Todd Henry

There are certain core attributes that brilliant, effective leaders share, especially in the face of uncertainty. In this talk, you’ll learn how to deal with the uncertainty inherent in our ever-changing marketplace, how to set your team and co-workers up for success, and what great creative leaders do consistently to unleash their best work every day.

Your work tells tales. It speaks about you, your values, your hopes, your ambitions, and ultimately what you deem worthy of your energy and attention. The key to making your work speak loudly and resonate with others is to uncover, develop, and then bravely use a voice rooted in authenticity.

In this talk, you’ll discover how to develop the core drivers of an authentic, resonant voice (authenticity, uniqueness, precision, consonance, empathy, timing), and why some voices connect deeply while others simply miss the mark. You’ll also learn why your most resonant work results when you are mindful of three key factors: what you care about, what your audience cares about, and ideas already gaining momentum.

Those people and teams who are brave enough to cultivate an authentic voice are impervious to cultural noise. They are the ones who change the game and resonate deeply with their intended audience.

(This talk is based on Todd’s book Louder Than Words: Harness The Power Of Your Authentic Voice.)

Key Takeaways:
• Why authenticity is more important now than ever for leaders and creative pros.
• The three drivers of the Voice Engine (Identity, Vision, Mastery).
• The six markers of resonant voices (authenticity, uniqueness, precision, consonance, empathy, timing).
• How to build “dailies” that build skills and improve your ability to connect with others.
• The questions that help you refine your personal passion areas.
• How to define your Intended Audience, and refine your vision for serving them.
• The specific steps involved in cultivating empathy in your work.

Leading highly creative people, who are doing highly creative work, is a difficult challenge. However, the upside to getting it right is huge. In this talk, Todd Henry shares the core things talented, creative people need from every leader, the common places where leaders unknowingly fail to provide them, and the handful of conversations, practices, and rituals that can set you and your team up to do its best work every day.

(This talk is based on Todd’s book Herding Tigers: Be The Leader That Creative People Need.)

Key Takeaways:
• Why every team needs stability and challenge, and how to diagnose which your team needs more of.

• The three ways that leaders forfeit trust, and don’t even know it.

• How to establish a leadership philosophy that builds clarity and trust.

• How to shape and prune your culture, and create an environment that talented people love to work in.

• Why most brainstorming sessions are ineffective, and how to do them differently.