Leading Through The Turn

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.

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

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.