. Thank you for your amazing work. We truly appreciate your time, expertise, and the awesome experience you provided.
TJX
Dear Work: Something Has to Change
