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Keynote Topics
Companies that cannot innovate cannot succeed, and helping their companies to innovate is one of leaders’ most important, and least understood, responsibilities.
Through a series of studies of figures in politics, business, and science, Gautam Mukunda’s research shows what separates the extraordinary leaders who produce company and industry-changing innovations from ordinary ones, how some organizations are able to choose highly innovative leaders in surprising ways, and how different types of innovative challenges are likely to require very different types of leaders.
Changing an organization is leaders’ quintessential, and most challenging, task. Change efforts, however, are highly likely to fail, and too often leaders are far too resistant to changing the systems that brought them to power.
In this presentation, Gautam Mukunda explains which leaders are likely to attempt to make substantial changes to the organizations they lead, when they are likely to succeed and fail, and how organizations can pick the leaders most likely to dramatically improve their performance.
The importance of leadership and the impact of individual leaders has long been the subject of debate. Are they made by history, or do they make it?
Gautam Mukunda offers a fresh look at how and when individual leaders can really make a difference.
Drawing from his book, “Indispensable” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012), he profiles a mix of historic and modern figures, and through the stories of how they came to power and made their most important decisions, he reveals how, when and where a single individual in the right place at the right time can save or destroy the organization they lead – or even change the course of history.
Mukunda also helps you understand how you can use this model in your life – whether as a citizen casting a ballot, an executive choosing your next CEO or a leader trying to make your mark.
As Wall Street’s size and profit continues to swell, so does its pressure and influence on public companies.
The problem is power, says Gautam Mukunda. And Wall Street has amassed an enormous and disproportionate share of it, forcing corporate executives to make risky decisions in the best interest of shareholder returns, not business value.
Pointing to compelling examples – from Boeing to Sara Lee to Dell – he discusses why so many leaders continue to succumb to the financial sector’s demands.
Based on his Harvard Business Review “Spotlight” article, he also offers ideas for reform that will rebalance the American economy, which he says is vital to the competitiveness and health of the country.
American business needs to get involved, Mukunda urges. And for that, leadership is critical.
Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there. He is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. He is also the host of Nasdaq’s […]
Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there.
He is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. He is also the host of Nasdaq’s podcast “World Reimagined” and a columnist at Nasdaq’s World Reimagined. Previously he was a professor at Harvard Business School and a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Schwarzman Scholarship.
Gautam Mukunda is the author of two books: Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012) and Picking Presidents (University of California Press, forthcoming in 2022).
He has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, Security Studies, Slate, Fast Company, Parameters, Politics and the Life Sciences, and Systems and Synthetic Biology on leadership, reforming the financial sector, military innovation, network-centric warfare, and the security and economic implications of synthetic biology.
His work has been profiled in the New York Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, Economist, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and on All Things Considered. He advises a variety of companies and organizations on leadership and strategy.
Gautam Mukunda was a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program and Program on Emerging Technologies.
He was a Paul & Daisy Soros New American Fellow, an NSF IGERT Fellow, a Next Generation Fellow of The American Assembly, and a Principal Investigator on the National Science Foundation’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center grant.
He served on The Chief of Naval Operation’s Executive Advisory Panel and as a member of the New England Regional Selection Committee for the White House Fellowship and was a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership. He was also a Jeopardy Champion.
At MIT, Gautam was the National Science Foundation Synthetic Biology ERC Postdoctoral Fellow resident at MIT’s Center for International Studies. He received his PhD from MIT in political science focusing in International Relations and Security Studies and an AB in Government from Harvard, magna cum laude.
Before his academic career he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where Gautam Mukunda focused on the pharmaceutical sector.
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As a top rated business facilitator, NCAA national rowing champion, U.S. Marine Corps Officer, corporate vice-president, business owner, MBA, world traveler, inspirational author, renowned global business coach, and devoted husband, Chris Steely has a vast array of life and leadership experience. As the Director of Coaching for the world’s top business coaching company, Chris has […]
In the realm of professional keynote speakers, few embody the essence of high performance and leadership as vibrantly as Greg “Boss” Wooldridge. With an illustrious career marked by exceptional leadership roles, including being the only commanding officer to lead The Blue Angels for three separate tours, Greg Wooldridge has mastered the art of building teams […]
Lili Gil Valletta is a distinguished authority in cultural intelligence and business transformation. As the co-founder and CEO of CIEN+, she has pioneered innovative strategies that help organizations harness the power of cultural diversity to drive growth and innovation. Her expertise and influence extend across various industries, making her a sought-after speaker for events focused […]
Kim Becking is a distinguished leadership speaker, consultant, and author renowned for her transformative approach to leadership and organizational culture. With a career spanning over two decades, Kim has become a sought-after figure in the speaking circuit, admired for her engaging style and profound insights. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and her commitment […]
Sallie Krawcheck is one of the most influential and respected voices in the financial industry today. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, a digital-first, mission-driven investment platform for women, she has redefined what it means to empower women financially. Her career spans some of the most significant financial institutions in the world, where she […]
Peter Diamandis stands at the forefront of innovation, a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader dedicated to unlocking the potential of exponential technologies. Named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Diamandis is renowned for his groundbreaking work in incentivizing innovation through the XPRIZE Foundation and for his role in shaping the future […]
Mark Divine stands as a beacon of resilience, leadership, and mental toughness in the realm of personal development and leadership training. As the founder and CEO of SEALFIT, a renowned leadership and peak performance academy, Mark has dedicated his life to empowering individuals to unleash their full potential. With his multifaceted background as a former […]
Henry Evans is the Founder and Managing Partner for Dynamic Results, LLC. In his career, Henry Evans has delivered more than 10,000 hours of Executive Coaching and also, more than 2000 hours of Change Management and Strategic Implementation services to clients. He applies the knowledge and experience gleaned from numerous successes and a failure in […]
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