Month: September 2019

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BigSpeak Exclusive Speaker and retired US Brigadier General Thomas Kolditz was recognized by Thinkers50 for his coaching and mentoring in leadership and teamwork.

Kolditz has been nominated for Thinkers50’s 2019 Distinguished Achievement Award, the Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Award because of his dedication to building strong leaders. He is the founding director of The Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and the founding director of the West Point Leadership Center.

He brings the lessons he learned from his 34 years in the military, becoming a Brigadier General for the US Army, to top executives in the business world to create impactful leadership that inspires dedicated teamwork. His mentorship can be found in his international keynote speaking where he coaches leaders of Fortune 1000 companies, as well as through his book In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depends On It. 

The Distinguished Achievement Awards celebrate the top global business thinkers in the following categories: Innovation, Digital Thinking, Strategy, Leadership, Talent, Breakthrough Idea, the Radar Award—for the best thinker to keep on your radar, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the first year for two new awards: the Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Award and the Thinkers50 Founder’s Award.

On November 18, 2019, thinkers and business leaders from around the world will convene in London to discover who has won the prestigious awards. The shortlists feature business experts from across the globe, including China, India, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Bangladesh, Finland, Australia, Paraguay, Portugal, the UK, and the US.

BigSpeak is proud to support Thinkers50’s nomination of Thomas Kolditz for the inaugural Coaching Award and believes there couldn’t be a better fit.

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Jessica Welch is the Content Marketing Associate at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and Anthropology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her business thought articles often appear on Business 2 Community, Born 2 Invest, and YF Entrepreneurs.

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I used to struggle to start writing. I used to sit there and think about perfecting every line, thought, or idea. The truth of the matter is that as long as I tried to write that perfect line, sentence, or paragraph, I was pretty much sitting in front of blank pages for most of my day, frustrated that nothing good is being written, feeling that I am not making enough progress and fearing that no article or book is actually going to be written.

That’s the problem with perfectionism — we focus on what’s missing or broken and can’t make progress.

Striving to be your best is wonderful. The problem with perfectionism is that like anything else taken to the extreme, it is harmful. Very harmful.

The pressure to become better has turned into an epidemic. The World Health Organization links severe anxiety disorders to the unrealistic standards we hold for ourselves.

Perfectionism does not lead to being happier or more successful. Perfectionism leads to frustration, anxiety, and disappointment.

Perfectionism Is Anything but Perfect

Perfectionism is an extreme form of self-abuse. It leads to overthinking and action paralysis, because if it is not perfect, what is the point? Perfectionists tend to overburden themselves. They find it difficult to delegate, even if that means neglecting their health, relationships, and well-being because they are on a mission to get the perfect outcome.

Do not mix perfectionism with setting high standards. Setting high personal standards and working hard toward them is a good thing. However, there’s a dark side to always aiming high — perfectionism is setting goals that are almost impossible, then getting frustrated when you are not able to reach them in a way that you deem as acceptable by these imaginary standards.

The anxiety and negativity that perfectionism brings with it can get overwhelming, but there is no reasoning with a perfectionist.  That’s why therapists and coaches know that asking people to lower their bar is pointless — they will ignore their advice. If you want to defeat perfectionism, you must understand and address the issues behind this increasing obsession.

Maria Shriver said- “Perfectionism doesn’t make you feel perfect; it makes you feel inadequate.” How true!

A study called “Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time” found that young people today are more burdened than ever. Unhealthy perfectionism has surged, leading to eating disorders, depression, high blood pressure and thoughts of suicide. This is caused by a mix of excessively high personal standards (“I have to excel at everything I do”) and intense self-criticism (“I’m a complete failure if I don’t get that GPA or that score”).

The pressure to appear flawless is driven by the fear of failure, but also by our desire to be loved and admired.

Our need to please others has reached a new high too. Society today holds perfectionists up on a pedestal as role models more than ever before. Social media has become a space to pursue and achieve perfection — the more likes you get, the closer you are to feeling perfect.

Increasingly, young people hold irrational standards for themselves — they create unrealistic expectations for their academic and professional achievements, looks, and possessions. They have bought into the modern myth that their lives, including themselves, should be perfect.

Perfectionism is a growing epidemic. Studies among Noth American teens show that 3 in 10 exhibits some sort of unhealthy perfectionism. It is also life-endangering — those with higher scores on perfectionism are more likely to die younger.

Perfection is an impossible goal — you only set yourself up for failure and suffering. That’s the paradox of perfectionism. The more you try to win someone else’s validation, the worse you become.

Experts have found that perfectionism is more than an attitude or excess attention to detail — it has become a way of life that creates and amplifies mental issues. It’s a clear signal that we have a problematic relationship with ourselves.

The Three Types of Perfectionists

Self-oriented perfectionists adhere to strict standards while maintaining strong motivation to achieve perfection and avoid failure — they engage in harsh self-assessment.

Other-oriented perfectionists set unrealistic standards for others like partners, friends, or co-workers — they are very rigid when it comes to evaluating how others perform.

Socially-prescribed perfectionists believe that others hold unrealistic expectations for them — they can’t live up to external pressure and (perceived) harsh criticism.

The latter is growing at twice the rate of the other two, according to the study by Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill. Even worse, it’s the one most associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts- they let others define their lifestyle.

Rethink Your Relationship with Yourself

We must rethink our relationship with ourselves (especially accepting that we are not flawless). It’s harder to get things done when we have zero tolerance for mistakes — people are more likely to procrastinate since they can’t screw up what they haven’t yet started.

Overcoming perfectionism requires reframing our relationship with life, others, and ourselves. Rather than seeking for perfection, we must find meaning and joy in the precious things that we DO have.

By focusing on what’s missing, we can’t appreciate what we already have.

Three steps you can take to move away from perfectionism

Perfectionism is not a rational emotion, and as such, it cannot be argued or reasoned with. Studies have shown that perfectionists are at a higher risk of several illnesses, both physical and mental and that self-compassion might free us from its grip. Therefore, perfectionism and self-compassion are very much linked.

Here are three steps that you can follow in order to pursue perfectionism less and love yourself more:

Step one, acknowledge that it’s bad for you; beating yourself up over every little error gradually chips away at your sense of self-worth and makes you less happy. You deserve better than this.

Step two– pledge to resist the temptation to beat yourself up for the sake of beating yourself up. When you’ve spent years cultivating this inner bully, you develop an unconscious reflex to put yourself down for every minor thing, no matter how ridiculous or absurd. It is a bad habit of the mind. Every time you start beating yourself up, tell yourself: “I am done beating myself up. How can I treat myself with love?”

Third Step, as part of that self-love, learns to be attentive to your own needs.

Ask yourself this simple question: “What do I need?”. In perfectionism, you focus on the unattainable perfect goal at the expense of your own mental and physical health. I want you to shift from focusing on the unattainable perfect goal of focusing on self-care: what do you need? Rest? Healthy food? A break? Company? A hug? A day off?

The challenge- self-love. The tool- be kind to yourself in at least one way every day. Your happiness is in your mind and your hands.

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This article was originally published by Dr. Michelle Rozen September 16, 2019.

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No one does their best work under pressure. Not that top athlete whose name just popped into your head or that annoying person at school or work who always left things to the last minute and said that’s when they do their best work. It’s not. And, if you think you’re the exception, you’re not.

The research is clear. Under pressure, your performance—and everyone else’s—gets worse. Any athlete you thought of who picks up their game under pressure actually has a worse success rate under pressure than when they are relaxed. Whether it’s shooting a basketball, giving a presentation, or taking an exam, we all do better when there’s no pressure to perform.

Emotional intelligence expert and The New York Times bestselling author of Pressure, J.P. Pawliw-Fry, understands the consequences of pressure. When we’re under pressure, our skills are reduced due to our physiological reactions. Blood flows away from our brain and muscles impairing memory, narrowing focus, and sapping energy. Basically, we, can’t think, feel weak and get tunnel vision.

The myth of performing best under pressure persists because the best performers can still function–most of the time–under pressure. Despite the stress on their systems, they don’t completely collapse. They don’t perform their best, however, just less bad than the rest of us.

So how can you perform better under pressure? Pawliw-Fry says these are the three behaviors you can work on.

Receive criticism without getting defensive

Did you ever hear a negative piece of feedback then freak out and go into a negative spiral of doom? Say, someone finds a flaw in your work, performance, etc. and that piece of information takes over your thoughts so you can’t think or focus on anything else? It totally throws off your game so you perform even worse.

Top performers are more resistant to the death spiral of negative feedback because they have learned to view feedback as a way to get better. This is why top athletes can shrug off the missed shot, broken play, or turnover. They look at that turn of events as feedback of how NOT to do things—then try again.

Admit a mistake

Similar to handling feedback is being able to admit a mistake. It’s difficult to improve your abilities when you’re in denial. However, admitting a mistake is the first step to getting better. If you can admit a mistake, then you can learn to shrug one off under a moment of pressure.

An added bonus: people who admit their errors are seen as more trustworthy and build trust with their co-workers.

Have difficult conversations

Finally, the people who perform better under pressure also have the courage to have difficult conversations. Not only can these people receive criticism and admit their own errors, but they can also tell others when they aren’t doing well.

Giving feedback is difficult for both givers and receivers. Often, we hesitate saying the worst news because we see people squirming in their seats and looking uncomfortable. We fall short in saying the tough words. Those people who can move forward when things get uncomfortable are better prepared for handling pressure situations.

An added bonus: these people who can have difficult conversations build respect from their team because they say what needs to be said.

So if you want to perform better under pressure, try working on these three areas. Learn to receive feedback, admit errors, and have difficult conversations.

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Kyle Crocco is the Content Marketing Coordinator at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and the lead singer of Duh Professors. He regularly publishes business book reviews and thought articles on Medium, Business 2 Community, and Born 2 Invest.

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Keynote speaker and personal development coach Loren Lahav isn’t taking your excuses. A little bit punch-in-the-arm and a little bit kick-in-the-tush, she’s not afraid to lift up those around her and inspire them to pursue their dreams.

She believes foundational relationships and daily actions that promote movement are a large part of achieving dreams. And she says to keep your relationships healthy means you care for the people on your team on good days when things are easy and the money is flowing, and on bad days when you have to push away any excuses.

Here are five key beliefs for better relationships and more success:

Love and be loved

She believes there are only two reasons that we are put on this earth—to love and be loved. And she feels that taking care of the people around you is the right thing to do and that it creates bonds of friendship and camaraderie we all require to succeed—both personally and professionally—in life.

Don’t give in to “villains of dreams”

Yet we all create buffers between ourselves and our dreams when we’re stressed, fatigued, or just not in the mood. Those buffers often come in the form of excuses such as “I don’t have enough money” or “I don’t have the time right now,” or “I don’t have the right contacts.” If you’re using any of these defenses, then she says you’re giving in to the “villains of dreams.”

Show up every day

Instead, Lahav says you need to show up every day—for yourself, your team and anyone else who is counting on you. Setbacks, disappointments, and turn-of-events are inevitable aspects of business and life, but they shouldn’t be used as an excuse. Indeed, showing up when it’s difficult is the right thing to do; that’s when those who rely on you learn to put their faith in you and trust your abilities.

Use “I AM” statements

One way that Lahav guarantees that she shows up is by taking her power back from any situation where she might have lost some of her control. That might come in the form of disapproving loved ones or an unhealthy work environment.

To do that she uses “I am” statements and she calls the practice her “premium fuel” for the day. Some of the words that she uses for herself are caring, authenticity and tenacity, but the words you choose should always be individually tailored to your own strengths.

Find your superhero attributes

An idea that she uses is of building out the traits of your own superhero character and then applying those words into daily “I am” statements. What attributes would you like to have as a superhero? Can you find “I am” words that would help you recognize and affirm those characteristics yourself?

Lahav encourages this exercise to help you manage what you believe about yourself regardless of outside feedback from people or your environment that may cloud your vision of what’s possible. For example, if you believe you are strong and resilient to setbacks, you’ll likely try again. And again, and again. And she says that consistent effort, coupled with hunger and vision, truly does give people superhero results.

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Carolina Starin is a reporter, storyteller, and television, radio and podcast producer. Her varied work has been seen on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Medium, KCRW and The Moscow Times. She holds a master’s in international business policy from Columbia University.

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Look to your left. Look to your right. Everyone in your office probably falls into one of two camps. You’re either in the happy, fun camp versus the quiet, loners camp. Or you’re either in the serious, focused camp versus the shallow, mindless camp.

One camp is full of extroverts and the other is full of introverts. Do you know which camp you’re in?

If you’re an extrovert, you thrive in loud, social environments, but find quiet rooms a drain. It’s unlikely you look forward to spending a quiet evening with a good book. If you’re an introvert, you find loud, social environments draining after a short time and feel the need to retreat to a quiet room to recover. It’s unlikely you crave parties with lots of people you don’t know.

Still don’t know which camp you’re in yet? If not, you can take this easy online test.

You should know neither camp is better than the other. However, both groups need different things from each other to understand each other and work well as a team in terms of communication, collaboration, and work environments.

Communication

Introverts and extroverts like to communicate differently. Extroverts thrive on meeting new people, making small talk, and finding common ground with others. Each new interaction energizes them. They like to work a room and get everybody involved.

Introverts, on the other hand, like one-on-one communication. They prefer fewer, deeper conversations. They like to listen and take on the role of advisor. When there is a group, an introvert tends to find the other introvert in the corner and talk to them deeply.

For communicating, extroverts should seek out introverts when they need a good listener or some advice. Introverts, on the other, can learn a few common small talk gambits (weather, traffic, weekend plans) to find common ground. When roles can be divided, introverts can be great sounding boards, while extroverts are excellent networkers.

Collaboration

When it comes to collaboration and meetings, each camp has its preferences. For meetings, extroverts might like to have lots of small talk before chatting about a variety of issues, jumping from topic to topic.

Introverts, on the other hand, prefer to stick to solid agendas, talking in-depth about a few issues, and then going off to work on those issues—alone.

For collaborating, extroverts should know introverts love to collaborate, but not as much in person, and not for long periods of time. They like sharing their ideas through email or chat, and then getting to work. Likewise, introverts should know they can’t always hide. They need to meet face-to-face for short periods of time with extroverts to create group cohesion and a quick exchange of ideas.

Work environment

Work environments can be difficult to navigate for both parties if the office is not designed to accommodate both personality types. Extroverts like to be in louder, more active environments. They work better in stimulating environments, such as open-office spaces. Introverts, on the other hand, like to work alone in quieter spaces.

If you’re in a large office, try to design work areas to allow for areas for active collaboration and quiet work. Otherwise, noise and interaction levels can affect each group’s productivity. Headsets are an ideal compromise for both. Each group could use headsets to enjoy music at their preferred level, or to reduce noise levels, if need be.

When it comes to introverts and extroverts, everyone can get along. They just need to have a better understanding of the needs of the other so they can accommodate each other’s work styles.

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Kyle Crocco is the Content Marketing Coordinator at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and the lead singer of Duh Professors. He regularly publishes business book reviews and thought articles on Medium, Business 2 Community, and Born 2 Invest.

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These top sports and adventure speakers have gone from the highest mountains to the deepest seas to the farthest reaches of outer space. They’ve been driven to extremes, pushed back the limits, and emerged victorious all while enduring bitter losses, disappointments, and setbacks along the way.

Whether Hall­ of ­Fame professional athletes or world­-class Olympic champions, these sports and adventure speakers have turned obstacles into insights to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, ultimately achieving what others only dream. They are experts at motivation, inspiration, team­ building, and overcoming adversity. Book one of these top champions today!

“Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!” — Friday Night Lights

Top Sports Speakers

Robyn Benincasa 

Robyn Benincasa is a top motivational speaker on leadership and teamwork, adventure racing world champion, CNN Hero, and bestselling author. In her sports career, she has won the World Adventure Race two times and held three Guinness World Record for long-distance kayaking. Her book on teamwork and leadership, How Winning Works, is a New York Times bestseller. Her entertaining keynotes show audiences the foundations of inspired leadership and how to win as a team.

James Clear

James Clear is a former ESPN All American baseball player, performance expert, and the New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits. James doesn’t merely report the research of others. He tries out the concepts for himself as an entrepreneur, writer, and weightlifter. In the end, his talks end up being one-part storytelling, one-part academic research, and one-part personal experiment.

Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe is a motivational speaker, activist, and two-time World Cup Champion and co-captain of the US Women’s National Team. She is a leader in the fight for women’s equal pay and gender equality and advocates for women’s rights, such as eliminating the gender pay gap.

Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is a motivational and sports speaker, former NBA champion, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Since retiring from the NBA over 20 years ago, he has morphed into a business powerhouse who has dedicated his life to leaving a positive impact in underserved urban communities. His business ventures have served as catalysts for redevelopment in urban communities, and are widely recognized as the corporate blueprint for engagement and success with urban consumers across America.

Brian Holloway

Brian Holloway is America’s #1 most requested, motivational, team-building speaker and a renowned corporate trainer. He was a Stanford All-American, 5 time NFL All-Pro, and was the 6’7? powerhouse at the core of the 1985 New England Patriots Super Bowl team. As a speaker, he mobilizes companies and organizations in search of peak productivity, helping them achieve new levels of excellence. He understands how to transform thinking within organizations and challenge the competitive spirit of diverse work teams.

Tom Flick

Tom Flick is a top leadership and sports speaker, former NFL Quarterback, and an expert on leading change and accelerating performance. He is the founder of Tom Flick Communications and a former NFL quarterback who once played backup to NFL great Dan Fouts in San Diego. Each year, Tom speaks to over 100,000 people on the topics of leadership and change. In addition to his NFL leadership experience, he has been mentored by leadership and change expert Dennis Goin, Executive Vice President of Kotter International.

Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad is an inspirational speaker and a record-breaking, long-distance swimmer. At the age of 64, in her fifth and final attempt, Nyad successfully fulfilled her lifelong dream of completing the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida on September 2, 2013. Upon completing her grueling 53-hour journey, she told the world, “I have three messages. One is we should never ever give up. Two is you are never too old to chase your dreams. And three is it looks like a solitary sport, but it takes a team.”

Colin O’Brady

Colin O’Brady is a sports speaker and a professional endurance athlete who brings two decades of athleticism, Ivy-league education, and life experience of overcoming a devastating accident to prove that anything is possible. From lying in a hospital bed being told he may never walk again normally to beating the odds and setting two of the most prestigious mountaineering world records on the planet, his motivational journey resonates with a wide range of audiences. Through adventure and entrepreneurship, Colin embodies what it means to overcome obstacles, test limits, dream big, set goals, and never give up.

Gus Kenworthy

Gus Kenworthy is a motivational speaker, activist, Olympic Skier, and Silver Medalist. As a member of the U.S. Olympic slopestyle team, Gus won four straight AFP overall titles and a silver medal at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi Russia. In 2015, he became famous as the first out, male-action-sports athlete when came he out as gay in the October 2015 edition of ESPN the Magazine. Since then, Gus has added his voice as a spokesperson for LGBTQ issues.

Kerri Walsh Jennings

Kerri Walsh Jennings is a motivational sports speaker, a 5-Time US Olympian, and 3-Time Gold Medalist. Before moving her game to the beach, she was also a member of the Women’s Indoor National Team that placed fourth at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She currently holds the all-time record for career tournament victories by a female beach volleyball player, with 113 career wins.

Top Adventure Speakers

Molly Bloom

Molly Bloom is an inspirational and adventure keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Molly’s Game. Bloom began her career as a world-class skier, but is best known for her poker memoir, Molly’s Game, which was adapted into an award-winning film of the same name by Aaron Sorkin. Bloom’s memoir chronicles her journey from college student to LA waitress to building and operating the largest and most notorious private poker game in the world. Her games featured hundreds of millions of dollars and players like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, A-Rod, and Ben Affleck.

Steve Donahue

Steve Donahue is a Sahara adventurer, change & engagement expert, story guru, and bestselling author. Telling the tale of his daring desert odyssey—Steve Donahue unpacks the secrets of the Epic Story as a leadership tool. His research reveals how to achieve epic results by energizing culture and careers with this classic narrative.

Amelia Rose Earhart

Amelia Rose Earhart is an inspirational and adventure speaker, the youngest woman to fly around the world in a single-engine plane, and President of Fly With Amelia Foundation. Earhart recreated and symbolically completed the 1937 flight of her namesake, Amelia Mary Earhart. Her 228,000-mile flight around the world in a single-engine aircraft became a symbol of determination, courage, and empowerment for anyone who has ever decided to seek new horizons. Thousands have been moved by Earhart’s contagious enthusiasm for action, her raw and charming leadership style and her ability to take audiences along on their own flight around the world with her story

Chris Bashinelli

Chris Bashinelli (aka “Bash”) is a motivational and adventure speaker, United Nations speaker, National Geographic Young Explorer, Eagle Scout, and Host of the TV Series Bridge the Gap, as seen on PBS and the National Geographic Channel. He is a global nomad and takes his TV audience on adventures around the world. Bash’s unapologetic energy, humor, and compassion have made him a go-to speaker everywhere from multi-million dollar corporations to Ivy League Universities. His talks equip audiences with the practical tools we need to grow their business, connect with other human beings and contribute to humanity.

Robert Ballard

Robert Ballard is an environmental and adventure speaker and the world’s foremost undersea explorer. In 1985, he discovered the RMS Titanic and has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant shipwrecks, including the German battleship Bismarck, the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown, and John F. Kennedy’s boat, PT-109. He received the National Geographic Society’s prestigious Hubbard Medal in 1996 for “extraordinary accomplishments in coaxing secrets from the world’s oceans and engaging students in the wonder of science.”

Jean-Michel Cousteau

Jean-Michel Cousteau is an adventure and environmental speaker, explorer, educator, and filmmaker. For more than five decades, Jean-Michel Cousteau has dedicated himself and his vast experience to communicate to people of all nations and generations his love and concern for our water planet. The son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel has investigated the world’s oceans aboard Calypso and Alcyone for much of his life. Honoring his heritage, Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society in 1999 to carry on this pioneering work.

See Below For More Top Keynote Speakers:

Top Indy and Nascar Driver Keynote Speakers

All Top Keynote Speakers

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The content writers at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau are Experts on the Experts. They hold doctoral, masters, and bachelors’ degrees in business, writing, literature, and education. Their business thought pieces are published regularly in leading business publications. Working in close association with the top business, entrepreneur, and motivational speakers, BigSpeak content writers are at the forefront of industry trends and research.