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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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Daymond John has come a long way from turning a $40 budget into FUBU, a $6 billion fashion game-changer. Throughout his career, Daymond has continued to be an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He is not only a pioneer in the fashion industry but a Shark on the 4-time Emmy Award winning Shark […]
Roger Haskett is an award-winning international keynote speaker and President of Engagement Unlimited. With his innovative keynotes and programs, he ignites positive transformational change in teams and individuals across North America and beyond. Roger’s experience, knowledge and highly contagious positive energy have garnered him countless 10/10 audience rankings “best of conference” survey results and hundreds […]
Jen Buck stands as an exemplary figure in the realm of keynote speaking, renowned for her dynamic presentations and profound impact. With a career spanning over two decades, she has earned accolades as an award-winning Keynote Speaker and distinguished author, leaving an indelible mark on audiences worldwide. Having delivered over 10,000 programs, Jen has touched […]
With a pivotal role in launching IBM’s Watson in 2011, a groundbreaking application of Artificial Intelligence on a global scale, Sol Rashidi has consistently been a trailblazer in the ideation, conceptualization, design, and development of Data & AI applications. Boasting over three dozen large-scale implementations and a remarkable record, Sol holds eight granted patents, with […]
Shari Levitin is a globally recognized sales strategist, tech influencer, and bestselling author who bridges the gap between AI innovation and authentic human connection. With over 160 million views on her transformative, often viral videos, Shari has become a powerful voice for the future of sales—where empathy meets efficiency. Her dynamic approach captivates modern sales […]
Billy Beane, a visionary leader and management icon, brings a unique blend of insight and wit to every stage he graces. With a career steeped in innovation and success, Beane has revolutionized the way organizations approach management and leadership. Renowned for his role in transforming the Oakland Athletics into one of baseball’s most consistent winners, […]
Meet Hannah Ubl, a dynamic force in the world of professional speaking, dedicated to transforming organizations into places where people thrive. With a passion for challenging traditional workplace norms, Hannah’s mission is clear: to create workplaces that don’t suck. As the Co-founder of Good Company Consulting, she brings a fresh perspective to the table, advocating […]
Sara Dean is not your average speaker. With over a decade of experience in leadership development, executive coaching, and organizational psychology, Sara brings a wealth of knowledge and insights to her presentations. As the founder of a successful coaching consultancy, Sara has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits alike, helping leaders at all […]
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