Keynote Speaker
“Like Simon Sinek … but funnier”
(actual feedback)
Hi, I’m Michael Bungay Stanier … or MBS for short. I’m best known for being the author of The Coaching Habit (the best-selling coaching book of the century) and my new book, How to Begin.
I know about coaching and curiosity, the challenges of change at an individual and organizational level, and how to stay focused on work that matters.
Those themes are linked by my commitment to help people be a force for change, so they might make themselves and the world a little better.
All my talks can range from 60-90 minutes. They are known for being highly interactive (in a helpful, non-sucky way), entertaining, and practical. They can be delivered virtually and in person.
(The company I founded, Box of Crayons, offers enterprise learning and development solutions that help organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. If that’s what you’re interested in, go here.
You’ll be in good company
I’ve worked with some wonderful clients: corporations, associations, non-profits, and NGOs. Here’s a recent selection.
Watch MBS in action...
If you’re still curious about me as a speaker and facilitator, the best next thing to do is to watch these short videos. (If you already know you want to inquire about my availability, please complete this form.)
Pick the topic(s) that matter most to you.
Here are the four topics on which I speak regularly.
The 5 Question Leader
For participants to see and experience the power of being more coach-like
Coaching is a powerful leadership behaviour. But coaching comes with baggage: it’s difficult, it’s “HR”, it’s a black box. This session helps “unweird” coaching, and provides five questions that can make coaching an everyday leadership act.
By the time we’re done, participants will have:
- Learned about the three vicious circles of leadership … and which one they’re stuck in
- Measured how they split their time between Bad, Good and Great Work
- Confessed to at least one of the five reasons they’re skeptical about coaching right now
- Worked through the Five Key Questions, including the Best Coaching Question in the World
Based on Michael’s best-selling book, The Coaching Habit.
How to Tame Your Advice Monster
For participants who want to shift their leadership style to say less and ask more
Curiosity is a leadership superpower. But while it’s easy in theory, in practice it’s difficult. This session explores the deeper barriers to staying curious, and helps participants tame their Advice Monster.
By the time we’re done, participants will have:
- Seen the different between Easy Change and Hard Change – and why it matters
- Identified which of the three Advice Monsters is their Advice Monster
- Quantified the price they and others pay for the Advice Monster being in control
- Generated strategies for taming their Advice Monster
Based on Michael’s best-selling book, The Advice Trap.
How to Be Your Best
For participants who want to consistently show up at their best
We’ve all had a sense of ourselves at our best: when we’re clever, generous, strategic, and proactive. We also know how easy it is to get knocked off our stride, and become less smart, less generous, less strategic, and reactive. This session provides the two best tools to navigate your way back to being your best.
By the time we’re done, participants will have
- Explored three common ways we get knocked off our stride
- Worked with a tool to help “move towards the light”: return to the best version of themselves
- Worked with a tool to help “move away from the dark”: avoid the lesser versions of themselves
- Identified when and where they’ll best deploy those tools
How to Begin
For participants to get clear, get courageous and get going on work that matters
One of our greatest fears is a meaningless life. One of the certain ways to create a life of meaning is to do more of the work that matters. This session provides the tools to help find and start a worthy goal.
By the time we’re done, participants will have
- Understood we unlock our greatness by taking on the hard things
- Learned the three attributes of a Worthy Goal
- Understand the choices required to fully commit to a Worthy Goal
- Designed the first “small steps” across the threshold for their worthy goal
Based on Michael’s forthcoming book, How to Begin.
Like to inquire about my availability?
It’s kind of you to consider me as a speaker. I do love to be on stage in front of a crowd (and then, pre- and post-pandemic, in the crowd and interacting).
Through lots of trial and error I’ve discovered that I need to limit my number of speaking gigs per year to thirty or less. (I made the commitment that five of these thirty will be at a reduced rate for non-profit or other social-good-doing organizations.)
Limiting my number of speaking gigs means that I’d love to hear your very best pitch on why I should come and speak at your event. I’d love to give it a “Hell, yes!” because in my being-deeply-intentional-about-my-choices world, the alternative is “no”.
I’m influenced by things like:
- Who’s in the audience, how many are there, and what are they up to in the world?
- Where is the gig, and is it somewhere cool, or a place I’ve never been before, or a place where some of my friends live so I can visit them?
- Will this help me become known to other people? How high-profile is this?
- Can you pay my fee? I’m expensive (albeit great value), so I’d love to know that you have sufficient budget.
- Will it help me escape some of Canada’s winter? I do love it when I’m leaving snow-bound Toronto for warmer climes…
- Will this give me some cool footage of me speaking? Will you be filming this? Have a cool set? Use a confetti gun?
- Do we have some connection? Is this a referral? Were we raised together by a pack of koalas in the Australian outback, only to be tragically separated when young, and this is our last chance at a reunion? Something else?
- Are you willing to buy copies of my books for participants?
Looking for Box of Crayons programs?
Box of Crayons is a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led. They offer a range of training solutions that are delivered by exceptional faculty around the world. You can learn more at BoxOfCrayons.com.
Tell me about your event!
Thanks for taking the time to fill this out. I appreciate you thinking I might be a fit. (As a note, I don’t give free keynotes in exchange for exposure or book sales.)
