Geoff Colvin

Confronting Reality: Leading Ahead of Disruption

Every day can bring harsh new surprises. Economic and policy change. The competitor or new business model you never saw coming. Game-changing technology. Competing in the friction-free economy has leaders worrying most about what they don’t know. In his talk, Geoff Colvin leverages nearly 40 years at Fortune to arm audiences with valuable perspective on the trends driving business disruption, revealing how top leaders are confronting them right now. Economic growth, consumer demand, interest rates, taxes, employment costs – these issues are transforming the business environment daily, and Geoff provides unparalleled insights in terms you won’t hear elsewhere. And while political winds may blow toward protectionism, the market trends powering the friction-free economy are technological and going strong, requiring swift and full attention. As a result, winning in business today demands extraordinary leadership acting on the best intelligence it can find. Geoff’s message is optimistic and energizing: opportunity is more widely available than ever and there will be winners – why shouldn’t it be you?

The Future of Work – How Will Humans Fit In?

With robots and smart machines doing so much of the work humans used to do, what is the future of work? Where will humans add value? What job skills will be most in-demand? Geoff Colvin answers these questions and more in this talk based on research for his New York Times bestselling book, Humans are Underrated. Forward-thinking employers say the critical skills they’ll need most to compete in the future are those that focus on social interaction: collaboration, storytelling, social sensitivity, brainstorming, creating and innovating with others, leading, and above all – empathy. The need to transition to newly valuable skills is happening faster than organizations and most psyches can adapt. And for those companies balancing a workforce of people and machines, there are political and PR consequences. Geoff reveals what top organizations are doing to prepare for the future of work. The good news is that we humans already have what it takes – it’s up to us to make of it what we will.

Where is This Economy Headed?

Even before the new alignment of power in Washington, it was the question on everyone’s mind: where are the U.S. and global economies going? Now it’s even more urgent – and uncertain. The economic picture can change dramatically with a single tweet, and Geoff Colvin covers it in depth from his perch at Fortune. In opinion surveys, top CEOs and ordinary consumers say the same thing: there’s too much change, too fast; we can’t keep up. We all remember a time when it was easier to anticipate where things might be headed, when the consequences of misjudgment were less severe. Now a meltdown of financial markets in China can ripple globally and take down a trillion dollars in assets in a single day – and such volatility is becoming more common. Geoff helps audiences make sense of the forces driving economic change – offering a glimpse of where each may take you and your business.

Humans: The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

The coronavirus pandemic launched many companies that weren’t ready into a world of virtual work. It also transformed the way we think about relationships in the process. Couple that with robots and smart machines doing more of the work humans used to do – and doing it faster, cheaper, and better – and you have to ask: what’s the future of work and how do humans fit in? Based on research for his New York Times bestselling book Humans are Underrated, Geoff Colvin helps audiences understand how work is changing and the critical skills they’ll need most to adapt and compete going forward. The key skills are those of social collaboration: storytelling, social sensitivity, brainstorming, creating and innovating with others, leading, and above all – empathy. Geoff reveals what top organizations are doing now to build a competitive advantage by strengthening these capabilities.

Talent is Overrated – How Great Performers Really Get Great

Suppose most of what we believe about hard work and raw talent is wrong. That would mean most of us will never have the chance to perform as well as we could. Geoff Colvin, author of the groundbreaking international bestseller Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else, explains the surprising truths about great performers and relates them to real life in real organizations. He shows how most organizations value the wrong things – passion, honesty, and learning are more valuable than hours, IQ, or “native ability.”  Geoff demonstrates that world-class performance comes from behaviors that every person and organization can adopt. Those who apply these principles gain a tremendous competitive advantage. Geoff cites relevant examples to prove it and to launch an important conversation in your organization.

Panel Moderator, Discussion Leader, Emcee/Host

Geoff Colvin’s unique gift is his ability to brilliantly moderate panels, lead onstage interviews, and host/emcee. He’s played these roles for more than three decades at Fortune conferences worldwide. Top companies and associations regularly utilize Geoff because he gets the most out of participants; he asks the right questions, listens intently to what’s being said on stage, and responds to that. He also connects ideas and insights across sessions, transforming a multi-part program into a satisfying, unified whole. He always keeps the discussion relevant and the energy high.

Testimonials

“Our group was extremely pleased with your presentation and message. The amount of praised you received, was incredible, to say the least. Many, many of our attendees expressed how moved they were with your presentation. Just a tremendous amount of praise is ALL I heard (more than any speaker we have ever had).”
– Executive Director, National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA)

“Geoff Colvin played an integral role in our FSI Forum and was a key contributor to making the event a success. He was a true professional and a pleasure to work with. In addition, he put the presenters at ease with his calm and confident manner, and he was quick on his feet when improvising questions or using poll everywhere technology. We also appreciated how flexible he was when we asked him to step in at the last moment to introduce the banking speaker and moderate Q&A. We could not have asked for a better moderator and were thrilled he could join us.”
– Senior Manager, Deloitte Services LP

“Once again your stewardship of the business sessions opened the door for a truly interactive and valuable dialogue for everyone. Your depth of understanding of the challenges these companies are facing and the opportunities that lie ahead added tremendously to our conversations.”
– John Chambers, CEO, Cisco

“The consensus was: “He did a great job.” “He was dead on.” “He said what we needed to hear.” “Great job.” I truly didn’t hear one bad or negative comment. He was a total “hit”. He was a total delight to work with (as were all of you). Thank you for everything.”
– Assistant to the CEO and President, Vanguard Health Systems

Thank you very much for joining me this week at the THINK Finance: CFO CIO Leadership Exchange in New York and for contributing to our event in such a substantial manner. It was such a pleasure to see you again and share the stage with you. As with previous exchanges, you helped to draw out important insights from our speakers and deliver tremendous value to our audience. We at IBM value the perspectives you brought to our session and appreciate the time you spent with us. Thank you again for making our event a priority.”
– IBM Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer