Home / Speakers / Rasmus Hougaard
Rasmus Hougaard Keynote Speaker and leadership thinker

Rasmus Hougaard

Founder & CEO, Potential Project | Thinkers50 Leadership Thinker | Author, More Human & Compassionate Leadership

Check Availability & Fees
Response
within 24h
No
obligation
One contact,
start to finish

As AI reshapes work, Rasmus Hougaard shows leaders how to become more human, not less. Founder and CEO of Potential Project and named by Thinkers50 among the eight most important leadership thinkers, he has written three Harvard Business Review Press books, including Compassionate Leadership and More Human. Audiences leave with practical ways to lead with clarity, wisdom, and compassion.

Want to book Rasmus Hougaard as a speaker for your event?

Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:









    For paid speaking engagements.

    Protected by reCAPTCHA. Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms apply.

    Rasmus Hougaard biography

    Leadership speaker Rasmus Hougaard is one of the most influential voices on how leaders can stay human in a world reshaped by technology, pressure, and constant change. He is the founder and CEO of Potential Project, a global leadership and organizational development firm that works with companies such as IKEA, Accenture, Walmart, and Unilever, and he has been named by Thinkers50 as one of the eight most important leadership thinkers in the world.

    Based in Copenhagen, Hougaard has spent more than two decades helping C-suite executives build clearer minds, stronger teams, and healthier cultures. Potential Project’s research with tens of thousands of leaders across more than 100 countries underpins his work, and the firm’s approach to mindful and compassionate leadership has been shaped by collaborations with figures including the Dalai Lama. He writes for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Fortune.

    Three Harvard Business Review Press Books

    Hougaard is the author, with Potential Project partner Jacqueline Carter, of three books published by Harvard Business Review Press. The bestselling The Mind of the Leader shows how self-awareness, selflessness, and compassion drive extraordinary results. Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way explains how to combine wisdom and compassion when making tough calls. His latest, More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead, argues that AI can free leaders to focus on what only people can do, provided they pair its efficiency with human judgment, awareness, and care.

    He has spoken at the Global Peter Drucker Forum, HBR Live, IMD, and the NeuroLeadership Institute, and has led well over a thousand keynotes and workshops for organizations around the world.

    As a speaker, Rasmus Hougaard combines rigorous research with calm, practical guidance that resonates with senior audiences. He challenges the false choice between performance and humanity, showing leaders how to do hard things in a human way and how to use AI to become better leaders rather than busier ones. Audiences leave with simple, evidence-based practices they can apply immediately to lead themselves, their people, and their organizations with greater clarity and compassion.

    Rasmus Hougaard Speaking Videos

    Accenture Veterans Day Keynote with Rasmus Hougaard
    MINDFULNESS FOR WELLBEING AT WORK with Rasmus Hougaard at Happiness & Its Causes 2015

    Rasmus Hougaard Speaking Topics

    AI will not replace leaders, but leaders who use it well will outpace those who do not. Drawing on More Human and interviews with executives at companies such as Accenture and Citi, Hougaard shows how AI can take on analysis and routine work while leaders bring the awareness, wisdom, and compassion machines cannot. Audiences leave with a practical model for combining AI’s efficiency with human judgment, so technology makes leadership more human rather than less.

    Leaders constantly face difficult decisions: restructuring, tough feedback, saying no. Based on Compassionate Leadership, Hougaard explains why combining wisdom with compassion, rather than choosing between results and kindness, builds trust, engagement, and performance. He shares research-backed practices for handling hard moments with courage and care, so teams stay committed even through change.

    Great leadership starts inside. Building on his bestselling The Mind of the Leader, Hougaard shows how mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion translate into sharper focus, better decisions, and more engaged teams. Grounded in research with leaders around the world, this keynote gives audiences simple daily practices to manage attention, reduce reactivity, and create cultures where people thrive.

    Volatility, pressure, and always-on work are wearing leaders and teams down. Hougaard shares practical strategies for building mental resilience, staying clear-headed under pressure, and supporting people’s wellbeing without sacrificing performance. Leaders leave better equipped to steady themselves and their organizations through uncertainty.

    Explore related topics

    Leadership SpeakersAI SpeakersBestselling Author SpeakersCorporate Culture Speakers

    FAQs on Booking Rasmus Hougaard

    Booking Rasmus Hougaard gives your audience one of the world’s most respected thinkers on human leadership. Founder and CEO of Potential Project and named by Thinkers50 among the eight most important leadership thinkers, he has written three Harvard Business Review Press books and advised C-suite leaders at companies such as IKEA, Accenture, Walmart, and Unilever. His talks blend rigorous research with practical, immediately usable tools, helping leaders handle hard decisions, build resilient teams, and use AI to become more human rather than less. He is an ideal choice for leadership summits, HR and culture events, and any gathering focused on the future of work. To bring Rasmus Hougaard to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.

    More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead, published by Harvard Business Review Press and co-written with Jacqueline Carter, argues that AI will not replace leaders but will reward those who use it well. It shows how leaders can let AI handle information and routine tasks while they focus on judgment, awareness, and compassion, the qualities that make leadership human.

    Potential Project is a global leadership and organizational development firm founded by Rasmus Hougaard. It helps organizations develop more human leaders and cultures through research-based programs in mindfulness, compassionate leadership, and resilience, working with clients such as IKEA, Accenture, Walmart, and Unilever.

    Hougaard speaks on AI and the future of leadership, compassionate leadership, mindful leadership, resilience, and building human-centered cultures. Each keynote is tailored to the audience and combines research insights with practical tools leaders can use right away. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to customize a session for your event.

    Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Rasmus Hougaard as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Rasmus Hougaard's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Rasmus Hougaard or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.

    Rasmus Hougaard speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Rasmus Hougaard to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Rasmus Hougaard.

    We only work with Rasmus Hougaard on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Rasmus Hougaard and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Rasmus Hougaard speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Rasmus Hougaard for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.

    Yes, Rasmus Hougaard is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Rasmus Hougaard for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.