Michael J. Gelb
Think Like Leonardo, Innovate Like Edison!
Fee Range
$25,000Travels From
Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Michael J. Gelb
Biography
Michael J. Gelb is the world's leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership. Gelb leads seminars for organizations such as DuPont, Merck, Microsoft, Nike, Roche and YPO. He brings more than 35 years of experience as a professional speaker, seminar leader and organizational consultant to his diverse, international clientele.
Michael Gelb is the author of 14 books on creativity and innovation including the international best seller How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. (1998) How to Think Like Leonardo has been translated into 25 languages and has appeared on the Washington Post, Amazon, and the New York Times best seller lists.
In 2007 Gelb released Innovate Like Edison: The Five Step System for Breakthrough Business Success, co-authored with Sarah Miller Caldicott, the great grand niece of Thomas Edison. As Professor Vijay Govindarajan, author of Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators noted, "This book is a must have for anyone who wants to turn creative ideas into profitable reality."
In 1999, Michael Gelb won the Brain Trust Charity's "Brain of the Year" award; other honorees include Prof. Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Garry Kasparov and Gene Rodenberry. In 2003, Michael was awarded a Batten Fellowship by the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business. Michael co-directs the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar at Darden with Professor James Clawson. From 2008 to 2012, Michael Gelb also served as the Director of Creativity and Innovation Leadership for the Conscious Capitalism Institute.
A former professional juggler who once performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Gelb introduced the idea of teaching juggling as a means to promote accelerated learning and team-building. He is the author of The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggling Your Way to Success. A fifth degree black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, Gelb is co-author with International Grandmaster Raymond Keene, of Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking Through the Martial Art of the Mind. Michael Gelb is also a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, (the method taught at The Juilliard School for cultivating commanding stage presence), and the author of the classic work: Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique. Michael's 1988 release Present Yourself! Captivate Your Audience with Great Presentation Skills guides readers to develop the communication strategies they need to generate support for their innovative ideas.
Michael has also created many best selling audio programs, including: Mind Mapping: How to Liberate Your Natural Genius, Work Like Da Vinci: Gaining the Creative Advantage in Your Business and Career and The Spirit of Leonardo.
Michael's passion for applying genius thinking to personal and organizational development is also expressed in his Harper Collins release (2002) Discover Your Genius: How To Think Like History's Ten Most Revolutionary Minds.
Published in 2010, Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices, offers a unique, original and very enjoyable approach to team building.
In January 2012 Michael released Brain Power: Improve Your Mind As You Age, (New World Library).
His new book Creativity On Demand: Ignite and Sustain the Fire of Genius is published by Sounds True.
Michael J. Gelb
Featured Video
Current: How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci
Time 03:12
Michael J. Gelb
Featured Keynote Programs
Innovate Like Edison
What was Edison's greatest invention?
The light bulb?
The phonograph?
Motion pictures?
This original, compelling presentation demonstrates that Edison's greatest invention was the development of a systematic approach to innovation. You will learn how to apply Edison's 5 Competencies to promote "Innovation Literacy" and create a culture that supports innovation.
Juggling Your Way to Success
You will discover how to learn faster and more effectively.
Understand the "Inner Gane" of creating a "learning Organization."
Have a fabulous experience of team-building as you actually learn how to juggle.
Creative Resilience
Discovering Opportunity in Uncertainty & Change
Audience: Those who are losing their jobs or who may be losing their jobs. Those who are most impacted by job losses. HR and OD professionals. (Those who are keeping their jobs while colleagues are being let go often suffer from “Survivor’s Guilt.” Layoffs affect the morale, and sometimes the productivity, of friends and associates who continue in the organization. This program is particularly beneficial for people who continue in their jobs but are most affected by the losses around them.)
Format: 3 hour to one-day seminar.
Goals: Teach skills of creative resilience to make the most of a challenging situation, to promote good will and and a healthy organizational culture.
A few months ago one of my long term clients announced more than 8,000 layoffs. The division that I’m most involved with discovered that they were losing more than 100 people. And many more are living with uncertainty about their future. Unlike many organizations who reflexively cancel all their leadership development efforts in difficult times, this client understands that these efforts are even more important in a downturn.
During a recent week of intensive training devoted to supporting key leaders in promoting innovation, we included a special program for the people who were losing their jobs and for those who were uncertain about their future.
The intention was to help the participants take a positive, proactive approach to the challenging circumstances that had been thrust upon them. The result? As the V.P. who coordinated the program commented: “At first everyone was pretty skeptical, but they left feeling inspired, renewed and empowered.”
Program topics include:
* How to Develop a Creative Approach to Change
* Strengthening Resilience: How to Cultivate an Optimistic Mindset
* Clarifying Personal Purpose and Values
* Creative Thinking Tools for Crafting a New Vision
* How to Set and Manifest Goals Using the Strategies of Genius
* Practical Goal-setting Exercise
* Practical Exercises for Transforming Stress
* Team Approach to Goal Review and Refinement
This seminar helps all participants become more resilient and resourceful in the face of challenging circumstances.
How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci
Learn 7 principles for thinking like history's greatest genius and apply them to your most important organizational challenges. This captivating program has immediate, life-changing take-home value.
"By capturing the very essence of DaVinci's life and genius-the seemingly perfect integration of mind, body, spirit and soul-Michael Gelb guides us in a discovery and understanding of the boundlessness of our own full human potential"
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Michael J. Gelb
Featured Articles & Resources
Hysterical or Historical
“Consumer confidence crumbles.” ”Economy in shambles.” Perhaps you’ve come across these kinds of hysterical news blurbs recently. Many media outlets seem to be vying with one...
How Do You Choose the BEST Speaker for Your Event?
We’ve had 30 years and 40,000 events to perfect the process—and we’ll do it for free.