Speaking

Scott Sonenshein is a New York Times bestselling author and organizational psychologist who helps audiences of all types achieve more joy and productivity at work. His insights as a distinguished professor at Rice University, combined with a gift for storytelling, offer keynotes rooted in science, brought to life with powerful examples, and delivered in an informative and entertaining way. Respected for his original and ground-breaking academic research in business and psychology, and admired for his passion in translating that research into practical insights, Scott’s keynotes help individuals and organizations thrive in an increasingly complex and changing world.

Please direct all speaking inquiries to Speaking@ScottSonenshein.com.

Speaking Topics

Less is More: Turning Constraints into Opportunities

Conventional wisdom says that the more resources we have—bigger budgets, larger teams, or more experience—the more we can do. What if the opposite is true? Using Scott’s groundbreaking research on resourcefulness, you’ll learn how to leverage your biggest constraints to deliver your best performance. Drawing insights from his Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Stretch, Scott shows you how to achieve and sustain success because of (not despite) limitations around time, money, and people. This inspiring talk gives you tools to embrace resource constraints to make the most out of what you already have on hand.

The Nature of Work Now: How to Create Workplaces that Inspire

Scott knows how to create inspiring and effective workplaces and shares his original research about the nature of work in a post-pandemic era full of its own uncertainties and challenges. Drawing on his most recent research on resilience, resourcefulness, organizational change, and leadership, he explains the critical steps leaders should take to create workplaces that attract, retain, and motivate the best talent. This format includes a short keynote followed by an interactive, customized Q&A based on your organization’s unique challenges and objectives. This session is inspired by Scott’s conversations with colleague and friend, Brené Brown, on her hit podcasts:  “Scott Sonenshein on Why We’ll Never Be the Same” (Dare to Lead and Unlocking Us) and “Scott Sonenshein on Stretching and Chasing” (Unlocking Us).

Keep it Simple: How to Create Joy at Work

Based on his New York Times best-selling book co-authored with Marie Kondo, Joy at Work, Scott teaches you how to eliminate waste and inefficiency that drain your team’s morale and your organization’s bottom line. He shows you how to transform tasks to deliver satisfaction and success, restructure meetings to boost energy and productivity, and align work with a greater purpose. You’ll leave motivated and inspired to make choices about how to regain control of your days, discussions, and decisions.

How Leaders Sabotage Organizational Change and How to Fix It

70 percent of change initiatives fail. Why?  Employee resistance. But research shows that reaction is not automatic, and is often a response to violations of trust and harmful expectations.  Drawing from two decades of researching and teaching organizational change, Scott shows you how to pre-empt resistance and empower employees to be advocates of change. He uses science to explain and powerful stories to illustrate how to marshal the support needed to ensure that your organizational change effort is successful.