Amsterdam Business Forum 2025
Optimistic Leadership
“Being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward.”
~ Nelson Mandela
In today’s rapidly changing world, we need Optimistic Leadership — leaders who don’t just cope with challenges, but see the opportunities within them. Optimistic leaders welcome new voices, embrace fresh perspectives, and guide their teams through uncertainty with confidence and hope.
At Amsterdam Business Forum 2025, we are gathering the world’s top minds to share their insights on Optimistic Leadership. Our confirmed speakers include:
- Simon Sinek, unshakable optimist, author of Start with Why and the Infinite Game
- Neil Pasricha, positive psychology researcher, author of The Happiness Equation
- Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland, youngest Prime Minister in the world
* more speakers will be announced *
Join us at Amsterdam Business Forum to learn how you can harness the power of optimistic leadership to navigate change, build excellent teams, and lead with unwavering confidence.
Tickets >>
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
~ Winston Churchill
Program
Block 1: The Optimistic Future
In a rapidly changing world, we need leaders who don’t just cope with challenges, but see the opportunities within them.
Our Turn: Fearless Leadership for a New Generation
- Leading with values and courage
- Navigating a country in times of immense change, from pandemic to war
- Self-Care in Leadership: why leaders must take care of themselves
- Embracing the New Generation: integrating younger voices into your company's future
Sanna Marin
Break with deepdive sessions
- Side stage sessions with speakers
- Networking opportunities and Learning Circles
- VIP session with Sanna Marin (VIP ticket holders)
Block 2: The Optimism Mindset
Optimistic leaders own a specific mindset. They look at challenges, problems, failures and criticism in a different way. A better way.
The Happiness Equation to build stronger teams
- Turning personal optimism into successful leadership
- The biggest lessons from happiness research
- 3 simple tools to build optimism every day
- How to build optimistic habits that stick
Neil Pasricha
Break with deepdive sessions
- Side stage sessions with speakers
- Networking opportunities and Learning Circles
- VIP session with Neil Pasricha (VIP ticket holders)
Block 3: The practice of Optimistic Leadership
How does optimistic leadership work in everyday practice? Simon Sinek will share his fresh perspective on your daily leadership dilemmas in this highly interactive, 80 minute(!) Q&A session.
Leading with (a bit of) Optimism: day in day out
- Fresh perspectives on leadership
- How to deal with teamwork challenges in a different way
- Counter-intuitive perspectives on daily leadership dilemmas
- Becoming the leader you wish you had
XL interactive session with Simon Sinek, based on your questions and dilemmas
Practical information
Location
AFAS Live
Johan Cruijff Boulevard 590
1101 DS Amsterdam
Route