Dr. Mike Armour: A Veteran Professional Speaker on Leadership

Leadership is rarely easy. But it's particularly difficult in tough times — times like today, when leaders have little margin for error.

Under the relentless pressure of tough times, leaders easily slip into reactive, not proactive patterns. Or distracted by their own anxiety and uncertainty, they act in ways that undercut morale, motivation and team-mindedness.

As a professional speaker, Dr. Mike Armour knows these temptations firsthand. A lifelong leader himself, he has guided organizations through several difficult downturns.

From his own experience and observations, Mike offers vital insights into what tough times demand of effective leaders. He answers such questions as:

• What pitfalls must leaders avoid?
• What critical missions must they fulfill?
• What are the best ways to weather the storm, both personally and organizationally?

Whether as a keynote, workshop, or breakout, this presentation will rivet leaders on their true priorities. Today, more than ever, your leaders need to hear this message!!

In today's topsy-turvy marketplaces, transformational change is often the only choice for survival. The change process itself, however, puts added strain on organizations. And with that strain come increased demands on leadership. Unfortunately, the entire process easily goes awry because leaders overlook pivotal considerations for managing change.

Dr. Armour knows the challenges of change management well. For decades he has been a "go-to" man for organizations wanting to turn around or get back on track. In this presentation he lays out five of the most important lessons he has learned for effecting lasting, dynamic change. He ties each lesson to unforgettable examples and illustrations.

In particular he addresses the following dynamic of change management.

• Because change raises uncertainty and anxiety, Mike shows how to keep anxiety in check.
• Because clarity is essential to overcoming uncertainty, Mike identifies five arenas of essential clarity.
• Because the workforce must be inspired to embrace the change, Mike lays out seven ways to create inspiration.

Expanded versions of this presentation are available in a workshop or breakout format.

The world of business is no longer merely competitive. It's hyper-competitive. For today's leader, managing change is a way of life. Forces of change are relentless, no matter what the size of your organization. Success, if not survival, depends on how fast we can respond to change and implement appropriate change ourselves. This presentation sets out the direct correlation between depth of trust and the speed at which leaders can effect change in any organization. Using current research, it also maps the correlation between high trust and profitability.

All of us reach our fullest potential and maintain our highest motivation in settings of high trust. Trust frees us from fears, anxiety, misgivings, and guarded communication that otherwise thwart performance. This presentation provides solid "know-how" for creating a high-trust culture. It also explores the vital link between organizational performance and trust.

Study after study shows that the level of trust among American workers is shockingly low. In a world of constant mergers, acquisitions, and job outsourcing, they no longer trust top management to watch out for them. Corporate scandals, bringing down some of America's most powerful companies and corporate leaders, have added to the distrust. In short, America is running a trust-deficit today that is as glaring as its trade deficit, and equally damaging to the bottom line. This presentation looks at the root of the trust-deficit in American organizations and looks at specific steps companies can take to neutralize its effect on their workforce.

In the wake of Enron, when leadership credibility has been seriously assailed, people long for leaders who inspire genuine trust. Never before has the trusted leader been more powerful. Indeed, if information was the emerging power center of the 1980s and 1990s, trust is the emerging power center today. Companies that create a high-trust culture give themselves a competitive advantage that money cannot buy. This presentation introduces the proven principles of Trust-Centered Leadership™ that foster trust in depth through your entire organization.

Trust is not something we earn so much as it is something that others bestow upon us. Before leaders can expect people to trust them, they must first prove themselves worthy of trust. And they must demonstrate their trustworthiness consistently, no matter how difficult the moment. Thus, to retain the enduring trust of others, leaders must first master the character traits of trustworthiness This presentation shows how that's done. It explores the inner dimension of Trust-Centered Leadership™ and the traits of heart and character that sustain trustworthiness, even in the face of difficulty and duress.

Most of us immediately recognize the difference between reporting to a good manager and reporting to a true leader. In this presentation Mike highlights the distinction between good management and solid leadership. He looks at five vital qualities that set great leaders apart, using a simple acronymn to help the audience remember them. The presentation (Mike's most popular for the last six years) examines each of the five qualities and uses unforgettable examples to show how they reinforce one another. (Complete workshops on any or all of these principles are also available.)

All companies share one thing in common — communication problems. In this presentation Dr. Armour takes a light-hearted, but thought-provoking look at why communication goes wrong so often and so easily. As a certified specialist in business communication, Dr. Armour appreciates the challenge of maintaining clear, effective communication. He has therefore reduced vital communication principles to simple concepts, richly illustrated with real life examples, to show leaders how to make interpersonal and corporate communication more powerful, effective, and inspiring.

Strategic planning is vital. Execution is even more so. Execution is the difference between a good idea and a great company. So, how do we convert smart plans into dramatic execution?

The process begins by creating corporate alignment around the strategic direction. We might call it "strategic alignment." To succeed, strategic alignment must get eight things right. Borrowing a phrase from Buddhism, with its Eight-Fold Path of things that are right, Dr. Armour refers to the Eight-Fold Path of strategic alignment. In this presentation he lays out these eight elements, explores the interplay among them, and shows how to use them as a map for strategic alignment.