Rick Smith

Leadership In Disruption. Drawing from the lessons of his latest book, The Great Disruption, Rick Smith lays out a compelling framework to explain the predictable patterns of technology disruption impacting every industry. He explores the dramatic shifts required to stay competitive—From static to dynamic decision environments, from assets to information advantages, and from management hierarchy to the network’s edge. Interweaving history, insight, and humor, he reveals what leaders can and should be doing right now to turn disruption and change into strategic advantage. In exploring this radical but predictable future with audiences, Smith answers two questions that strike at the heart of every leader in every organization: How might the future unfold in front of us? And how can we position ourselves and our organizations to successfully navigate change to our greatest benefit?

Our 3D Printed Future: How To Position Yourself & Your Organization To Successfully Navigate This Historic Shift. 3D printing production will change the world more in this century then the industrial revolution has over the last 300 years. So says author and entrepreneur Rick Smith in this provocative and entertaining talk based on his new book, The Great Disruption. Smith lays out a compelling framework to explain the growth and inevitability of 3D printing as it permanently displaces conventional manufacturing. He reveals a brave new future where objects are 3D printed using plastics and steel, skin and stem cells, chocolate and Kevlar, where pipes are printed that can automatically repair themselves and batteries are printed the size of a grain of sand, where global supply chains collapse, and the wealth of nations is flipped on its head.

As the founder and CEO of one of the 3D printing industry’s hottest companies, Fast Radius, Smith reveals first hand the changes that advanced manufacturing are now ushering in, while also moving back in history to the fascinating cast of characters who shaped other great technological shifts. This talk answers two questions that strike at the heart of every leader in every organization: How will the future unfold in front of us? And how can we position ourselves and our organizations to successfully navigate this historic shift to our greatest benefit?

The Leadership Leap: Three Steps To A Breakthrough Performance. Inside every individual there is untapped potential. Rick Smith shows the simple steps that can help anyone unlock it. In this talk, adapted from his national best-selling books, The Leap and The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, Smith shows that guiding yourself toward roles that fully leverage your strengths and passions—not fixing your weaknesses—will increase engagement and performance and accelerate individual development. He reveals how anyone can be true to themselves and lead authentically, while leveraging the powerful leadership platform utilized by the most successful iconic leaders of the last several centuries. Finally, he shows how you can open numerous new doors in your life while simultaneously mitigating risk, not increasing it.