Rikke Østergaard

Rikke Østergaard is a highly trained sociologist who specializes in mental health and workplace well-being. She delivers motivational, engaging talks that enable people to implement her teachings in their everyday work and private lives.

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Denmark

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“Rikke gave a fabulous talk to my project management class at the University of Sydney Leadership Faculty. Rikke is highly engaging and passionate and her enthusiasm resonated with my students throughout the session. If you are looking for an inspirational speaker, I highly recommend Rikke Ostergaard!”

Ehssan Sakhaee

University of Sydney

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Why you should book Rikke Østergaard for your next event

She will provide cutting-edge insights into stress management, conflict resolution, leadership development, job satisfaction, and collaboration. These insights have helped her become the bestselling author that she is today.
Rikke will deliver well-chosen examples and cases studies that the audience will quickly recognize from real working life.
Whether your organization is large or small, your team will find Rikke's talk to be inspiring and engaging. She has the ability to deliver complex ideas and scientific research in a simple, relatable, easy-to-understand manner.

Rikke Østergaard is a sociologist and mental training expert who specializes in stress, conflict resolution, cooperation, mindfulness, and job satisfaction. She is a very inspiring, motivational speaker. She uses authentic good humor to talk about joy and creating a happier life using examples from her own life combined with research and sociological theory.

Rikke is Denmark's first corporate sociologist and a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney's Leadership Academy. Rikke works internationally and uses this experience in her lectures to bring her audience fresh ideas and help them gain a new perspective.

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Keynotes

Keynote by Rikke Østergaard: Positive Sociology

Positive (corporate) sociology is a new and progressive method to ensure successful interaction between people.

In contrast to positive psychology, where the focal point is the individual, positive sociology focuses on the group, society, and the workplace.

Our attitudes have an impact on others, much more than we realize. Negative attitudes and behaviors are contagious. Thankfully, so too is kindness and positivity. However, a single person will most likely struggle to maintain a good spirit if the rest of the department is down or in a foul mood.

We transmit stress to one another, and a group or a company can be successful by allowing gratitude and humor to be the contagious bug circulating among its people.

The best and direct way to strengthen productivity and to eliminate a negative working climate and stress is by implementing positive sociology as part of the work agenda. When a company has an overall uplifting environment, it will have a positive impact on all employees and make it possible for them to fully focus on their assignments and ultimately, find pleasure in going to work.

A comprehensive understanding of how we handle demanding situations collectively in corporations and society is vital. This is where positive sociology is a very powerful tool in conflict management and for development strategies on all levels.

In this lecture, Rikke Østergaard offers tangible examples on how we can dramatically improve our interactions, not only within the workplace, but in all social contexts. This way we also optimize our indisputably important social intelligence. The presented techniques are easy to understand, and participants can immediately apply them in their daily lives.

Rikke’s starting point is not only the more well-known psychological motives dictating how humans act and interact. She gives a 360-degree perspective on the social ground rules and the societal and corporate structures that play an important role in problem-solving, and when we wish to motivate drive and work satisfaction in the workplace.

Rikke delivers this exciting and educational lecture, which provokes the more established ideas of positive psychology and takes a big leap further to ensure that innovative solutions can be applied both individually and within companies for high-level strategy.

Positive sociology – the true key to success

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Keynote by Rikke Østergaard: Mind Training

Most of us in modern society are familiar with endless to-do lists, phone calls, emails, and a continuous overload of assignments distracting us from what needs to be done.

This causes our thoughts to race at a high speed, leaving us feeling mentally fatigued and unable to focus and concentrate.

Being online like never before with the constant disruption of digital services, it is important to know how and when to turn off all of the ‘inner and outer noise’. By doing this, we become more capable of being focused in the present moment and able to concentrate on one task at the time.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence on how mind training strengthens vital parts of our brain, thus making us able to act more consciously, rationally and not be driven by reckless impulses. It also provides us with greater cognitive capacity, effectiveness, creativity, and improves our relationships with others.

In this lecture, Rikke Østergaard introduces simple exercises with a measurable positive effect on the body and mind. Participants will learn how to handle difficult decision-making with greater ease, and experience increased levels of gratitude and happiness in their daily lives. Mind training is like Xanax, but without artificial chemicals, and actively counters stress and stress-related diseases when practiced regularly.

The lecture combines ancient knowledge and traditions with the latest neuroscience, progressive sociology, and current studies on modern society. Rikke offers unique insights and information and skillfully takes mind training to a whole new level.

Mind training – Sharpen your focus and create results

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Keynote by Rikke Østergaard: Gratefulness

Gratefulness is a direct path to increased happiness and lower levels of stress.

New research shows that gratitude alters our brain and, subsequently, shifts our reality and outlook on life. When we are grateful, our stress levels decrease, we sleep better, our relationships improve, and we experience greater levels of optimism in our daily activities.

Today, many of us are rarely truly satisfied with our circumstances or efforts, which then become a dark cloud hovering over our existence affecting our mood, performance, and overall health and wellbeing. With time, we become less capable of seeing and appreciating the positive things in our lives. The more we live in this ‘subconscious’ state of dissatisfaction, the more unhappy we will become. As a result, we are unable to thrive in our work and personal lives, and we get caught in an unproductive spiral proving very hard to break.

Rikke Østergaard´s inspiring and thought-provoking lecture on gratitude is based on her bestselling book
Thank You!
. She presents exclusive insights into the transformational powers of gratitude, and participants will learn simple methods to counter the negative focus hindering them to reach their full potential. The lecture also teaches us how gratefulness in companies and organizations can improve both the work environment and the relationship between employees and leaders.

When we are pleased with what we already have, we have the best starting point to create the life and the results which we most desire. We become better versions of ourselves as individuals, partners, parents, employees, and executives.

Reach your goal with gratitude

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Keynote by Rikke Østergaard: Leadership Management

A crucial element of good leadership is the ability to make the right decisions.

Demonstrating advanced decision-making skills creates trust and produces the desired outcomes. It is not only vital that all leaders are comfortable in the role as confident decision-makers, but they are also responsive to good advice, constructive feedback, and counseling in the process.

It can be a great challenge to find the right balance, which is why decision-making should be an essential focus area for all companies and organizations.

The consequences of executive decisions that are either overly vague or exceedingly rigid can be critical in relation to employee satisfaction, financially, and for the organizational structure as a whole. In addition to this, the credibility and competence of the leader is constantly at stake.

Rikke Østergaard confronts the classic management techniques in this lecture and challenges the participants with new progressive tools that offer food for thought and new tactics for decisive action. The lecture will explore valuable ways to build more strength in relations with employees, clients, stakeholders, the media and more.

Great leaders make great decisions!

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Keynote by Rikke Østergaard: Stress Management

Every day, stress and stress-related diseases are the cause of millions of cases of sick leave in organizations around the world.

Stress is not only affecting our health, but it also has a direct impact on our levels of productivity, our conflict resolution skills, and our creative problem-solving abilities. This is not only very costly for both society and corporations as a whole, but it is also devastating for our private and professional lives.

People generally tend to focus on quick fix solutions, which can prove valuable. However, without a fundamental understanding of why so many of us feel overwhelmed by everyday activities and are not able to meet the expectations of being capable of multi-tasking at work, we are unable to break the vicious cycle.

Rikke Østergaard examines and addresses the root causes of these issues on a societal level in her keynote on stress and stress management. Through a sociological lens, the participants will be offered unique insights into themselves and the broader context, which provoke stress in human beings. In addition, Rikke imparts concrete and simple methods about stress prevention for us to optimize the way we work, utilize the full capacity of our brains, and to experience far greater joy and wellbeing in our daily lives.

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Customer Reviews

Ehssan Sakhaee University of Sydney

“Rikke is an extremely inspirational facilitator who manages to take a complex subject and explain in a simple way so that everyone is involved. Rikke uses her knowledge of man to make teaching varied and alive. Knowledge of the brain is involved and testifies, Cases are based on the everyday life of the participants and create relevance in addition to a lot of good ideas that the participants can work on after the course. Clearly recommended.”

Louise Klemens Project Manager, 3.dk

“Rikke is a super skilled and professional intermediary! She always keeps up to date with the surrounding community and the students in general on a course day. Professionalism is always top notch when Rikke teaches, and although difficult to convey, she still manages to make the message simple and useful to everyone. Rikke is good at picking up on today's learning at the end of the day, giving the student something useful to take home. My warmest recommendations to Rikke.”

Jackie Phillip Attorney at Law, Jackie Phillip & Co. Law Firm

“I have been on a course with Rikke both this year and last year and have brought home a lot of good techniques that I can use and that helps me in a stressful everyday life. I am particularly pleased with the journal of gratitude, which I have written every day for a year and a half. Rikke is a great teacher because she is so genuine and present. Her examples in teaching are easy to relate to, and the book TAK is easy to read and very useful. So THANK YOU for being there - I am very grateful to have had the pleasure of meeting her several times, and will be looking forward to next time.”

Helle Christoffersen Customer Advisor, Sydbank

“We had 2 fantastic days with Rikke as a teacher, where consciousness came to light, and we learned how mental training can help on a busy day. At the same time wonderful to have the opportunity to be and remember to be grateful, based on the book THANK YOU! There was a great deal of thought from everyone in the team, with a finding that to remember the meaning and joy of being here and now.”

Erik Danielsen CEO, Wolford Scandinavia

“Rikke has made keynote speaks for my company and has been my personal coach. She is an extremely inspiring person and has given me and my team some very valuable tools, to use in everyday work life, to create a happy, productive and focused work environment.”

Aase Veronika Skov Director for Danish Design Restaurants

“Rikke's talk at the University of Sydney's Leadership Academy was outstanding. She covered theoretical concepts of neuroscience, the brain and how our evolutionary wiring impacts our day to day decision making. Her practical experience in a business leadership setting enabled global examples stimulating the whole room and leaving everyone wanting more.”

Reg Raghaven Chief Operating Officer at Red Elephant Group

“Gratitude has been called “the secret to life,” “the key that opens all doors,” and the “most passionate transformative force in the cosmos.” In this brilliant new book, Rikke Østergaard explains why. Unlike some of the unreachable to-do list formulas for happiness that guarantee bliss in 30 days, 3 hours, 10 steps or 5 secrets, gratitude is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Dr. Østergaard shows how and why, in and often the personal and moving way, that gratitude is the best approach to life. When life is going well, it allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. When life is going badly, it provides a perspective by which we can view life in its entirety and not be overwhelmed by temporary circumstances. Read this book. It will make you measurably happier, healthier and more grateful!”

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Positive Psychology

“I have been trained by Rikke several times and had Rikke as a personal coach. Rikke is a very inspirational teacher who conveys complex material in a simple and useful way. She has given me really good tools that I have been able to use in my daily work.”

Nicolai Eisenreich Head of Communications at Bornecancerfoden

“Rikke was a fantastic present lecturer who really has the knowledge and not least the background knowledge in place and knows how to share these without it ever becoming educational, better knowledgeable or I know more than you. Great balance between self-irony, enthusiasm, storytelling, and ability as well as involving us who listened - and listened. The basic studies behind this lecture are at an academically very high level, which Rikke was able to convey at eye level, with respect and own experiences. Gratitude is a big word - but also just try it, it works.”

Torben Birkelund Damsø Team Leader, ICC

“In connection with my board education in 2019, Rikke Østergaard taught several times on the course and was a censor for the exam. Rikke gave me a very useful insight into personal profiles, which is important in the composition of board teams and other teams that must function optimally. Rikke's insight into business sociology combined with her live teaching makes Rikke very alive to listen to - and also a whole day. Her focus on job satisfaction appealed to me a lot and seasoned with her happy and rewarding nature, the teaching days became so exciting. Looking forward to more training days and sparring with Rikke.”

Anne Mette Bergelius CEO, AMPULLAB

“I have booked Rikke Østergaard several times, both when I was at the Evening Show on TV and in my work at SMILfonden. Rikke is super skilled, very professional and can convey difficult material so it is easy to use in everyday life and start using immediately. I give Rikke my warmest recommendations!”

Julie Marie Mabeck Head of Editorial Staff, STV Production A/S

“Rikke is absolutely amazing and has really sown some seeds with me on “my journey”. She makes it simple both to be a good person and take care of herself. I am so, to see Rikke's lectures again, where she will visit my business.”

Henriette Nissen Employee and Professional Politician, Midt Factoring

Rikke Østergaard

Sociologist, mental health expert, lecturer, advisor, and author.

Rikke is the author of several books, most recently “We had a party at work, but then Preben came. How to avoid getting emotionally contaminated at work” (February 2021). The book challenges the common perception of stress, which is often caused more by a hostile work environment than by too much work pressure. In the book, Rikke provides the tools necessary to avoid emotional pollution at work in the book.

Rikke has also published the book “Thank you!” (November 2017), the first book in Denmark on gratitude. It provides ways to use gratitude to create more balance, abundance, and joy in our work and private lives. “Thank you!” is a socially critical book that highlights the paradox that Danes are potentially the happiest people in the world and yet around half a million of us feel burnt out, stressed, and depressed. It delves into how these things are connected and asks how we can break this pattern.

In 2016 Rikke published the book “
Sluk Emhætten
- Train your brain and make better decisions.” The book combines scientific research with valuable tools to help you reduce stress while increasing profit, efficiency, and joy.

Rikke Østergaard's lectures offer suggestions on how we can use simple tools to change our lives for the better. So that we can start living the lives we want, lives with a surplus of joy.