great business speakers

A few months ago David Meerman Scott turned me on to the extraordinary music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz. Since then I’ve become a die-hard fan of his brilliant observations, biting wit and a keen understanding of the profound ways digital has transformed the music marketplace and 21st century life. Whether it’s live shows, radio airplay; streaming music, breaking new artists, whatever – Lefsetz commentary on an industry rife with uncertainty and change is entertaining and thought-provoking.

When I started in sales, we all sat within earshot of one-another. It was a small booking agency and we were on the phone all day talking with talent buyers and selling the rock bands we represented to colleges, schools, nightclubs and organizations.

“Leadership is no longer a function of your title or where you sit in the organization; it’s a function of your capacity to get things done with other people. You’re a leader today because you have followers—not the other way around.” – Polly LaBarre

It’s here! Fortune released its 500 issue yesterday. It’s the most eagerly-awaited issue all year.

One of the critical issues facing organizations today is safety... not just safety in the workplace but safety in all facets of our personal lives. After all, if people get injured at home, it affects their on-the-job performance, as well as medical costs.

#1 – Pope Francis #2 – Angela Merkel #3 – Alan Mulally #4 – Warren Buffet #5 – Bill Clinton

(by Tony D'Amelio - @DamelioNetwork) Like me, you've probably heard of Google Glass -- but I didn't know anyone in the speaking world who had one -- until last week.

(by Tony D'Amelio - @DamelioNetwork) -- The Grateful Dead were way ahead of their time in their approach to building business.

One of the mental exercises I often put myself through is to look at current events from a leadership perspective and continue my lifelong pursuit of self-improvement. There are two cases that fascinate and stand out for me. One is the Captain of the Italian Cruise Liner, the Costa Concordia, the ship that ran aground and sank two years ago and the other fascinating case study is Pope Francis.

Very early in my career I learned perhaps my most important lesson about the speaking business. I was covering an event at New York City’s Plaza Hotel for a big Wall Street firm. The speaker I booked for the event was an energy expert - someone the meeting planner asked for – not someone my company represented.