Leadership Development Keynote Speaker:
The Art Of Strategic Thinking

 

Leading a team into the future requires a well-rounded approach and a diverse set of skills. Leveraging her 20-plus years of experience founding, scaling and selling her company, Elise Mitchell shares valuable insights and practical strategies to help increase a leader's day-to-day effectiveness. Her talks, whether in-person or virtual, feature vivid, full-screen photography designed to motivate and inspire attendees. All presentations can be customized to align with your event themes, industry specifics and organizational values.

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Leading Through The Turn

Motorcycles lean in to turn in the road

We all need a clear destination and a drive to get there. But that’s not enough. The most successful leaders have learned to make the journey matter. In this inspiring keynote address, I strive to help audiences understand what it means to be a leader who looks and leads “through the turn.” I share memorable stories about leadership and entrepreneurship from my book, Leading Through the Turn (McGraw Hill 2017), as well as lessons learned through motorcycling, and practical leadership strategies for:

  • Navigating detours and thinking opportunistically
  • Embracing uncertainty with confidence
  • Gaining buy-in and support from others
  • Putting the science behind the brain to work in your daily leadership
  • Enjoying the ride to find greater work/life balance
  • Becoming a destination leader with a journey mindset
  • A bonus guide, “Journey Mindset,” is offered from the stage.
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The ‘It’ Factor: What Will Get You Further Faster

Man reaches across table to give a woman a handshake

Why do some leaders succeed while others don’t? The most successful leaders have figured out what it takes to put their careers on a long-term upward trajectory. They’ve also acquired something quite special – the “it” factor – a specific set of skills you can learn over time to enhance your executive presence and set yourself up for greater leadership success. These skills are game-changers, and they are often the hardest ones to master.

 

This presentation takes a closer look at the key components of the “it” factor, and what leaders can do to improve their skills in these crucial areas. Highlights include:

  • Overcoming “imposter syndrome”
  • Demonstrating greater gravitas
  • Earning trust as a leader
  • Showing empathy
  • Leveraging the power of listening
  • Understanding practical neuroscience principles to improve authentic connection with others
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The Strategic Thinker’s Playbook: Turning Chaos Into Clarity

Strategic thinking is one of the most crucial skills a leader can have -- and it is needed now more than ever. In the complexity of today’s business environment, leaders must rise above the swirl of day-to-day activities and see broadly across the enterprise and the marketplace to see clearly:

  • What’s happening now
  • What’s on the way
  • What is needed to prepare.

This presentation focused on specific techniques leaders can use for improving their strategic-thinking skills. Highlights include:

  • Five key questions to ask when approaching challenging situations
  • Practical adaptive leadership concepts including “get on the balcony”
  • Creative ways to broaden your perspective
  • Developing an innovator’s mindset
  • Sense-making: So what, and now what (moving from ideation to execution)
  • A bonus guide, “Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills,” featuring 30 questions to jumpstart your own strategic thinking session is offered from the stage.
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Elise Mitchell's Bio

Elise is a Nashville-based leadership keynote speaker. With 20-plus years of experience in both the entrepreneurial and corporate worlds, she specializes in change management and leading through adversity. Her engaging in-person and virtual presentations include inspiring stories, leadership lessons and practical takeaways based on her successful career as the founder and CEO of Mitchell Communications Group, one of the top 10 fastest-growing public relations firms globally. 

 

Education and Accreditations

  • Harvard Business School, executive education
  • Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth, executive education
  • The Aspen Institute
  • University of Memphis, M.A.
  • Abilene Christian University, B.A

Elise is NACD Directorship Certified. She is also certified by the International Coaching Federation and the NeuroLeadership Institute. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and a member of the society's prestigious College of Fellows.

 

 

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"Elise provided the consulting and coaching I needed to effectively lead an organizational change. She helped me clarify the right direction to take and map out crucial conversations. Through her listening and questioning process, I discovered the insights I needed to take our team to the next level."

BEN K.
COO
"This was the best investment I could have made for myself and my company. Elise is pragmatic, insightful and enjoyable to work with. She helped me gain clarity on some of my most pressing issues"

JOHN D.
CEO
"Elise is a gifted speaker. Her style is engaging and inspiring, and her content is incredibly insightful. We brought Elise in to speak at our companywide leadership meeting, where she had a powerful impact on our team. She customized her message for us, incorporating our unique challenges and aspirations into her material. She helped us see what was possible and gave us the tools and resources to get the job done. Our team loved Elise and left feeling empowered and equipped to achieve more."

 

TODD J.
VP
"Elise’s leadership presentation is a practical approach to helping leaders at all levels understand what successful leadership looks like and how to build their skills. Elise was knowledgeable, credible and helped our team to learn. The content was organized with user-friendly calls to action, and the self-assessment was extremely valuable."

 

MILLIE W.
FOUNDER and CEO
"Most leadership speakers teach you how to manage or engage people better -- perhaps at a higher level that you could before. Elise does that and so much more. Her trainings are one-of-a-kind. She helps you dig deep to understand yourself better, so you can lead at your best. She also helps you discover your purpose and your most important goals for leadership. Elise’s training was incredibly impactful on my life and the legacy I want to leave behind."
LESLIE G.
DIRECTOR OF SALES

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