Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Saskatchewan for not one, but two Disrupt HR events — in Saskatoon and Regina, hosted by CPHR Saskatchewan (Chartered Professionals in Human Resources).
Back-to-back nights. Back-to-back packed rooms. And over 200+ leaders in HR, business, and beyond came together for an unforgettable series of talks.
I had the privilege of being the second closer of the first event 13/14 and the closer at the 2 event 15/15, delivering my 5-minute talk:
“The Dead Man’s Curve – Why Playing It Safe Is Killing Leadership.”
Being last on stage isn’t about pressure — it’s about impact. It’s about leaving people with an idea that lingers long after the lights go down. And that’s exactly what I set out to do.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to deliver a powerful Disrupt HR talk at Disrupt YVR 10.0 in October 2024, downtown Vancouver, BC, at the Deloitte Summit. (which was epic by the way).
So I was familiar with the format and quick, bold type of talks they wanted. Once the opportunity arose to support not 1 but 2 events in Saskatchewan, I couldn’t pass it up.
Check out all my keynote talks here.
From the road trips across Saskatchewan to connecting with brilliant leaders in both cities, this trip was a whirlwind of energy, conversation, and ideas.
I was so grateful for the prairie hospitality from the CPHR team and the amazing attendees and leaders throughout.
I’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes photos and video clips from both events soon — but for now, here’s a quick glimpse:
In aviation, there’s something called the dead man’s curve — a space where hovering too low and too slow means you can’t recover if things go wrong. The only way to avoid disaster?
Gain altitude. Create momentum. Move forward.
It’s something I tend to talk about a lot, in case you haven’t noticed. Hence, my TEDx talk titled - Life Beyond the Dead Man’s Curve.
Leadership is no different. Playing it safe, hovering in comfort zones, and avoiding risk feels secure in the moment — but it’s the fastest path to becoming irrelevant. Especially as the world seems to be moving faster and faster.
Great leaders step forward, take calculated risks, and create momentum for themselves and their teams. Playing it safe doesn’t protect leadership — it kills it.
The HR leaders I spoke to in Saskatoon and Regina know this truth well:
That’s the message I left both audiences with — and the conversations afterward proved how much it resonated.
Here are just a few messages I received following the talks: (A HUGE thank you to all who came, supported and reached out after!).
“Thank you for delivering your message so loud and clear.”
-Daniel
“Your talk was flawless. What an inspiring way to end the night.”
-Esther
“You are a powerful speaker with a great message.”
-Corby
“You crushed it. Couldn’t agree more with your perspective of bold leadership, and loved the “dead man’s curve” metaphor.”
-Brett
“Great job last night. Super polished, ya nailed it!”
-Janelle
“It was fantastic to meet you and hear your Dead Man’s Curve story. I really enjoyed it. The response of the audience suggested your message about playing it safe was resonating. Well done.”
-Bill
This trip was just the beginning. I’ll be sharing more photos, clips, and reflections from my Disrupt HR Saskatchewan tour soon. And both talks are recorded along with photography, so make sure you stay tuned on my social channels for more content! Connect with me on Instagram and YouTube!
And if your organization, conference, or team is looking for a keynote speaker in Canada who blends leadership insights with real-world lessons from aviation — I’d love to connect.
Chris M Wilson
Chris Wilson is a motivational keynote speaker, aviator, and entrepreneur from Vancouver, BC, Canada. He helps leaders turn change into momentum with speaking, coaching and community.
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