Death of the 60 Min Keynote?
“Our members just don’t want to sit in a room for even 45 minutes and listen to a speaker.”
“We pull teeth to get them in there.”
I’ve heard this sentiment from student leaders several times over the past 6 months (you may have even thought this recently), and honestly I have many thoughts.
So let’s start here. Are traditional, 60 minute keynotes dead in the water for the current generation of college students?
Many symptoms of disengagement (i.e. burnout, increased accountability pressure, lack of decision making power) stem from many structural issues existing in our current ways of leading our organizations. Also, many organizations try to use training and keynotes as bandaids to perform care and concern, and is why many people are saying this traditional approach is not the answer. Especially in student spaces, there’s an intense apathy towards any type of synchronous training or sitting in a room for 60 minutes and listening to a speaker.
We’re also seeing this phenomenon in the professional space. According to Gallop's 2026 State of the Global Workplace Report, manager engagement is down 8 percent since 2022; and for the first time managers are actually less engaged than the members of their teams. Think about that, the leaders responsible for building engaged, thriving teams are less engaged than the team members they are expected to lead.
This disengagement is FAR from surprising though, as student leaders have been clear for years about the extensive challenges and waning benefits of leading their organizations in the current college context. The amount of students, especially first-time positional leaders, who share intense burnout & isolation in leadership is alarming. They talk about holding very little decision power in their organizations, yet facing the brunt of the accountability when an event or project doesn’t go to plan.
They share their members’ disengagement and disinterest in sitting in a room for 60 minutes to hear a speaker stems directly from apathy, burnout, and overwhelm, leaving leaders feeling powerless to actionize any changes.
These symptoms stem from many structural issues existing in our current ways of building our organizations, and is why many leaders are saying that keynotes are not the answer.
And they’re right in a sense, but it’s an incomplete answer.
I believe keynotes & training are not the ONLY solution, but a CRITICAL piece of the changemaking cycle to move students from disengaged to active contributors. I reflect on diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings, and the ways they have been demonized for years as wastes of time, yet education and opportunities for critical discussion are vital in creating psychological safety.
The same goes for our students.
To address the student disengagement crisis, we have to not avoid education, but go beyond the auditorium. We must change structures within organizations that are contributing to student leaders’ burnout; the bylaws removing their power yet increasing pressure. We have to build accountability measures for the HQ official all the way to the general member. We have to not only assess our members, but also take action based on the data they are giving us.
And we have to provide consistent, tactical, outcome-driven educational opportunities for our students addressing skill gaps and empower them to actionize the information they receive.
Clearly, many communities jump directly to keynotes as the end-all solution when there is disengagement or major incidents in their organizations. This is a deep mistake, as it is like taking a Tylenol while you have the flu. You’ll feel better in the moment, and there are clear benefits, but it’s only addressing one symptom while the illness ravages on.
Create a cohesive plan for addressing disengaged student leaders including assessment, education, action, and accountability; watch how your organizational culture and student engagement thrive.
The best part? You can start the conversation TODAY.
Qy’Darrius Z. McEachern
Author
Keynote speaker helping you create belonging one intentional action at a time.