David Burkus Best-selling Author, Sought After Speaker, Professor

What if the advice we’ve all heard about networking and developing relationships was wrong?

In this new and startling look at the art and science of networking, Burkus challenges many of our commonly shared beliefs about networking. Drawing on more than five decades of social science research into how networks work, Burkus has found that what the best networkers do looks a lot less like collecting business cards and making random introductions and a lot more like fostering authentic connections and seeking out diverse new voices. And he reveals how anyone can do the same. Audience members will this leave this keynote with practical and proven strategies to grow their network and to make their current network work much harder for their success and tactics they can apply at that very event later in the day.

(This keynote is based on David’s book Friend of a Friend.)

Key Takeaways:

• Which areas of your network provide the best source of new ideas and insights
• Where the potential blind spots and weak points in your network are
• How to foster authentic, collaborative relationships
• How to effectively grow and strengthen your network

Why do so many innovation efforts fail? Why do our best attempts at creative problem solving never seem to reach their full potential?

The cause of both frustrations, it turns out, are actually the same. In this keynote, Burkus targets a common misconception about creativity and innovation efforts: that it has to do with changing how individuals think. Instead, research reveals that “lone creators” are historically rare and for most innovations, creativity is a team sport. By combining insights from social science research and practical takeaways from the most innovative companies and teams, Burkus outlines a prescription for any team or organization to work more creatively together, without silos, politics, or frustration. Burkus’ insights are practical, applicable, and tailored to the audiences situation.

(This keynote is based on David’s books Friend of a Friend and The Myths Of Creativity.)

Key Takeaways:

• How the most creative teams and companies really operative
• How to get around the most common barriers to innovation
• How to communicate and collaborate better together

What’s the best way to build and lead teams? Do the best companies really put their employees’ welfare first, and their clients second? Do performance reviews actually improve performance?

Burkus challenges many of the long-established principles of management and leadership. Drawing on decades of research, Burkus has found that not only are many of our fundamental management practices wrong and misguided, but they can be downright counter-productive. These days, the best companies are already breaking the old rules. From sharing salaries openly, to abandoning performance reviews, to putting management in the hands of the whole company, the revolutionary insights Burkus reveals are convincing companies to leave behind decades-old management practices and to implement new ways to enhance productivity and morale. Audience members will walk away with evidence-based strategies and real world examples to drive performance and build stronger teams.

(This keynote is based on David’s book Under New Management.)

Key Takeaways:

• How the nature of work has changed, and so must management
• How to keep younger generations engaged and performing
• How the most productive teams and organizations communicate and collaborate