Kenneth Kwan

01/10/2025

💡 Why do most speakers struggle to earn well?

Because too many only focus on speaking at events 🎤 … then rushing to find the next one. That model is rare, transactional and simply not sustainable.

After 18 years in this industry, here’s what my team and I have learnt: the real value (and revenue 💷) comes when you go beyond the keynote.

Here’s the progression I’ve seen work:
1️⃣ Keynote Speaking – A one-off engagement. Inspiring, yes, but you’re unlikely to be invited back quickly.

2️⃣ Develop Competencies – Train people to build skills so the keynote message actually works. This can earn up to 20x the keynote fee.

3️⃣ Implement Solutions – Support clients to apply what they’ve learnt and embed real change. This adds tremendous value because most people learn… but don’t apply.

👉 One keynote can lead to multiple engagements and sometimes 20x the original fee.

🚀 The lesson? Don’t just share ideas. Help clients develop competencies and implement solutions so they achieve results.

That’s where true impact – and sustainable income – lies.

Thank you Asia Professional Speakers Singapore, for engaging me to share ideas. Great to have shared the stage with Anna Ong who did a masterful session on her product funnel.

30/09/2025

Why does leadership matter so much in creating commitment and alignment?

Because when leaders fall short, teams fragment. Disarray sets in. And the entire organisation pays the price.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Weak leadership weakens results.

But strong leadership inspires extraordinary resilience.

I’ve witnessed teams go through heaven and hell for a leader they trust.

That’s why I was delighted to accept Jochen Wirtz’s invitation to speak with his prestigious MBA students at NUS Business School.

I shared three essentials that leaders must master to build sustainable results:
1️⃣ Foster possibility thinking across the organisation.
2️⃣ Identify and amplify useful change.
3️⃣ Spark bottom-up momentum, not just top-down direction.

These weren’t just theories. They were reinforced with real-world case studies and proven outcomes.

If you want stronger results, invest in your leaders first. Their leverage is unmatched — not because of their titles, but because of the influence they carry.

23/09/2025

👽 Aliens do exist. Here’s why…

Every now and then, a potential client reaches out. We have a great conversation, my team carefully prepares a proposal to meet their needs… and then…

👻 Silence.
We wait.
We follow up politely.
Still silence.

That’s when we send our final email:
“Perhaps you’ve been abducted by aliens 🛸, but if you could kindly let them know we’d like you back, we’d appreciate it.”

It keeps us laughing, helps us close the loop gracefully, and saves us from frustration.

But here’s the serious side: ghosting happens in business too—and I just wish there was at least the courtesy of a reply, even if it’s a “no.”

After all, someone has spent time thoughtfully putting something together to meet your needs.

We don’t always have to say yes. But we do need to reply.

👉 Have you ever been ghosted at work? How did you handle it?

18/09/2025

🌱 Proud to be working alongside Heineken Myanmar to strengthen their organisational culture.

Culture isn’t built in a day, nor through a single training programme. It is cultivated through consistent alignment—linking key results with the beliefs and behaviours that bring those results to life.

Too often, organisations treat culture as a side project or one-off initiative.

But culture is not an initiative—it is the enabler of every initiative.

It shapes how people show up, collaborate, and deliver results, especially in times of change and uncertainty.

At Heineken Myanmar, the commitment to embedding culture into daily practice is what sets them apart.

It’s not about motivation for a moment, but about building meaning and momentum for the long run.

🍻 Here’s to building cultures that don’t just support business goals—they power them.

Thank you, Shaun Ee for the amazing opportunity to work with you.

15/09/2025

We’re honoured that the M***i and CE of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), joined their senior leadership team in our Small Steps to Big Changes® programme.

When both spiritual and organisational leaders come together, it sends a strong message: effective leadership is not just about strategy, it’s about shaping culture.

The CE of MUIS shared how valuable and practical he found the programme in helping leaders bring out the best in their people.

At Deep Impact Singapore, we believe transformation begins when leaders take the first step themselves.

MUIS is building a culture where staff are supported to thrive, innovate and create meaningful impact.

We are proud to partner with organisations like MUIS on this journey of growth and lasting change. 🌱

05/09/2025

What teams are learning through sessions, In a recent workshop, someone said:
“I realised I was focusing more on fixing problems than building on what’s working.”

That shift in awareness changed how they led their 1:1s the very next day.

✅ Solution-focused leadership starts with what’s already effective—then magnifies it.

What insight have you had lately that shifted your approach?

03/09/2025

From Firefighting to Future-Building 🚀

So many leadership conversations start with urgent problems — missed targets, market shifts, or customer issues. I’ve been there too, drawn into the cycle of fixing what’s broken. But here’s the thing: firefighting rarely builds anything lasting.

What if leaders shifted the conversation? What if, instead of only solving today’s problems, we also asked: “How can we create tomorrow’s possibilities?”

That single question can transform the way teams think, act, and grow.

I explore this shift in more detail in my latest post. If you’ve ever felt stuck in firefighting mode, I invite you to read the full piece and reflect on how your conversations can move from urgent to future-focused.

👉 Read the full article here:

Shift from reactive to proactive leadership. Discover how future-ready leaders build agile, solution-focused cultures that thrive in change.

02/09/2025

A Tool from 'Small Steps to Big Changes' "📘 From my book Small Steps to Big Changes:

When teams resist change, ask:
“If this solution somehow worked… what would be different tomorrow?” or "What would be a preferred future for you and our stakeholders?"

This opens possibilities without needing full buy-in upfront.

🌱 Change doesn’t start with force—it starts with curiosity.

Want more momentum? Ask better, future-focused questions."

29/08/2025

🚨 You could be selling wrongly.

Too often, people assume that selling in B2C (business-to-consumer) is the same as selling in B2B (business-to-business). But here’s the truth: Complex B2B sales ARE different.

In B2C, the buyer is usually an individual who makes decisions quickly—often based on emotions, likeability, price or convenience. One decision-maker, one purchase.

B2B, however, is a whole different playing field. Complex sales involve:
✅ Multiple decision-makers
✅ Longer cycles
✅ Higher stakes

And here’s the kicker—according to The Challenger Sale, the #1 thing senior decision-makers look for isn’t just ROI spreadsheets or fancy slide decks. It’s team alignment.

Because in complex sales, a CEO, CHRO, or CIO rarely makes a decision in isolation. They’re asking:
“Does my leadership team see the value of the solution?”
“Will my leadership team back this?”

In other words: your ability to gain the support of their team is just as critical as persuading the senior leader themselves.

From my experience developing training solutions for large organisations, this constantly plays out in my discussions with senior leaders. The leadership team wants to ensure that everyone is aligned to the decision.

So if you’re approaching B2B sales as though you’re selling a pair of shoes online—you got it totally wrong.

💡 Complex sales are not about closing one person. They’re about building consensus, shaping thinking and creating belief across key decision makers.

For those who are not in sales, here are the implications for you: When was the last time you adjusted your approach to win not just the single decision-maker—but their team?

26/08/2025

I had the honour of speaking with the senior leadership team at TOYOTA on a topic that silently fuels—or sabotages—performance: corporate culture.

Culture doesn’t just influence behaviour. It’s the hidden force that decides whether strategies soar or stumble.

One powerful question I often ask organisations is this:

👉 Which statement best describes your workplace?

1️⃣ We run as one united team
2️⃣ We operate like separate businesses under one roof
3️⃣ We mostly align, but still protect our turf

So let me ask you: Which statement best describes your organisation? Drop your answer in the comments below. 🚀

22/08/2025

What teams are learning through sessions "🧩 In a recent workshop, someone said:
“I realised I was focusing more on fixing problems than building on what’s working.”

That shift in awareness changed how they led their 1:1 the very next day.

✅ Solution-focused leadership starts with what’s already effective—then magnifies it.

What insight have you had lately that shifted your approach?

18/08/2025

I spend a lot of time helping large organisations lead change… but my proudest achievement?

Convincing my sons to hang the laundry. 🧺✨

Change is never easy—whether it’s senior leaders trying to shift team behaviours or parents trying to get kids involved in housework.

My secret?

I used the same change management playbook:

1️⃣ Build the case for change (you want clean clothes, right?)

2️⃣ Form a coalition (everyone in the family plays a part)

3️⃣ Role modelling (I’ll do it first—yes, even the socks)

4️⃣ Celebrate the wins (“Look at that shirt on the hanger—amazing!”)

5️⃣ Reinforce behaviours (“Thanks to you, we won’t be smelly tomorrow”)

Leadership lessons are everywhere—even in the laundry room. 😉

What about you? Where have you seen work-life parallels in leading change?