In our ongoing effort to help meeting planners and business leaders create the most exciting, results-oriented meeting agendas, we’re excited to introduce the 10 newest additions to our roster of speakers (in alphabetical order):

• Stew Friedman – Stew is the Director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project and author of the 2008 national bestseller, Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life. Invite Stew to your group or organization to improve performance at work, at home, in the community, and for the private self, and learn how to score four-way wins with Total Leadership, benefiting you and the most important people in your life.

• Bear Grylls – Bear is best known as host of The Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild, but did you know he’s also the youngest Briton to climb Mt. Everest – at age 23? Two years before the climb, he had suffered a near fatal parachuting accident and narrowly escaped being paralyzed for life – requiring a year of rehab. He is one of the youngest motivational speakers on the international business circuit and has won over even the toughest of audiences.

• Vicki Halsey – Dr. Victoria Halsey is a spirited, inspirational speaker, author and trainer who energizes audiences worldwide by engaging their hearts well as their minds. As Vice President of Applied Learning for the Ken Blanchard Companies, Vicki specializes in partnering with organizations to inspire people to be in touch with and unleash their greatness.

• Terry Hawkins – One of the most sought after speakers in Australia, Terry is relatively new on the speaker circuit in the US. Her high-impact, hilarious and thought-provoking presentations leave audiences inspired and motivated, equipped with new tools to create outstanding results in their personal and professional lives.

• Dave Horsager – Through Dave’s book and program, “The Trust Edge,” he shares the secrets of using trust to impact the bottom line. Combining humor, illusions and memorable stories with research and insight, Dave sheds light on the confusion and misconceptions surrounding the cornerstone of personal and professional success. He offers tangible steps that audiences can incorporate into their own lives right away.

• Mark Jeffries – As an economist, former stockbroker and TV host, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the events he speaks at and facilitates. He has the unique ability to serve as an entertaining emcee, an incisive and knowledgeable facilitator, and a popular speaker with a ‘hugely entertaining’ and ‘immensely practical’ keynote presentation entitled “Using Soft Skills to Gain the Business Advantage.”

• David Kralik – Called one of the “Top Ten Changing the World of Internet and Politics,” David is the Director of Internet Strategy at American Solutions, founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Based in Silicon Valley, he is constantly scouting new technology and finding ways technology can migrate government and politics into the 21st century. For both political and non-political organizations, he offers great insights into how to leverage technology to tell your story online and mobilize supporters (and customers).

• Jason Lezak – We would not be hearing about Michael Phelps winning a world-record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics if not for Jason Lezak. As team captain, Jason swam the fastest split in 4X100M freestyle relay history to keep Phelps’ hope of winning eight golds alive. Your audience will be inspired by Jason’s competitive nature and will to succeed.

• David Nour – David Nour is a social networking strategist and one of the foremost thought leaders on the quantifiable value of business relationships. His “Relationship Economics” presentation, based on his book by the same title, teaches individuals how to exchange Relationship Currency, accumulate Reputation Capital and build Professional Net Worth. It’s about learning the art and science of relationships.

• Pat Zigarmi – Dr. Zigarmi currently serves as Vice President of Business Development for The Ken Blanchard Companies. She is an expert in the areas of leadership and change management and is coauthor of Leadership and the One Minute Manager, the third book in Ken Blanchard’s best-selling One Minute Manager Library, and Leading at a Higher Level. On the speaker’s platform, she is engaging and passionate with the ability to blend power and warmth, as well as knowledge and instinct.

Contact The Speakers Group today to inquire about these and other dynamic speakers for your upcoming events.

Posted under Event Management, Leadership Development, Motivational Speakers, Organizational Excellence, Planner Tips, Speaker Recommendations, inspirational speakers

Sheila Murray Bethel’s latest release, A New Breed of Leader, offers valuable insights and teaches leaders how to take advantage of the immediately usable action steps to dramatically increase success and meet modern society’s issues head-on by cultivating new insights and perspectives. The 21st century leadership puzzle lets you see how all “eight leadership qualities that matter most” fit together to form the new breed leader. This indispensable volume is a road map for everyone who desires to become the best leader they can be for themselves and their organizations.

Sheila shared some insights from the book with Investors Business Daily columnist Morey Stettner for his recent “Managing for Succcess” article titled “Shows Of Humility Polish Your Management Image.”

Pick up your copy of A New Breed of Leader at 800-CEO-Read, and if you’re looking for a dynamic, high-impact leadership speaker for an upcoming event, consider Sheila:

“In my Leadership presentations I engage your audience with real life anecdotes and examples of what works, what doesn’t and why. I share insights and knowledge drawn from 20 years of research and experience that are the principals of my newest book, A New Breed Of Leader: 8 Leadership Qualities That Matter Most In the Real World … What Works, What Doesn’t and Why. We explore the eight critical leadership qualities that matter most in the real world; competence, accountability, openness, language, values, perspective, power and humility. We reinforce the best leadership qualities of the past and update them with new ways to create a sense of community built around a shared purpose. Each person leaves knowing that leadership is not the exclusive privilege of the well educated, the rich, or the powerful. Whether they lead at home, in the community, or at work, they can be a 21st Century leader who makes a difference.”

More than just a great keynote speaker, Sheila is a true leadership expert who can deliver sustainable solutions to bring about real change for your organization. Contact The Speakers Group’s ROI Speakers division for more information.

Posted under Book Review, Leadership Development, Organizational Excellence

We had the privilege of sitting down for coffee with Jason Jennings today – the day his new book, Hit the Ground Running, landed on bookshelves. While Jason’s previous New York Times Bestsellers – Think Big, Act Small and Less Is More – have focused on top-performing companies, Hit the Ground Running looks at the 10 best performing CEOs from 2001-2007. Learn more about the CEOs he profiles and the lessons learned in this video:

Hit the Ground Running is certain to be yet another bestseller for Jason, and likely, one of the top business books of the year. For any leader aspiring to greatness, we highly recommend it. Here are some of the memorable quotes from the CEOs who are profiled:

“My job as a leader is to root out contentment.” – Keith Rattie, chairmaan and CEO, Questar

“People come first on our list of basic beliefs. We will always be fair with our employees and maintain an environment that encourages personal responsibility. In return we look to them to be responsible for their jobs and for the company as a whole.” – Tim and Richard Smucker, cochairmen and co-CEOs, The J. M. Smucker Company

“You could get tempted to bend the numbers. It’s not worth it. I’d rather be fired for not producing.” – Marshall Larsen, chairman and CEO, Goodrich Corporation

“People don’t work for companies just to earn a paycheck. They want to feel good about the companies they work for and they want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world.” – Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO, Staples, Inc.

In addition to talking about Jason’s new book, we also discussed his approach to his keynote speaking engagements – he is, after all, one of the three most in-demand business speakers on the planet alongside Jim Collins (Good to Great) and Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence), according to USA TODAY. Here are some highlights of our conversation:

Relating to the Economy…

Although Jason’s presentations are not specifically related to the economy, he recognizes that any “business” presentation that doesn’t acknowledge the current economic climate risks being perceived as irrelevant, so he embraces the role of re-assuring meeting participants that “everything is going to be okay,” citing the fact there have been 60+ recessions or downturns in the economy since the 1790s and we’ve emerged bigger and stronger after every one. [Jason has the actual numbers.]

Adding Value to the Engagement…

Meeting budgets are being reduced and some meetings are even being canceled, so if an investment is going to be made in a speaker, there must be real ROI. To ensure that his presentation is relevant and capable of generating real results, Jason spends a significant amount of time on the phone with an organization’s CEO prior to an event, and also speaks with 8-10 other key individuals, in order to truly understand the issues that are important to a given audience. Within the first few moments of a keynote address, he highlights some key points from those pre-event conversations and sets out to address them through the remainder of his session. In the end, the meeting participants will walk away knowing that presentation was specifically for them.

The Real Hero of Your Meeting…

…is you! Jason understands that it is the meeting planner and/or the meeting owner (a CEO, department leader, etc.) who need to be the hero of the program – not him. He approaches every engagement as if it is his last, giving his all to make sure the client and the audience are completely satisfied and enriched by his presentation. With that philosophy, there’s no wonder he fills his calendar with 80 dates a year – even in this economy – and is named one of the most in-demand business speakers.

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Check out Jason’s new book, and if you’re looking for a great leadership speaker for your next event, Jason offers one of the greatest values on the circuit. Learn more by viewing his profile, or give us a call to check his availability today.

Posted under Book Review, In the Spotlight, Leadership Development, Motivational Speakers, Organizational Excellence, Speaker News

Peter Sims, co-author of True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership

Peter Sims is a best-selling coauthor, strategic adviser and keynote speaker specializing in leadership and innovation. He is the coauthor (with Bill George) of True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, the BusinessWeek and Wall Street Journal best-selling book that New York Times called “one of the most important books on leadership to come along in years.”

Peter was kind enough to participate in our “In the Spotlight” interview series recently and he shared some enlightening insights on the True North book, authentic leadership, and his current work on the subject of leading innovation.

TSG: How did you and Bill George connect for True North?

Peter Sims: I met Bill after he gave a great speech at Stanford Business School. We got to know each other much better in the months that followed because he was starting a course on leadership at Harvard Business School that was very similar to a course I was establishing at Stanford with a group of classmates called “Leadership Perspectives.” Although we were not successful in luring Bill to teach at Stanford, he and I would speak once a week or so to trade ideas, insights, or best practices and, before long, we were collaborating on True North.

TSG: What was the experience of creating True North?

Peter Sims: I loved it – I have never learned so much, so quickly. I was initially drawn to the book in part because we could pick up where Jim Collins left off in Good to Great – how do individuals go from good to great leaders, or “authentic leaders”? Bill describes authentic leaders as those who stick to their values and lead with purpose to empower others, similar to Collins’ Level 5 leaders. Our research team conducted 125 one-on-one, in-person interviews, out of which I did about 50, including with Howard Schultz of Starbucks, long-time presidential advisor David Gergen, Charles Schwab, eBay CEO John Donahoe, and Donna Dubinsky. The interviewees did not know what they were going to be asked in advance, but we learned that, without exception, they believed they were more effective as leaders when they were authentic.

Much of the critical acclaim for True North has come from the fact that the book is based on revealing and oftentimes eye-opening research about the influences, experiences, and concrete development tactics that shape leaders. I use those lessons and insights everyday – the hardest part was determining the most important and relevant ones for the book.

TSG: Is there a particular story that you heard from an executive that you find yourself still thinking about today?

Peter Sims: John Donahoe, a great leader, summarized what we learned best, “It’s a process, not a destination.” He described how he grew through each stage of his career. Starting in his first job, he felt he had the world at his finger-tips – he didn’t know what he didn’t know. Soon, he had to begin to learn how to balance values tradeoffs between his personal and professional life and even signed a pledge to his wife on the back of a bank receipt, “I will not lead the life of a typical management consultant.” Then, in his 30s, mentors helped John understand how to overcome a fear of failure. He also experienced difficult setbacks or “crucibles” that helped him to develop perspective and self-awareness – to be more comfortable in his own skin. Lastly, he has refined his own effective leadership style, in which he has become a great leader and developer of people (which I know from speaking with those who work for him). He does all this while being the same person at home as he is at work, something that is not easy for anyone to achieve, and he shared a number of helpful tactics about how he does it. Getting there is indeed a process and everyone is at a different stage of their growth.

TSG: What was your role in co-authoring the book?

Peter Sims: Throughout the course of developing the book, I led the research, including managing our research team and making sense from the 3,000 pages of transcripts. Bill brought over 30 years of management and leadership expertise and we did a lot of concept-building and writing together. Then, Bill did the final edit before it went to press. What fueled me throughout was the desire to share the key lessons we learned as clearly and concisely as possible with our readers.

TSG: Your next chapter focuses around leading innovation. How has that evolved?

Peter Sims: Over the past few years, I developed a closely related interest: how do individuals and organizations better innovate? Like before, I started reading the relevant research and had hundreds of discussions with CEOs, managers, experts, and organizations like IDEO that specialize in innovation. Innovation has become almost a generic term, but the emerging field of design thinking provides some tested and insightful innovation processes and principles – ranging from customer need-finding techniques to rapid, low-cost approaches to experimentation – that will soon be required reading for every MBA, CEO, and corporate or nonprofit manager. A.G. Lafley, CEO of Proctor & Gamble, is one example of someone who leads innovation in this way, and with enormous success. The Stanford University Institute of Design (the d.school), is a remarkable place for innovation thinking, doing, companies, and experts.

TSG: The topic of innovation is not new, but what do you think are the keys to successful innovation today?

Peter Sims: There are many best practices designed to help make incremental innovations. However, the main question that CEOs ask me about is how to achieve breakthrough innovations, especially since the failure to do so will lead to irrelevance. Entrepreneurs are usually the best examples of executing this type of innovation because they don’t overanalyze – they act as quickly and inexpensively as possible to identify unique market opportunities. It’s a mindset. Similarly, Beethoven used countless experiments to gradually differentiate his music from Mozart’s established brand of classical music. Beethoven learned from small failures and built upon his successes such that he eventually built the movement toward a new era of classical music. Amazon executives have used a similar mindset to continuously use experiments to identify ground-breaking innovations such as the Kindle, just as Toyota has done with the Prius. That innovative mindset comes naturally for many entrepreneurs and pioneering leaders, but it doesn’t fit easily within traditional management or strategic thinking. Combining the rigor of strategic thinking with the dynamism of an innovative mindset is the future of leading innovation – a handful of insights and approaches will help guide the way.

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More about Peter Sims:

While studying at Stanford Business School, Peter established “Leadership Perspectives,” which is now one of the school’s most sought-after classes. His work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and The Huffington Post and he has spoken at and advised organizations such as Eli Lilly, Molson Coors, Current TV, American Data Network, and Gallup. Previously, he was part of establishing and building the European Office of Summit Partners, a leading global investment company, where he worked with hundreds of the world’s most innovative companies and served as part of the Deloitte Touche Tomatsu Global Strategy Team.

To consider Peter as a speaker for your organization, contact The Speakers Group speakers bureau or visit Peter’s speaker profile page on The Speakers Group’s web site at http://www.thespeakersgroup.com/Peter_Sims.

Posted under In the Spotlight, Innovation Speakers, Leadership Development, Organizational Excellence

After 10 years of flying supersonic fighter jets in the United States Air Force, Danny Cox joined one of the nation’s largest sales companies. A year later, he was promoted to sales manager and guided his office in its industry-leading, record-breaking pace of doubling, tripling and quadrupling old records.

Four years after joining the corporation, Danny was promoted to First Vice President and assigned a district of eight offices and a staff of over 140. His salespeople increased production 800% in a five-and-a-half-year period – and that included two recession years. Morale and productivity soared, and percentage of employee turnover dropped to near zero.

The point? Danny Cox knows something about “Leadership When the Heat’s On.” There is never a greater need for innovative leadership and teamwork than in challenging economic conditions as we face right now. Here are a few leadership maxims from Danny’s “Leader’s Dozen” to help today’s leaders:

1. The ultimate reward for the leader of people is to be able to say at the end of the day, “I saw someone grow today and I helped.”
2. To achieve great things, know more than the average manager considers necessary.
3. An organization quits improving right after the manager does.
4. Help a team member grow and you receive respect in return.
5. On a scale of 1-10, team morale and customer service receive the same score.
6. Be aware of a team member’s weaknesses but talk to his or her strengths.

If you would like to receive the full “Leader’s Dozen” of leadership maxims, contact The Speakers Group today. To learn more about how a Danny Cox keynote presentation could add value to your next meeting, view his speaker profile here: http://www.thespeakersgroup.com/Danny_Cox.

Posted under Leadership Development, Motivational Speakers, Organizational Excellence, Sales Management, Speaker Recommendations