great business speakers

Imagine this: you've just taken command of the near-worst performing ship in the U.S. Navy. Your job is to try and turn things around - something others before you have tried and failed to do. Where do you start? What's the first thing you'd do? That’s was the intriguing question that was posed to MIKE ABRASHOFF during the Q&A session last month. Mike is the former Navy captain who came to the world’s attention in a Fast Company magazine cover story. The magazine heard that he’d taken command of a poorly-performing performing ship in the Navy and transformed it in just about a year's time into the best ship in the fleet – using the same crew. That’s some organizational transformation and the magazine wanted to know how he did it.

The World’s Greatest Leaders list for 2018 has just been announced by Fortune. Five years ago, GEOFF COLVIN (a long-time speaker on business for D’Amelio Network) led the first-ever effort to create Fortune’s fresh look at leaders through a different lens. It’s not the usual suspects of well-known business and political leaders, but instead, a list that celebrates the passion, commitment, and ingenuity of a surprisingly broad range of those who are making a difference in the world.

COL. NICOLE MALACHOWSKI (USAF, RET.) has an indomitable spirit. Determined from the age of five to fly fighter jets, she went on to a distinguished 21-year career in the United States Air Force and became the first woman to be part of the Thunderbirds, the elite USAF air demonstration squadron. The ultimate high-performance-under-pressure team, Nicole and five other Thunderbirds flew at over 400 mph and 300 feet off the ground – separated by as little as 36 inches. Nicole is a rock star in military aviation and was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame Museum.

COL. NICOLE MALACHOWSKI USAF, (RET.), a rock star in military aviation, has just joined the D'Amelio Network which will manage her speaking career.

DEVELOPING THE LEADERSHIP PIPELINE I have worked with thousands of executive teams since I left the Navy and one of the common complaints I hear is where to find the time to mentor the next generation. Schedules are double and triple blocked as it is. “I just don't have the energy or the time,” is the common refrain.

Most leaders don’t need convincing that a focus on transforming organizational culture pays big dividends. What a company is to its customers is inextricably tied to the workplace culture it creates for its own people. Recognizing this direct link between corporate culture and competitiveness & profitability, the topic of culture is popular at business meetings and events. Below I've highlighted advice from top keynote speakers and seminar leaders who are popular choices for such meetings because their insights help jump-start fresh thinking. Their ideas can help transform your culture to unleash the power of your organization.

Perhaps in no arena is leading and managing change more challenging than in healthcare. Policy uncertainty (like the U.S.), market pressure, and technological change create an environment that demands resilience, constant adaptation, and a boost of positive encouragement. Six DN experts have proven to be great speakers for healthcare events. My goal here is to mention a bit about each to make the point.

The 2017 list of Fortune’s “World’s Greatest Leaders” has just been announced. As usual, it's a list that's full of surprises. The list celebrates an inspiring group of achievers who have been especially effective in 2017. It’s hard not to be moved by the passion, commitment, and ingenuity of the individuals honored here, and perhaps take away lessons to apply to your own efforts – be it your business, your charity, your community, or just your own block in your neighborhood. It was four years ago that GEOFF COLVIN, senior editor-at-large at Fortune led the effort to create the magazine’s first-ever “World’s Greatest Leaders” issue. I'm proud to say that Geoff is a D’Amelio Network speaker -- click here to get a free chapter from his bestselling book Talent is Overrated. Leadership is a subject he's covered extensively for Fortune, so Geoff was the perfect choice to come up with the unique approach that has characterized this list.

WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT PEAK PERFORMANCE IS LIKELY WRONG What separates great achievers from everyone else? The answer might surprise you.

Mike Abrashoff - "It Was All About the Culture" Imagine you’re put in charge of a new project. You’re given goals and objectives and a team of people to work with. This team, though, has a horrible performance history. In fact, they are among the worst teams in the organization, yet your job is to meet the objectives – no excuses. And – you can’t fire bad performers, or financially reward good performers, or hire new help. What would you do?