Michelle Ray

We’ve often heard the adage “everyone can be a leader”, but what does this mean? More importantly, how is this relevant to your organization and your people? The most practical answer is to think of leadership in terms of character, not position or title. A leader is someone at any level who has grasped the ability to take charge of their thoughts, and consequently their actions, in any situation. We are often tested to be the best version of ourselves, regardless of our job function. Our attitudes directly impact the workplace atmosphere and the quality of our business relationships. When we take the initiative and lead ourselves with greater confidence, we are better equipped to strengthen relationships with leaders, co-workers and customers. Delivering her message with insight, wit and humor, Michelle’s energizing, informative and popular keynote presentation will remind audiences of the power of personal leadership. They will learn accountability strategies they can use long after the event ends to take the lead, embrace challenges and create their own realities.

As the world of business changes at an unprecedented rate, leaders are finding themselves in unchartered waters as they look for new strategies to evolve, adapt and succeed on the fly. When challenges of change and uncertainty strike, leaders must be ready to lead, even when the answers aren’t immediately at their fingertips. Leadership used to be more about the “long view”, i.e., looking out on the horizon to determine the future direction of our organizations. Recent events have shown us that leadership has become much more about the present moment. The pandemic, tech disruptors, generational change, remote work and the gig economy have compelled leaders to take action in the now, or in real time as we often refer to it today, rather than expending energy worrying about a future that we cannot control. During this highly engaging, dynamic and thought-provoking keynote based on Michelle’s new book, Leading in Real Time, your leaders will learn how to actively expand and shift their thinking around leadership practices from fixed to flexible, so they can be effective in real time. Her three-step process is practical, purposeful and powerful as she helps leaders remain ready, responsive and relevant in a radically changing world.

Today’s emerging workforce are craving authentic experiences from their employers and preferred brands. In a world driven by rapid technological change, the human factor remains at the core of successful business and consumer relationships. Leaders who are relatable, transparent and real provide a unique, competitive advantage. When teams can openly communicate with their leaders regarding their career path, personal aspirations and direction of the business, they feel appreciated, heard, understood and included. The capacity of your leaders to lead with vision and transform their thinking are the greatest differentiators in dealing with change, engagement and retention. Authenticity is an essential character trait that leaders need to develop in order to build trusting relationships with their teams. Research confirms the direct correlation between leaders who lead with humility and employees’ levels of trust, engagement and productivity. In addition, when leaders demonstrate self-awareness, vision, competency and overall proficiency, employees experience a heightened sense of assurance regarding the future of the enterprise. Michelle’s dynamic, new keynote presentation helps leaders to meaningfully connect with their diverse teams, forge positive relationships, improve talent retention, boost engagement levels and increase acceptance regarding change initiatives. Attendees will leave the session inspired to become the transformational leader with greater self-awareness; ready to step out of his or her comfort zone and successfully lead the emerging workforce into the future.