Leadership Development Programs and Keynote Speakers

solitaryEvery great business needs a great leader. Case in point: What would Apple have been without the courageous leadership of Steve Jobs? Or Xerox without the trailblazing Anne Mulcahy? It’s hard to argue with that sentiment, but what does it take to be a great leader in today’s business world? Just ask these leadership experts who are inspiring top businesses and executives to build leadership develop programs that get results.

Innovative solutions and development programs have made these thought leaders some of the most sought after leadership keynote speakers around. Read on to see how these industry experts are redefining what it means to be a great leader.

  1. Thomas Kolditz

Brigadier General (Ret.) Tom Kolditz is an expert on crisis leadership and serves as Professor in the Practice of Leadership and Management and Director of the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management. He is a sought after leadership keynote speaker and has presented leadership insights to 150+ organizations worldwide. He has been featured on various media outlets, including ABC 20-20, NPR and the New York Times.

  1. Stan Slap

Stan is a thought leader and author of many bestselling books that offer top business leadership insights, including the New York Times bestseller Bury My Heart in Conference Room B and Under the Hood. He is the President of SLAP, an internally renowned consulting firm that has helped top businesses improve their manager, employee and customer culture. Stan is currently one of the most popular leadership keynote speakers for his results-driven strategies and impactful presentations.

  1. Simon T. Bailey

Simon is a leadership imagineer and thought leader whose insights have made him one of the most in demand leadership keynote speakers around. As the Founder of Brilliance Institute, Inc. and the former Sales Director of the Disney Institute, his cutting-edge insights on leadership development have helped emerging leaders and businesses around the world. Simon has been named one of the top “25 hot speakers” and Meetings and Conventions Magazine noted that he is “one of the best keynote speakers ever heard or used.” He is also an accomplished author of seven leadership books, including Release Your Brilliance: The 4 Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World. As one of the foremost leadership experts, Simon has presented powerful keynote speeches around the world for more than a million people and high-profile businesses.

  1. Mike Abrashoff

Mike is best known as a former U.S. Naval Commander, where he transformed the performance of his ship with his powerful leadership expertise. He has used that experience to assist businesses today with leadership development programs and management techniques, such as his “Leadership Roadmap.” Mike applies leadership concepts that replace control with cohesion to yield best results. He is the author of bestselling leadership books, such as It’s Your Ship. As an acclaimed leadership keynote speaker, Mike uses his personal stories of perseverance, along with leadership development programs, to help businesses achieve their leadership goals. 

  1. Pat Richie

Pat is highly respected as a leadership expert who has helped NFL teams and high-profile corporations build an effective teamwork culture. Pat’s impressive leadership development programs have helped clients across all industries, from athletic programs to healthcare to production companies. He is the author of Wisdom for BusyLeaders and Wisdom for the Busy SportsLeader and was granted exclusive access to speak on the leadership development topics outlined in The Five Dysfunctions. Pat’s inspiring experience as a leadership expert has made him one of the most captivating leadership keynote speakers in the industry.

  1. Patrick Lencioni

Patrick is an acclaimed leadership keynote speaker and the Founder and President of a firm that provides organizations with services that improve leadership. His highly effective leadership development programs have been used by professional sports organizations, non-profits, schools, religious organizations and the U.S. Military. Patrick has written 10 bestselling leadership books, including the highly popular The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He has been named one of the “ten new gurus you should know” by Fortune magazine and his work has been featured by major media outlets. Patrick is a world-renowned leadership keynote speaker who has inspired top executives and organizations with his groundbreaking leadership development programs.

  1. JP Pawliwy-Fry

J.P. is one of the most well known leadership keynote speakers for his expertise on managing change, leadership and performance. He is the President and Co-Founder of Institute for Health & Human Potential, which delivers training programs in emotional intelligence to boost business performance. He is a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Executive Education Program and is a bestselling co-author for Performing Under Pressure. He is an enormously inspiring leadership keynote speaker whose one-of-a-kind techniques have helped Fortune 100 companies and Olympic athletes manage change and improve performance.

  1. Bill Benjamin

Bill is one of the foremost though leaders on Emotional Intelligence and serves as the CEO of IHHP, which develops training programs focused on leadership and performance. As an award-winning leadership keynote speaker, he applies his knowledge in Emotional Intelligence and leadership development programs to inspire audiences to reach their goals. Bill is an executive coach for Fortune 500 companies and is highly regarded as one of the top leadership thought leaders in the industry.


The content writers at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau are Experts on the Experts. They hold doctoral, masters, and bachelors’ degrees in business, writing, literature, and education. Their business thought pieces are published regularly in leading business publications. Working in close association with the top business, entrepreneur, and motivational speakers, BigSpeak content writers are at the forefront of industry trends and research.