The Story Behind the Keynotes
The list of keynotes below is based on key themes that have surfaced while working with over
23,000 leaders.
A hallmark of my speaking is to interactively engage the learner in order to facilitate their
learning. Adults learn best by doing.
The key underlying theme to all I do and the overarching philosophy which propels me out of
bed and onto airplanes is inspiring leaders, women, and audiences across the world to Own the
Power You DO Have™
Breakthru Branding™
No One is Going to Build Your Brand Except for YOU™ – At its core, personal branding is the
intersection of credibility and influence. What happens when you have high influence but don’t
have the credibility to back it up? Your brand will eventually run out of steam. What happens to
the leaders with enormous credibility, but who lack the influencing skills to make sure what
they say matters? This keynote maps out what happens at this intersection and, more importantly,
outlines 7 steps you need to do to fine tune your Branding Compass©.
The Relevance Factor™ - A myriad of branding discussions in the world cover everything from
presentation skills to professional appearance. The Relevance Factor™ is an introspective look
into the mindset behind the elements of the ever-elusive concept of “executive presence.” When
authenticity and awareness collide, what emerges is The Relevance Factor™. Once people
understand the depth behind the individual components, they have a renewed passion for how the
branding puzzle fits together and are inspired to up their game.
The Power of 3: Brevity is the Soul of Branding™ – Simplicity. Concise communication. The Power
of 3. These are what senior leaders say is missing from communication. Too many people confuse
information with messaging. We have so much to say, others can’t hear us! Emails, running a
meeting, giving presentations, or a whole array of virtual communications can benefit from
adopting brevity as a mindset and using the Power of 3™ as their communication compass. Using a
Branding Prism©, this keynote provides a snapshot of 3 detractors and 3 enhancers which can
improve personal branding exponentially.
Reality Redefined™ (R2)
Leaders are the Architects of Structure™ – Einstein once said, “We cannot solve problems at the
same level of thinking that created them.” There are three different levels of thinking we can
choose to use: Events, Patterns, & Structures. Many use the Events level (victimhood) and
Patterns (finding order in chaos). However, the leverage is in the Structure. Structures are
anything tangible or intangible that drive behavior. We are being influenced all of the time by
the structures someone else put in place, either consciously or not. What many don’t realize is
that ability to influence behavior IS within their reach – personally and professionally. When
leaders truly embrace that Leaders are the Architects of Structure™, it can fundamentally
redefine their world view. This keynote offers a step-by-step process for driving behavior and
planning for unintended consequences.
Boiled Frogs & Sinking Fish: Assumptions Run Amuck™ – Why do we often look UP to corporate for
the answer; DOWN to employees for the answer; to the RIGHT & LEFT for the answer? Where should
we look instead? You got it . . . at the person in the mirror. There are assumptions and mental
models at play which can make many feel powerless with their world . . . within their “system.”
Learn how to identify common assumptions interfering with progress and learn how to create
Mental Model Shifts to breakthrough what is holding us back.
Swim Lanes & Silos: Unraveling Corporate Myths™ – The complexity of the world leads us to
embrace only what we can see. Looking down with our noses to the grindstone causes us to focus
only on what we can influence close to us. We underestimate our ability to change the system.
Our actions are more like throwing a pebble into a pond and seeing the ripples spread out for
longer than expected. Leaders of the future must understand the true nature of complexity and
grasp that no ONE person is in control of the system. Discover how to embrace the concept of
INFLUENCE vs control. Corporate myths of “staying in your swim lane” and other variations of the
“silo” mentality are causing a range of unintended consequences. Learn how to see the world you
lead through a different lens.
Own the Power You DO Have™
Change the Station on Your Self Talk Radio™ – Sometimes what we don’t say speaks more loudly
than what we do. Words have the power to create, to inspire, and to motivate. Words also have
the power to tear down, to break, and to demean. We underestimate the power of our words
everyday – with others and with ourselves. We like tuning into our favorite radio station or
cool music streaming app to hear the music – the words - we like to hear. Yet when it comes to
the words we use with ourselves, we tend to feel powerless. We DO have the power to change the
station of our self-talk radio in a way that will build up, not tear down.
Receive the Push Differently™ – When something in life pushes against us, our first reaction is
to push back. Our boss, our spouse, our children, our peers. The natural law of science is that
when two forces push on each other, the pressure can stay at an infinite equilibrium. How does
that look in the real world? We often get locked into a cycle, much like a self-fulfilling
prophecy. The power lies in Receiving the Push Differently. Learn to identify the 3 traps that
people waste precious energy on trying to “fix” and instead choose to Own the Power You DO Have™
by learning 5 ways to Receive the Push Differently™.
Small Actions Have BIG Impact™ – “Give me a lever long enough and I can change world,” or so the
saying goes. So many people look for the big fix, the ultimate solution, THE answer . . . and
then wonder why the change they seek is elusive. Leverage is a concept that revolutionizes where
people invest their energy in their personal and professional lives. Understanding the mental
models that shape the way we see the world and shifting them to a new perspective opens doors to
finding the leverage within your own life to make significant progress.
Shhhhhh - Just for the Girls – Creative expression is part of the joy of the human experience. I
have developed a whole series of humorous keynotes because I am busting at the seams for some
serious "girl talk"! These keynotes are designed with entertainment and fun in mind based on
subjects only us ladies would understand (think Peacock Parables™, Get Your Sexy Back Baby™, and
“Southern Women Don’t Stalk-We Respectfully Pursue” LOL).
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