Michael McQueen

Mastering the art of Changing Minds

We’re told you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. But what if you could?

Although changing people’s minds has never been easy, it’s never been harder than it is today. Research indicates that while we spend 40% of our professional lives trying to sway the decisions and thinking of others, our persuasive efforts are only successful between 3% – 5% of the time.

Drawing on the latest discoveries in neuroscience and behavioural psychology, this high-impact and intensely practical keynote presentation explores:

• Why many of the conventional INFLUENCE TECHNIQUES we have been taught are not only ineffective but often COUNTERPRODUCTIVE in modern times.
• Why using LOGIC and EVIDENCE to persuade others often backfires, causing people to DOUBLE DOWN rather than open up.
• Why people are NOT actually AFRAID OF CHANGE, and the surprising truth about what really drives RESISTANCE in individuals and teams.
• How to help others embrace NEW IDEAS and PERSPECTIVES while affirming their DIGNITY, AGENCY, and AUTONOMY.
• Audience members will leave this keynote presentation with a toolkit of actionable insights for mastering the art of persuasion without resorting to coercion.

How to thrive in an age of uncertainty.

It’s been rightly said that the pace of change has never been this fast, but it will never again be this slow. We are living in a transformative era and smart leaders know that now is the time for audacity, adaptability, and agility.

Enormous opportunities lie ahead for those who can identify the trends of tomorrow and gear up for them today.

In this fast-paced & compelling keynote presentation, audiences will discover:

• The key trends that will shape the coming decade with a specific focus on the impacts of GENERATIVE AI, DATA ANALYTICS and SPATIAL COMPUTING.
• The role GEN Z will play in redefining industry norms and consumer expectations.
• The common CULTURE and MINDSET TRAPS that will set any organization on a collision course with obsolescence – and how to avoid them.
• PROVEN and PRACTICAL STRATEGIES for staying one step ahead of change and REMAINING RELEVANT.
• Audience members will leave this presentation with a clear action plan for navigating disruption and emerging stronger than ever.

Preparing Now For What’s Next is an ideal stand-alone conference keynote or an extended half or full-day program.

The secret to achieving effortless and enduring growth

We all love being on a roll, in the zone and firing on all cylinders – that flow-state sensation where everything just seems to work.

But what happens when the groove becomes a rut, inspiration evaporates or your mojo disappears?

Enduring success and growth for any business today is dependent on building and maintaining unstoppable momentum.

Session overview

In this inspiring keynote presentation, audiences discover:

• The art and science of momentum – where momentum comes from and why it makes all the difference when you’ve got it working for you
• A practical and powerful formula for building momentum individually or in a team
• How to get into a flow state of peak productivity on a daily basis
• The role that focus and consistency play in ensuring a groove doesn’t become a rut over time
• Audience members will leave this presentation with a clear action plan for achieving effortless growth and maintaining it over the long haul.

Mastering the Art of Momentum is an ideal stand-alone conference keynote or an extended half or full day program.

How to equip today’s students for the future

Students in classrooms today will enter a world very different to the one their teachers and parents have known.

In light of the uncertainty that lies ahead, it is more important than ever that educators keep their finger on the pulse of technological and societal trends in order to help students prepare for them.

Session overview

In this practical and highly relevant keynote presentation, audiences will learn:

• The key social and technology trends that will shape the future including artificial intelligence, robotics and automation
• The skills and competencies that young people will need in order to be future-fit
• Why and how education practices and paradigms must evolve in the coming years
• A range of proven and practical strategies for making classroom learning relevant to the next generation of learners
• Audience members will leave this presentation with a clear action plan for engaging today’s students while equipping them for tomorrow.

Teaching for Tomorrow is an ideal stand-alone conference keynote or an extended half or full day program.