Leadership Keynote Speakers: Get Inspired

What kind of person makes a great leadership speaker? Leaders and top leadership speakers come in myriad forms with different approaches and styles. Our leadership motivational speakers and leadership conference speakers for business come from all walks of life, from the battlefield to the board room. They get great reviews from audiences, and they are as entertaining as they are informative. These leadership conference speakers for business fuse insights with their energetic, motivational delivery to leave audiences with both the will and the way to affect positive change.

Let us know if you are interested in one of our speakers for your event.

Former Commander of US and International Forces in Afghanistan, Best-Selling Author, & Co-Founder of the McChrystal Group

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General Stanley McChrystal is a four-star general, the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and the former leader of Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees the most sensitive counter-terrorism units. He is widely praised for revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations and is credited with the capture of Saddam Hussein and the location and killing al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called McChrystal “one of America’s greatest warriors.” McChrystal addresses leadership, teambuilding, and geopolitics.

World Renowned Applied Neuroscience Psychologist

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Europe: Under £10,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Helena Boschi is a psychologist who focuses on applied neuroscience in the work place. Her particular areas of interest include the brain and behaviour, our emotional and rational neural networks and how to improve our cognitive abilities in order to get the best out of our own and others’ brainpower. Helena has also researched the influence of cognitive biases and corporate psychopathy across different organisations. She has recently investigated the impact of chronic, work-induced stress on brain function and has just published a book called ‘Why we do what we do’.

Former Group CEO of BMW GB, Porsche GB, & Lamborghini GB

Fees
  • Local: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US East: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Recognised as “the man who fixes businesses” Kevin Gaskell has an impressive track record in building and leading successful companies. As CEO of Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, Gaskell led hugely successful turnarounds that are pointed to as examples of how to successfully transform companies and position them for long-term success. His energy and leadership have helped companies to achieve world-class levels of customer service and financial performance, and he speaks with electricity about using inspired leadership to achieve incredible results.

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America Inc.

Fees
  • Local: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US East: £75,001 and up*
  • US West: £75,001 and up*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
An award-winning innovator and disruptor, Reggie Fils-Aimé is a proven expert on transforming companies, re-vitalizing brands, and reshaping industries to solve daunting challenges and achieve ‘the impossible.’ Most recently, he was the president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America – the first American and African-American to hold this position. Revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike, Fils-Aimé helped bring Nintendo’s greatest successes – including the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace. Using his personal story as an example, he shares with audiences his principles for effective and innovative leadership, including defining a vision, courage in decision-making, and “irrefutable integrity.”

Co-Chairman of Albertsons, Former CEO of Starbucks, Former CEO of Extended Stay Hotels, & Former CEO of Pathmark Supermarkets

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
Jim Donald – the current co-chairman and former CEO of Albertsons, and the former CEO of Starbucks, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, and Extended Stay Hotels – focuses on innovation, quality, and service. He started his career as a grocer; he was handpicked by Sam Walton to build a supermarket presence for Wal-Mart. He helped Starbucks enjoy record growth and performance and increase its social responsibility commitment. At Extended Stay Hotels, Donald utilizing his reputation for turning around ailing companies. Named one of the “Top 25 CEOs in the World,” he addresses leadership, management, the power of one customer.

Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £75,001 and up*
  • US West: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
With a medical, scientific, and philanthropic career that spans more than 30 years, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann has devoted her life to improving the human condition through innovation. Most recently, she was the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading the organization’s vision for a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. She was formerly the first female chancellor of University of California at San Francisco and spent 14 years at biotech firm Genentech, leading the development of a number of breakthrough medicines. An innovator and leader in life sciences, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann’s diverse training as an oncologist, scientist, and business executive leads to her endless curiosity about the world and her desire to change it for the better. In speeches, she shares her unique insights not only on revolutionizing global health, but also on effective and innovative leadership. Using lessons-learned as a trailblazing female leader of one of the world’s largest philanthropies, Dr. Desmond-Hellmann inspires audiences with her unparalleled perspective on how to foster an environment of collaboration and relentless innovation to drive disruptive solutions that make an impact.

Co-founder of Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: Please Inquire
Sahar Hashemi OBE is a UK entrepreneur, best known as co-founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic and confectionery brand Skinny Candy. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to the UK economy and to charity. She has been named to various power lists, including those compiled by the Daily Mail, Independent on Sunday[2] and Management Today. Her latest book Switched On: 10 Habits to Being Highly Effective in Your Job, and Loving it focuses on creating an entrepreneurial mindset for employees in large companies. Sahar says, "The future is all about being entrepreneurial in the employee context. You need to bring your whole personality – not just the ‘professional’ you - to work. Move outside your comfort zone, ignite your innate creativity and forget the ‘this is how we’ve always done things’ mentality. Don’t fear failure, fear complacency. "

Organizational Performance Expert & Executive Director of the McChrystal Group Leadership Institute

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
As a senior policy advisor, security professional, and leadership consultant, Jeff Eggers leverages 20+ years of experience managing strategic efforts and leading high-stakes, high-performing teams during his time with the White House, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Navy. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Eggers explains why humble leadership is more important than heroic leadership, why leadership’s role is to cultivate rather than control, how a sense of “we” is the common thread amongst all high-performing teams — ranging from Formula One Racing to the Tokyo String Quartet to Navy SEALS — and why the most significant risk factors to a corporation are internal.

Expert on Leadership and Decision-Making in High-Pressure Environments

Fees
  • Local: Under £10,000*
  • US East: Please Inquire
  • US West: Please Inquire
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire

Daniel Hughes has spent the last 15 years leading and making decisions in high pressure and often environmentally hostile environments. He describes himself as a “determined problem solver, who builds teams to succeed”. He previously has been a Special Forces Instructor, Great Britain Athlete and in 2013 built a team of 268 for him to deliver the world’s highest video broadcast from the summit of Mt Everest to the BBC Newschannel. Hughes is a current 787 pilot and as the founder of Reignite Consulting, he globally delivers Management Development programmes to executive teams and helps organisations establish or reaffirm their vision and values.

Former Amazon Executive, Author, and Co-Founder, Working Backwards, LLC

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
Colin Bryar is a business advisor and technology leader whose career has focused on optimizing business strategy and operations. He is a former top-level executive at Amazon, where he spent more than 12 years – much of it in the early aughts during the company’s period of unmatched innovation – leading the operations for IMDb.com, as well as working directly with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help with overall business strategy, technology, and operations. Bryar is the co-author of Working Backwards, along with former Amazon executive Bill Carr, which provides an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices. Taking audiences inside the room, Bryar demonstrates how the principles and practices key to “Being Amazonian” can be scaled and applied to any organization.

NASA Astronaut, Navy SEAL, CEO and President of the National Medal of Honor Museum

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Asia: £35,001 - £55,000*
A decorated veteran of the sea, air, land, and outer space, Captain Chris Cassidy is among the leaders of an exclusive and distinguished group of accomplished military astronauts who have made an impact on and beyond this world. Recognized for his leadership and achievements as a United States Navy SEAL and a NASA astronaut, CAPT Cassidy’s various military deployments and spaceflight missions provided the catalysts for an action-packed career where he made the most of every opportunity presented to him, even in challenging and high-stakes environments.

President and Chief Revenue Officer, Salesforce and Former Chief Executive, BT Group

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Gavin Patterson is the president and chief revenue officer of Salesforce.com, Inc., leading the CRM company's global sales organization. He previously served as Chief Executive, BT from 2013-19. During his tenure, Patterson completed the UK rollout of the superfast fibre and started the deployment ultrafast fibre. He led the £15billion acquisition of EE, launched BT Sport, expanded BT’s cyber security practice and championed BT’s social purpose agenda. He joined BT in 2004 as MD Consumer and joined the board as CEO BT Retail in 2008. Prior to BT, he spent four years at Virgin Media and nine years at Procter & Gamble. Patterson is a Non-Executive Director at British Airways plc and a Trustee of the British Museum. He graduated from Cambridge University with an MEng in Chemical Engineering.

VP of Global Affairs & Communications at Facebook & Former UK Former Deputy Prime Minister

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Nick Clegg MP is a Liberal Democrat politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister in Britain’s first post war Coalition Government from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. As Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg occupied the second highest office in the country at a time when the United Kingdom was recovering from a deep recession following the banking crisis of 2008. Despite the hugely controversial decisions needed to restore stability to the public finances, Nick Clegg successfully maintained his party’s support for a full five-year term of office. He remains an outspoken advocate of civil liberties and centre ground politics, of radical measures to boost social mobility, and of an internationalist approach to world affairs. Currently, he is the Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook, where he helps the company navigate among the governing forces especially in the data protection sphere.

Visionary Leader, Institutional Change Agent, President of Paul Quinn College

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: Please Inquire
  • Asia: Please Inquire
In 2007, Dr. Michael Sorrell faced a life-altering decision. He was part of an ownership group that was on the verge of purchasing the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and he would serve as the team’s president following the completion of the deal — a dream come true for him. At the same time, he was approached by Paul Quinn College, a failing institution, to serve as the historically Black college’s president in the interim while they sought out a permanent appointment to take over the role — a search that was proving difficult as the school continued to falter. Dr. Sorrell accepted the role, hoping it would be a brief side quest on his journey to becoming an NBA executive. In reality, it marked the beginning of a transformative and innovative era for the school that continues to this day. Dr. Sorrell has spearheaded one of the great turnaround stories of our time — leading Paul Quinn’s evolution from one of the worst in the nation to a higher education powerhouse. As the longest-tenured president in the college’s history, he has instilled a “WE Over Me” mentality in students, faculty, and the community at large and has been revered throughout his historic tenure for his ability to reimagine organizations to better serve the needs of the people that depend on them. He is a testament to the power of purpose and vision. Dr. Sorrell’s talks center on why the simplest approach to leadership is often the most effective one. As he engages the audience with the experiences that led him to Paul Quinn College, and the turnaround that followed, he introduces them to his “Four Ls” for leading with impact.

Former Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces

Fees
  • Local: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £10,001 - £20,000*
  • Asia: £20,001 - £35,000*
During his time as Chief of Defence he successfully concluded combat operations in Afghanistan. He was the prime military architect of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, helping to secure the 2% GDP financial settlement for UK Defence. He was also instrumental in the strategic recalibration of UK military commitment to meet the multiple demands of ideologically inspired terrorism, a more assertive Russia and a far less stable global context. In August 2016 General Houghton became the 160th Constable of the Tower of London, but he remains closely involved in Security and Defence issues.

Former Amazon Executive, Author, and Co-Founder, Working Backwards, LLC

Fees
  • Local: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • US East: £55,001 - £75,000*
  • US West: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Europe: £75,001 and up*
  • Asia: £75,001 and up*
Bill Carr is a strategic business leader who has spent his career at the forefront of tech innovation. He is a former top-level executive at Amazon, where he worked for more than 15 years – much of it in the early aughts during the company’s period of unmatched innovation – launching and managing Amazon’s global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. Under his leadership, Amazon's digital media business grew into a global operation exceeding $1 billion in revenue as the company pushed to compete with Apple, Netflix, and Hulu. Carr is the co-author of Working Backwards, along with former Amazon executive Colin Bryar, which provides an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices. Taking audiences inside the room, Carr demonstrates how the principles and practices key to “Being Amazonian” can be scaled and applied to any organization.

Renowned Leadership Expert and Colonel, USAF (Ret.)

Fees
  • Local: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US East: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • US West: £20,001 - £35,000*
  • Europe: £35,001 - £55,000*
  • Asia: £55,001 - £75,000*
Described by Dr. Brené Brown as one of her “leadership heroes and a total badass,” U.S. Air Force retired Colonel, DeDe Halfhill is a proven leader who draws from 25 years of command experience and as a senior advisor to the military’s highest-ranking officials to provide a real-world perspective on the power of embracing humanness and vulnerability in leadership. Twice deployed to Iraq, DeDe’s sought-after leadership insights are grounded in personal experiences commanding and advising organizations through challenging environments — often when lives were at risk and there were no easy answers. As a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, DeDe was a trusted influence in developing solutions to the military’s most-pressing issues. She also served as the military’s lead spokesperson responsible for implementing plans supporting the Department of Defense’s global communications strategy.
Choose the Right Leadership Keynote Speaker for Your Event

Choose from leadership conference speakers that led military forces, steered political parties, drove corporate turnarounds, advanced scientific teams, increase employee engagement, and launched ground-breaking startup companies. Because we’re one of the largest premier leadership speakers bureaus, we represent some of the top leadership speakers available.

At Leading Authorities speakers bureau, we’re in the business of “wowing” event attendees. To find the perfect in-person, hybrid, or virtual keynote speaker on leadership, we collaborate with you. Tell us your budget, theme, and target audience, and we’ll take care of the rest. Our team helps with handling logistics and bundling extras into your event package, like a meet and greet or book signings, to ensure your event is seamless and makes you look good. 

If you are looking for a leading expert on business growth, a social entrepreneur, extreme leadership, emotional intelligence, or future trends, you've come to the right place. A motivational keynote speaker can come in the form of a founder and CEO, a Navy SEALs member, a leadership consultant, a serial entrepreneur, a bestselling author, or a national speaker. Additionally, check out the different types of leadership keynote speakers we recommend.

TYPES OF LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Choosing the right leadership keynote speaker for your event is important. Wow your audience with some one these leadership speaker types.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS

A New York Times bestselling author is most beneficial to audiences that are looking for reading material to go along with what their speaker is sharing with them. For some, knowing that a speaker has the credibility of being on the New York Times bestselling list makes them more reputable.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SPEAKERS

Leadership and management speakers are best suited for audiences looking for guidance in leading and managing their organization. High level managers, directors, and CEOs would benefit from the knowledge that a leadership keynote speaker or management keynote speaker has to share with real-life experience from their respective field of work.

SPEAKERS ON BUSINESS GROWTH

Speakers on business growth are perfect for any audience and event type. Every organization is interested in growing their business, and it isn’t just the CEOs that should be concerned with this. Every person within the organization has the potential to advocate for change that can lead to growth, making speakers on business growth a great fit for any audience.

MOTIVATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Motivational keynote speakers are typically the most common type of leadership keynote speakers. They are the people who can mix in the good and fun aspects of leadership with the not-so-fun and tough situations that leaders are sometimes forced to face. Motivational keynote speakers know how to engage an audience and motivate listeners to lead with gravitas.

FIND YOUR NEXT KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ON LEADERSHIP

Contact our team today if you want to learn more about the leadership experts, speakers, and authorities we represent for speaking engagements or if you have any questions we can help you address about the speaker booking process.

To get in touch with a member of our team right away about the fee range for top leadership speakers, public speakers, international speakers, or business authors, you can also fill out the form below, email us at Contact@lauthorities.com, live chat with a member of our team online, or call us at +44 20 3038 4689.

If you are looking for specific keynote speakers on leadership who deliver TED Talks not listed above, we still encourage you to contact our team as we specialise in placing hard-to-find and in-demand keynote speakers from all around the world, which may not be listed on our website.