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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.
BEST ADVICE FROM TOP SPEAKERS ON ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
MIKE ABRASHOFF is at the center of one of the most remarkable examples of the power of organizational culture. He took command of the near-worst ship in the US Navy and 12 months later it was the best ship in the fleet – using the same crew. His is a story filled with practical and actionable lessons. Mike is the author of the million-seller book It’s Your Ship.
"When I took command of the USS Benfold, I got the whole crew together, all 310 of them. And when you think of the military, you think top down command and control leadership where people execute orders and they do only what they are told to do. I wanted to flip it upside down. I told the crew, 'I don’t care what your age is. I don’t care what your rank is. I don’t care how long you’ve been in this organization. It’s okay to come to work every day and challenge every aspect of our operation. If you have an idea as to how we can improve our process on this ship or how we can execute better on something, I don’t want you to fear raising your hand and telling your chain in command about it. I’m going to honor the people that are constantly challenging everything because that’s the only way we’re going to get better. And from this day forward when I ask you why we do something a certain way, you are never authorized to tell me, 'that’s the way we’ve always done it.' Best of all, the culture shifted and the performance went through the roof."
“A standing ovation again!! Every time I use Mike he has received a standing ovation.”
– Senior Vice President, Strategic Resources Group, Team Health
Powerful Leadership Message: MIKE ABRASHOFF - Servant Leadership
MORE VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM MIKE ABRASHOFF: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IDEAS FROM TOP LEADERSHIP SPEAKER MIKE ABRASHOFF and HOW MIKE ABRASHOFF MADE THE USS BENFOLD THE BEST DAMN SHIP IN THE NAVY
VERNICE "FLYGIRL" ARMOUR resume is an impressive collection of “firsts” including America’s first Black female combat pilot. She served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine and was diversity liaison officer to the Pentagon for Marine Corps. HQ. As a speaker, FlyGirl helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and create a sustainable inner force that propels them forward. FlyGirl is author of Zero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter.
“Gutsy Leaders create Gutsy Cultures where people are proactive – not reactive. They take bold steps to make the right things happen. That’s how the best organizations create the future. It begins by summoning the courage to align everyone to face the need to change tactics and strategies. When people are aligned, people can achieve more than they ever thought possible – even under the most stressful of circumstances. I love sharing a lifetime of lessons learned with audiences about leadership, teamwork, resilience, collaboration, execution, and building a culture of unshakable trust that harnesses everyone’s skills, talents, and hidden passions.”
“Your energy and message started the event off on such a high note, and we are so grateful for that! The attendees felt so empowered and motivated after listening to your story—they definitely
feel gutsy now!”
– Stanford Women in Business
VERNICE "FLYGIRL" ARMOUR: Diversity – Your Voice Matters
GEOFF COLVIN is senior editor-at-large at Fortune and spends his days talking personally with top business leaders about how they’re working to adapt to the unpredictable landscape of business. The economic, technological, political, and competitive forces driving business mean leaders are focusing on ways they can get the most out of their human capital. Geoff is the author of two New York Times’ bestsellers, Talent is Overrated and Humans are Underrated.
“General Motors CEO Mary Barra told me a great insight into culture change: Don’t talk about it. Just do it. “I kind of hate when we talk about culture,” she said, so she rarely even uses the word and instead focuses on changing employees’ behavior, starting with her own. Renovating GM’s titanium-strength culture will take years, but she’s doing it the right way. More broadly, almost every CEO I talk to now is trying to alter the corporate culture. It’s not for the faint of heart; support will initially be lukewarm, and opposition will be fierce. But culture change has become a skill that every business leader must possess.”
"Geoff Colvin was EXACTLY perfect for us. We loved his pace and his sense of humor . . . and his delivery was just great. BIG HIT!”
– Operation Manager, NewFirst Financial Resources LLC
GEOFF COLVIN: Chinese company's upside-down management model
MORE VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM GEOFF COLVIN: LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE EXPERT GEOFF COLVIN: WHY TALENT IS OVERRATED and ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: IBM CUTS TELEWORKING TO BOOST EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION IN THE WORKPLACE
COL. NICOLE MALACHOWSKI (USAF, RET.) is the first woman Air Force Thunderbirds pilot. Fewer than 1 in 2,000 pilots achieve the honor of joining that elite flying team. They are the epitome of high-performance culture under pressure. Nicole brings world-class leadership and execution lessons from her 21-year Air Force career to the idea of creating an organizational culture that succeeds by adapting to the disruptive headwinds of change.
"Most successful organizations have fairly clear and publicly declared vision and mission statements, often associated with a set of core values. Declaring the desired state for an organization's culture is certainly an important first step, but achieving it as a day-to-day reality is all about integrity...in both leadership and execution. We often interpret the term 'integrity' as meaning honesty and trustworthiness. This is true, but integrity also means the state of being whole, undivided, and consistent. I've had the privilege of witnessing immense cultural change across my Air Force career, from integrating women into combat roles to enduring seismic shifts in technology. I've seen it done sucessfully because leadership, at all levels, maintained fidelity to their declared values and strategic end goal. When trying to enact significant cultural change, everything a leader communicates in word and deed--consciously or not--has to demonstrate this kind of consistent integrity. Changing organziational culture is hard, it takes a long time, it’s complicated, and the overall burden on leadership, over time, is huge. But, if an organization and its leaders are committed, then they’ll authentically put forth the effort in daily execution to make it so."
“… it was the best, most inspiring, heartfelt and meaningful speech I heard all year. Even though I have never flown a jet, given birth to children, or had to deal with a tick-borne illness, you effortlessly translated your words and stories on resilience and dedication into the challenges we face every day. Keep telling your story, it was a pleasure to hear.”
– Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, BPG|360
NICOLE MALACHOWSKI: Cultures Can Confine: Nobody Wants to Lead a Scripted Life
MORE VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM NICOLE MALACHOWSKI:
LEADERSHIP Q&A: FIRST WOMAN USAF THUNDERBIRD PILOT IS ROCK-STAR AVIATOR
