Leadership · New for 2027
The Read™
Why Good Leaders Solve the Wrong Problem
The Read™ is a leadership keynote by Jeremiah Gardner on Diagnostic Leadership: the skill of seeing what's really happening in a room before you respond. It's built for people managers and leadership teams who keep applying good fixes to the wrong problem. Audiences leave with three questions they can use in their next meeting. The talk is based on Jeremiah's book The Read, out February 9, 2027, and runs as a keynote, workshop, or executive session, in person or virtual.
Your team may not be broken. Your read may be.
Best for
- Leadership summits and annual leadership meetings
- People-manager and new-manager development programs
- HR, L&D, and talent conferences
- Executive team offsites (see leadership offsites)
- Organizations working on psychological safety, engagement, or decision quality
This keynote serves leaders and teams who:
- Lead teams that feel stuck and have already tried the usual fixes
- Have plenty of leadership tools but keep reaching for the wrong one
- Face silence, friction, or fast agreement they can't quite explain
- Want managers who read the room before they try to fix it
Overview
In cave diving, there's a layer called the halocline, where fresh water meets salt. Swim into it and the world blurs. The walls shimmer. Move a few feet, and it's crystal clear again. Nothing in the cave changed. Only the water you were looking through.
Leaders live in that layer. The quiet meeting looks like disengagement. The fast yes looks like alignment. We trust what we see. We act on what we see. And the problem keeps coming back.
In this keynote, Jeremiah Gardner introduces Diagnostic Leadership — the discipline of seeing what's really happening in a room before you respond. Leadership has an enormous response industry: coaching, feedback, facilitation. Almost none of it teaches the step that comes first.
Drawing on cave diving and two decades advising Nike, Disney, and GE, Jeremiah gives audiences three questions for their next meeting: What do I see? What is driving it? What does this moment need?
This is the step that makes your leadership skills work. A bad read makes a good response a matter of luck.
The audience will leave with:
- A three-question practice for reading any room before responding: What do I see? What is driving it? What does this moment need?
- A sharper eye for what's actually driving what they see — because the same sign can have very different sources
- A way to catch their default and choose what the moment needs
Why this keynote captivates and delivers
Instantly recognizable. Rooms every leader has stood in. The nod that isn't agreement. The silence that isn't buy-in. The conflict that isn't really about the plan.
Names what's missing. Leaders have been trained to respond. This talk names the step that comes first — and why every other leadership skill depends on it.
Counterintuitive and research-grounded. Built on decades of research in decision science, medical diagnosis, and team psychology. Experience doesn't protect leaders from misreading a room. Sometimes it makes it worse.
Immediately usable. Three questions. No new jargon. Audiences can use them in the next meeting they walk into.
Core themes
People Manager Development · Creating Psychological Safety · Understanding Team Dynamics · Improving Decision Quality · Diagnosing the Room · Using Coaching & Feedback · Making Intentional Moves
Pair it with the book
The Read: Diagnostic Leadership and How Leaders See What's Really Happening Before They Act publishes February 9, 2027. Bulk event copies are available, so every attendee can leave with the book. Explore The Read
Take it further with DeadReckon
For organizations that want managers practicing the skill after the event, DeadReckon helps leaders and teams put Diagnostic Leadership into practice.
What event leaders say
"Jeremiah has redefined what our audience expects from a speaker."
"What sets Jeremiah apart is his ability to connect with people on a deep level. His keynote led our team to insights and solutions we hadn't considered before."
Formats and logistics
Keynote. 45–75 minutes. Works for audiences from 50 to 2,000+.
Workshop. Half day (3–4 hours) or full day (6–8 hours) for 20–100 participants. Participants work through the frameworks with worksheets they keep.
Executive session. A half-day to full-day working session for a leadership team of up to 12, built around the team's real situations rather than general examples.
Breakout. 30–45 minutes for conference tracks and parallel sessions.
Virtual. Every program can be delivered live on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or your platform, with interactive elements built in.
Tailoring. Each program is tailored to your audience, industry, and event theme. Before the event, Jeremiah's team meets with you to align on goals and key messages.
Booking window. Ideally two to three months ahead. Peak conference season fills early. Planning on short notice? Send a short-notice inquiry.
Production. Jeremiah brings his own laptop with all video and audio embedded, so no internet connection is needed. He needs a wireless lavalier or countryman mic and an AV check at least 30 minutes before the session. Full AV rider.
Books for attendees. Bulk event copies of The Read are available.
Travel. Based in San Diego, California. Keynotes, workshops, and executive sessions worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is The Read keynote for?
People managers, senior leaders, and leadership teams. It fits any audience that leads meetings, gives feedback, or makes decisions with other people. It works especially well when teams feel stuck and the usual fixes haven't worked.
- What is Diagnostic Leadership?
Diagnostic Leadership is the discipline of seeing what is really happening in a room before deciding how to respond. It sits before coaching, feedback, and facilitation, and determines whether those skills land. Read the full definition.
- What will attendees be able to do afterward?
Use three questions in their next meeting: What do I see? What is driving it? What does this moment need? They'll also recognize their default response under pressure and choose a move that fits the moment instead.
- Do audiences need to know anything about cave diving?
No. Cave diving supplies a few vivid images. Everything else is about the meetings, one-on-ones, and decisions your audience faces every week.
- Can it be tailored to our industry?
Yes. Jeremiah's team meets with you before the event to align on your audience, goals, and the situations your leaders face, and the examples are built around them.
- Is there a book that goes with the keynote?
Yes. The Read publishes February 9, 2027, and bulk event copies are available.
Related keynotes
- The Unified Team™ — How Teams Stay Aligned When the Pressure Rises
- The Cave™ — How to Move Forward Without the Full Picture
- The Goldline Effect™ — How to Explore Without Losing Yourself
Let's explore if we're a fit
All programs can be delivered in keynote, workshop, or executive session formats. Discuss your audience and objectives with Jeremiah's team.
Field Notes
A clearer way to see what’s next.
Practical notes on leadership, decision-making, and navigating uncertainty. Start with a fresh perspective for your next hard decision. Read a sample.