Travels from New Mexico, USA
Michael Gelb's speaking fee falls within range: $20,000 to $25,000
Leading authority on the practical application of genius thinking, Michael J Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, change management, accelerated learning and innovative leadership. He has been a professional speaker, seminar leader and organizational consultant for over twenty-eight years, working for blue-chip organizations including DuPont, IBM, Merck, Microsoft, Nike and YPO.
Gelb has authored a dozen books relating to the application of genius to everyday creativity and innovation. His international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day has been translated into twenty-five different languages and featured on the bestseller lists of the Washington Post, the New York Times and Amazon.com.
Having once performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan as a professional juggler, Gelb was a pioneer in the concept of teaching juggling to assist learning and teambuilding. His book Innovate Like Edison: The Five Step System for Breakthrough Business Success (co-authored with Sarah Miller Caldicott, the great grand niece of Thomas Edison) was described by Professor Vijay Govindarajan as “a must have for anyone who wants to turn creative ideas into profitable reality.”
Michael Gelb has been honored with the Brain Trust Charity’s “Brain of the Year” award, sharing it with former US Senator John Glenn (other recipients include Professor Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Garry Kasparov). He has also been awarded a Batten Fellowship at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.
Michael J. Gelb is the world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He works with visionary leaders to support them in nurturing more innovative and human-centered cultures and to inspire and equip them with the creative thinking and conscious communication strategies that help translate ideals into reality. Michael has led seminars, consulted and provided Executive Leadership Coaching for clients including AT&T, DuPont, Emerson, Merck, Genentech, Microsoft, Nike, Unilever and YPO.
The author of 18 books including How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Discover Your Genius, Innovate Like Edison and The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now. Michael’s books have been translated into 25 languages and have sold more than one million copies.
A Senior Fellow at The Center for Humanistic Management and a member of the Leading People and Organizations Advisory Board at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, Michael was awarded a Batten Fellowship in Innovation from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, and he co-directed the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar there for more than 10 years. Michael was also honored as “Brain of the Year” (1999) by the Brain Trust Charity – other recipients include Steven Hawking, Garry Kasparov and Edward De Bono. Michael is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 COACHES, and the Transformational Leadership Council.
A champion of Conscious Capitalism, Michael has served as Master of Ceremonies or keynote presenter at five global CC conferences. He is the co-author with Prof. Raj Sisodia of The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World.
This is what we call the chutzpah principle of intelligence–I had six months to make it up!" says Michael Gelb, explaining the genus of his “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci" program. Speaking of his childhood hero, da Vinci, he explains, “I went to where he was born, I went to where he died. I literally walked in his footsteps." Gelb details how a total immersion in the life of Leonardo led him to develop an awareness of how genius thinking can be applied to everyday life.
Whether in a keynote speech or workshops running from half a day to two days, Michael Gelb provides a dynamic and highly interactive approach to creativity, accelerated learning and leadership. He draws on the insights of geniuses from history, particularly Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, to demonstrate how you can develop new ways of thinking which will enable you to create and innovate.
Gelb also runs programs that present ways for increasing and optimizing mental powers. Using a series of supremely practical suggestions he explains how diet and exercise can stave off the effects of ageing on the brain. In another very popular program he applies his experience of juggling to the corporate world, so that his audience comes out not only with new approaches to managing complexity and creating cooperative learning environments but also knowing how to juggle!
How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci
Thinking creatively, learning faster and leading change, these abilities are at a premium in a highly competitive global business environment. What if you could call on history’s greatest genius, Leonardo da Vinci, to be your personal mentor in cultivating these highly prized elements of human capital? Anatomist, architect, botanist, city planner, chef, humorist, engineer, equestrian, inventor, geographer, geologist, military scientist, musician, painter, philosopher and raconteur, Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) helped bring the Western world out of the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. Now his approach to optimizing human potential is more relevant than ever.
This dynamic, highly-interactive program brings da Vinci’s genius to life through fascinating biographical and historical information, setting the stage for an introduction to seven principles for thinking “a la Leonardo.” Participants are then guided to apply the principles, through a proven series of practical exercises, to your organization’s greatest challenges.
Participants will learn how to:
- Think creatively. - Cultivate independent thinking and resilience. - Improve learning ability with age. - Find opportunity in uncertainty. - Improve memory and problem solving. - Balance mind and body to reduce stress. - Nurture creativity and innovation in the workplace.
Innovate Like Edison
Leonardo was probably the most creative person who ever lived but Thomas Edison is history’s greatest practical innovator. Beyond his invention of the phonograph, motion pictures and a system to light the world, Thomas Edison invented the rigorous, disciplined process of innovation.
In addition to creating the world’s first Industrial Research and Development laboratory, Edison was also a master at promoting a culture of innovation. Moreover, he understood that the principles of personal success and organizational innovation go hand-in-hand. Personal success and fulfillment requires you to learn how to think like an innovator; and, for your organization to be successful, innovation is now more important than ever.
This program introduces Edison’s Five Competencies of Innovation™. They are:
- Solution-Centered Mindset - Kaleidoscopic Thinking - Full-Spectrum Engagement - Master Mind Collaboration - Super-Value Creation
Each competency will be brought to life with specific, practical “take-home” applications. This program is readily adaptable to specific organizational challenges.
Becoming a Healing Leader
The image of modern corporations has been shaped by a focus on profits over people and the environment, but this approach to capitalism is no longer viable. We are at an inflection point where business must take the lead in healing the crises of our time. And for business to fulfill its potential individuals must learn to become healing leaders. In The Healing Organization Michael and co-author Raj Sisodia report on their extensive in-depth interviews and inspiring case studies, with leaders from companies such as Shake Shack, Hyatt, KIND Healthy Snacks, Eileen Fisher, H-E-B, FIFCO, Jaipur Rugs and DTE Energy who are all healing their employees, customers, communities and other stakeholders. They represent a diverse sampling of industries and geographies, but they all have significant elements in common, besides being profitable enterprises:
- Their employees love coming to work. - They have passionately loyal customers. - They make a significant positive difference to the communities they serve. - They preserve and restore the ecosystems in which they operate.
In a world that urgently needs healing on many levels, this inspiring presentation is an invitation to elevate your ability to bring out the best in your self and in others.
The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship Building Skills Leaders Need Now!
When we embrace humility and curiosity, we release egotism and arrogance. We open to our own soul and in the process we are more open to others. People sense this and become more open to you. Leaders need this skill now, more than ever.
Recent research confirms that a sense of connectedness with others is the single greatest predictor of longevity, health and happiness. Connecting effectively is also the most important personal and business leadership skill. It’s the key to building relationships, preventing and resolving conflict and getting others to ‘buy-in” to your ideas. This Dynamic, interactive program emphasizes immediately applicable take home improvement in the communication core competencies of listening, empathy, negotiation, and influence skills.
You will:
- Discover a stronger sense of connection and rapport in your relationships. - Differentiate your self from the growing tendency toward shallow and superficial communication - Learn new strategies for promoting and selling ideas and projects and overcoming resistance to change. - Cultivate the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills necessary to bring out the best in your self and others.
Juggling in Business and Life: Five Keys to High Performance
This program creates a fun, cooperative learning environment. Participants coach one another in the art of juggling, and pick up the balls for each other as they drop! In the process, everyone learns the core principles of accelerated learning and organizational high performance.
The ability to learn is life’s most important skill. This delightful program uses juggling as a metaphor for learning how to learn.
- Manage complexity and thrive on chaos by gracefully keeping a number of things “up in the air” at the same time. - Approach mistakes creatively as you learn to “let the balls drop.” - Use teamwork to create a cooperative learning environment. - Learn anything you want to as well and as fast as you can. - Apply the principles of accelerated learning to become a more effective coach for your colleagues, subordinates, family, and friends.
SPEAKING.COM: What do you want people to learn / take away from your presentations?
GELB: I want them to understand that they are more creative than they may have previously imagined. I want to see them smile and have a light go “ON” in their eyes. And I want them to take away practical skills that will help solve their most important business problems.
SPEAKING.COM: How do you prepare for your speaking engagements?
GELB: My life is preparation. My speaking is a reflection of who I am. And I prepare for each engagement by tuning in to the client and focusing on achieving the results that are most important for them.
SPEAKING.COM: Have you had any particularly memorable speaking engagements?
GELB: Yes. Many! Among the most memorable:
• I spoke to a group of 1000 in Ankara for Turkish Innovation Week. The sponsors handed out my Edison book in Turkish as a gift. They invited high school and college students to attend and the enthusiasm of these young people is something I will always remember.
• I followed His Holiness The Dalai Lama as a keynoter in Australia for an audience of 3,000. People asked if it was hard to follow such a powerful presence but actually it was one of my easiest engagements as the audience was already in Bliss when I began to speak.
• I had the privilege of speaking to a group of company presidents at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence (They arranged for exclusive access). I spoke about How to Think Like Leonardo while standing in front of the Maestro’s paintings!
SPEAKING.COM: What types of audiences would most benefit from your message?
GELB: Over the years I’ve spoken to people from all walks of life and many different professions. And, my keynotes are especially popular with groups that are predominantly analytical: PhDs, engineers, financial analysts, MBAs. My presentations open their minds to the more imaginative and intuitive aspects of intelligence.
SPEAKING.COM: Why would you recommend that clients use you as a speaker for their next event?
GELB: Here are 10 reasons:
• Energy: Clients describe my energy as “scintillating,” “inspiring,” “electric,” “charismatic,” and “enlivening.” • Experience: With more than 35 years experience, I will deliver an excellent program under all conditions. • Reliability: In 35 years I have appeared at every scheduled engagement on-time.
• Originality: Learn from an original thinker and creator.
• Authenticity: All keynotes are an expression of my lifetime interests.
• Passion: My passion for inspiring your group will lead to a presentation that exceeds your expectations.
• Global: I have spoken in more than 25 countries and have extensive experience working with multi-national and multi-cultural groups.
• Relevance: After careful consultation I will focus my message on your most important organizational issues.
• Humor: People learn better when they laugh and I inspire laughter in the most serious groups.
• Results: I focus on achieving the results that are most important to you. I’m frequently invited to keynote the same conference in multiple years because people get real benefit from my presentations.
SPEAKING.COM: Which of your keynote topics are the most popular?
GELB: How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci is my most popular program. It’s an expression of my unique study of Leonardo’s advice to his students and how that advice is relevant in our world. Innovate Like Edison is also very popular. Edison is the supreme role model for anyone who wants to profit from innovation.
SPEAKING.COM: How much do case studies, personal stories and humor factor into your keynote speech content?
GELB: Examples, stories and humor make a presentation engaging so I use them liberally.
SPEAKING.COM: How can people nurture independent thinking, creativity and innovation in the workplace?
GELB: First, they need to learn the skills for thinking creatively. Then they must understand how to facilitate a culture of innovation. I call this: Innovation Literacy. If you want to innovate you need to have a critical mass of people who know how to think like innovators. It helps to have positive role models, so I use Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, among others.
What Clients Say About Michael…
“Michael Gelb is an authentic source of practical wisdom for those who seek to develop their creative powers.” Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Prize Physics
“We use Michael Gelb′s mind mapping for all our strategic planning… it works!” Mary Damsma, Director Pension Fund Administration, Amoco Corporation
“For me personally, Michael Gelb′s approach to mind mapping is more powerful than the computer. It gives me a way to intermix creativity, logic and planning to make better use of what the computer can do.” Linda Schultz, Precess Re Engineering Expert, Hercules Corporation
“Inspiring and educational… Michael Gelb brings out the best in people. I recommend his program wholeheartedly.” Delano E. Lewis, President of National Public Radio
“It′s never been so easy for me to come up with incredible solutions and ideas. My entire family including my children now use Michael′s techniques.” Anne Callahan, Senior Product Manager, Nightngale-Conant-Corporation
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How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
Michael Gelb′s How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci is an inspiring and inventive guide that teaches readers how to develop their full potential, using the principles of Da Vincian thought identified by the author.
Beginning with a brief historical biography of Da Vinci and an overview of the astounding advances made in the arts and sciences during the Renaissance, Gelb illustrates the seven fundamental elements of Da Vinci′s thought process:
Loaded with practical exercises, quotes, sidebars, illustrations and material drawn directly from Da Vinci′s personal notebooks, How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci is both a tribute to his great achievements and a call to carry on his legacy in our everyday lives by utilizing our potential to the best of our ability.
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Brain Power: Improve Your Mind as You Age
Brain Power presents practical, evidence-based information on improving your mind throughout life. Michael J. Gelb and Kelly Howell present an accessible and fun-to-read survey of the leading experts in the field of healthy aging, including physicians, gerontologists and neuroscientists. They′ve also studied the habits and practices of men and women who are paragons of healthy aging. Their approach isn’t just based on scientific theory and academic research. They actually apply everything they recommend in these pages and will guide you to apply these methods so that you will improve your mind every year of your life.
Innovate Like Edison Innovate Like Edison presents Edison′s world-changing innovation methods as a cohesive, practical, and immediately applicable system. Based on three years of research, Innovate Like Edison offers readers an in-depth view of Edison′s comprehensive innovation approach – an analysis which has never previously been documented. Readers will learn to apply Edison′s Five Competencies of Innovation™ either to their work lives or their personal lives, following the timeless principles Edison used to generate his record-breaking 1,093 U.S. patents.
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