Keynote Speeches
Get Your Audience Fired Up and Ready To Go!
Rick’s Most Popular Speeches
Rick is a dynamic keynote speaker and workshop leader, sharing practical insights at events from The Conference Board to corporate meetings to industry and professional association events. With three decades of expertise in leadership, change management, innovation, and strategy, he brings Fortune 500, middle market, small cap, and start-up experience that:
- Connects People so their collective knowledge, skills, experience and wisdom can be used to achieve great things.
- Transmits Energy so people are inspired to see the possibilities, seize the initiative, and control the tempo of their efforts.
- Embraces Friction so people can have their voices heard, achieve greater situational awareness, and feel respected.
- Simplifies Complexity so people can gain context, know what to do, and execute with passion rather than emotion.
- Celebrates Inquisitiveness so a better way can be found and dreams are brought to life.
Let’s work together to energize and educate your audience!
Rick is a first class supporter of The Conference Board! He delivers informative captivating speeches that equip and energize audiences to immediately take actions. He’s more than a speaker. He always gives 100% when helping event planners design, market and execute conferences.
Topic #1
How To Transform Uncomfortable Leadership Moments Into Opportunities
Executives and managers face a relentless cycle of uncomfortable leadership moments that can derail efforts, drain resources, and impact morale. These disruptions stem from both internal changes—such as shifts in plans, forecasts, organizational structures, procedures, technologies, human resources policies, products, and pricing—and external factors like competitor actions, industry trends, customer demands, economic fluctuations, regulatory shifts, and societal changes.
Attendees will learn how to seize control and calmly manage these challenges. They will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to:
- Assess and Prioritize: Systematically inventory and organize both internal and external leadership moments to effectively address them.
- Align Perspectives: Establish a shared understanding and frame of reference for tackling these issues with colleagues, superiors, and subordinates.
- Enhance Strategic Skills: Develop the skills needed to proactively manage and control uncomfortable situations with confidence.
With real-life stories and actionable tips, attendees will be inspired and equipped to embrace uncomfortable leadership moments and transform their leadership approach.
Rick’s presentations draw people in with real life stories. He translates complex topics into easy to understand takeaways that engage and motivate the audience. That’s why we bring him back to our conference every year.
Topic #2
How To Lead With An Undefeated Spirit
Every day, people confront challenges that demand swift, courageous decisions. Rick draws leadership lessons from the real-life journey of Chuck Ealey, who rose from poverty to a storied career that is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
This is not a story about football or sports. Its one of triumph over adversity, showcasing Chuck’s evolution from childhood poverty to an undefeated quarterback, successful executive, dedicated volunteer, and beloved family man.
Attendees will leave inspired to continuously make good decisions and lead with resilience, determination and an undefeated spirit that includes:
- Understanding – grasping the needs, feelings, and perspectives of team members.
- Nurturing – supporting and encouraging the growth and development of others.
- Determination – the firmness of purpose to achieve goals and overcome obstacles.
- Empathy – recognizing and respecting the emotions and experiences of others.
- Flexibility – adapting to new situations and changing needs effectively.
- Engagement – actively involving team members and fostering personal commitment.
- Accountability – taking responsibility for actions and the results of the team’s efforts.
- Transparency – being open and clear in communication and decision-making.
- Encouragement – supporting and motivating others to reach their potential.
- Dedication – unrelenting effort towards achieving goals and supporting the team.
*Note that 10% of proceeds will be donated to The Chuck Ealey Foundation for it’s Undefeated Spirit high school and college programs.
I was immediately impressed by Rick’s personable nature and sincere desire to help others develop their skills. He is very knowledgeable and his advice is extremely relevant, detailed and tailored to the audience. He’s a fantastic speaker, has an engaging personality and truly lives the principles that he professes.
Topic #3
The Threads of Connectivity For Networking and Relationship Building
Do you find yourself hesitating to strike up conversations with strangers because you’re unsure what to say? It’s time to break through those barriers with “The Threads of Connectivity.”
Real-life stories will captivate and energize attendees while demonstrating the simplicity of the key topics and strategies to use, when:
- Engaging with new contacts
- Maintaining connections with existing contacts.
- Connecting with others to exchange lessons learned and best practices.
- Developing partners to generate valuable referrals.
Whether you’re an event attendee connecting with other attendees, a new salesperson looking to expand your network, or an experienced producer nurturing existing relationships, The Threads of Connectivity will energize you.
Prepare to launch connections that will ignite your success!