How do you get people to embrace a new idea or initiative? Most people assume that the best (and perhaps only) way to convince people to embrace change is to heighten the appeal of the idea itself. We instinctively believe that if we add enough value, people will say “yes.” We refer to this habit of the mind as a “Fuel-based mindset.” Fuel is what incites our desire to change. By focusing on Fuel to enhance attraction, innovators neglect the other half of the equation – the psychological Frictions that oppose change. Frictions create drag on innovation. And though they are rarely considered, overcoming these Frictions is essential for creating change. The limitations of Fuel call for a new approach to innovation. It demands that we stop thinking in Fuel. The Human Element explores this new way of thinking.

Leaders and managers often need to influence the decisions and actions of others but aren’t given the formal authority to compel everyone to get onboard. Instead, they must rely on their influence skills to get things done. The goal of this talk is to help leaders refine those skills. To influence without authority, you must first understand the hidden forces that act against change and keep people rooted in the status quo. This session brings these hidden forces of influence to light and shows you how to harness them. This talk draws on equal parts behavioral science and hands-on experience to explain why most good ideas are rejected (and why a few succeed).

Leadership, ultimately, is about making good decisions. Yet we rarely step back to analyze the thought process we use to make important decisions. Grounded in science, this interactive presentation identifies the decision traps we all face and offers strategies for how to avoid and overcome them. Participants leave with practical strategies for improving the quality of their decisions.

People begin to form impressions of your character from the moment you meet. In fact, within milliseconds of a first encounter, people have already formed snap judgments about whether you are leadership material. This session examines how these largely unconscious judgments are made. We then use these insights to define and develop your leadership brand.

The biggest line item for most companies is employee compensation. For that reason alone, every leader and organization ought to care a great deal about motivation. Because it is your biggest expense, you need to attract and retain the best people and keep them performing at a high level. This session asks two essential questions: what do people need in their work in order to flourish? And when motivational problems arise, how do assess and fix them? The tools in this program will help leaders to diagnose the health of their motivational environment and will give them an edge in the war for talent.