great business speakers

BILL TAYLOR is the co-founder of Fast Company and the author, most recently, of Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways.  To access a free chapter of Simply Brilliant, please click here.  Bill is also a top business speaker managed by the D'Amelio Network.  Tony D'Amelio asked Bill to update his popular essay on this topic which originally appeared online in Harvard Business Review.  We hope you enjoy it. ----------------------------------------------------------- What's wrong with making analogies between sports and business?  Here in the United States, and truth be told, in most place around the world, we are crazy about sports, especially team sports…The Super Bowl…The NCAA Final Four…The World Cup. But the buzz around sports, at least among business executives who are fans of the competitors on the field as well as competitors themselves in their own industries, is often about more than just the game. Does the consistent excellence of a football team like the New England Patriots offer insights on teamwork that transcend the gridiron? Does the game-changing impact of basketball superstars such as LeBron James offer lessons about the value of high-powered talent on Wall Street or Silicon Valley?

INTRODUCTION: Consultant and author Polly LaBarre has a brilliant way of creating actionable steps to address complex challenges leaders in organizations face.  In this commentary, Polly offers strategies leaders can use to ramp up experimentation that leads to breakthrough innovations.  To learn more about Polly LaBarre and watch videos from past speeches, click here. 

In today’s highly competitive, rapidly advancing business climate, there is an increased emphasis on organizational leadership tactics that will drive real results. And this is for good reason. Now, more than ever, business leaders are realizing that the true power in their organization lies within its employees, and creating an environment where they can succeed should be a top priority. For far too long, there has been a misconception that employee morale, motivation, and productivity are inherent traits to each individual. However, this has been shown to be far from the truth. In fact, the leadership approach an organization takes can make or break them. A prime example of a drastic shift based on an new approach to leading change in organizations is the remarkable turnaround story of USS Benfold Captain Mike Abrashoff.

Polly LaBarre speaking to credit union execs on successful change management

Creating Breakthrough Performance in a Rules-Based Culture

Innovation shake-up - Fast Company's "World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies" only six repeats from last year

On Mike Abrashoff: “Feedback was fantastic. Best in our nine years of meetings!” - Schmenti Construction

Polly LaBarre aids Adidas’ innovation breakthrough project

Matthew Shaer recently wrote an article in New York Magazine entitled The Boss Stops Here discussing the current state of flatter-transparent organizations and the evolution of bossless environments.