The Big Idea
Every leader dreams of a team that just “clicks” — one that collaborates effortlessly, tackles challenges head-on, and delivers results time and time again. But teams that click aren't lucky, and they aren't chemistry experiments. They've mastered the two elements of great collaboration: clarity and empathy.
Session Description
Click: Why Some Teams Collaborate Fast and Others Just Collapse
Every leader dreams of a team that just "clicks," one that collaborates effortlessly, tackles challenges head-on, and delivers results time and time again. But not every team reaches this pinnacle of performance. Some teams struggle from the beginning, others start strong and fall apart. And many just coast along. In each case, engagement breaks down and performance suffers.
Why is it that some teams break records while others just break down?
Most leaders think the solution is more talent, more resources, or even more meetings. But the real key is mastering the two elements of great collaboration: clarity and empathy. When people understand not just their roles and responsibilities (clarity), but also the personalities and work preferences of their teammates (empathy), their teams operate at a higher level. When they don't, they're just one misunderstanding away from collapse.
In this evidence-based, high-energy keynote, Dr. David Burkus will reveal the surprising science behind why some teams succeed while others spiral into dysfunction. You'll learn how to establish instant clarity, alignment, and accountability, even in the newest or most complex teams. And you’ll leave with research-backed insights, practical tools, and actionable strategies to elevate your team’s performance immediately.
Ready to unlock effortless collaboration and unstoppable performance?
Let's make your team "click."
Bring David To Your Event!
Meet David
A Leading Business Thinker and Bestselling Author
Dr. David Burkus is the best-selling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, The Financial Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning.
A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening, they’re evidence-based and immensely practical–offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately.
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Bestsellers
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TEDTalk Views
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One of the world’s leading business thinkers
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Keynote Speeches
Testimonials
“We loved David’s presentation and delivery. He’s a genius. He paid attention to everything and incorporated it into his presentation.”
- SACRS
“David got rave reviews.”
- NOSCO
“David was awesome and extremely engaged with our group. We really enjoyed his time spent with us on stage and off the stage.”
- NRECA
“What I loved about his presentation was its intellectual underpinnings. That depth made his rise above the average motivational speech. And our Academy participants loved it."
- Phi Theta Kappa
“David received very high ratings. He clearly had done his homework and that allowed folks to make those direct connections to their own work.”
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
“David was fantastic!”
- American Chemical Society
“David delivered were engaging, fun and meaningful. He is a great partner to work with and is always looking for a way to bring more value.”
- Amdocs
"I couldn’t have asked for a better keynote speaker for our leadership conference."
- Synovus Bank
"It was such a pleasure to work with David. We got fantastic ratings for your session.”
- National Association of Manufacturers
"The team and I appreciated all David did to understand our challenges and tailor his talk to meet the needs of our workforce. David provided us with tips and practices we can easily implement."
- NASA
“David was extremely well-received. His content connected with the audience and they were engaged on another level.”
- Equinix
David’s Process
Prepare
In addition to David’s independent research, we’ll schedule as many conference calls with key stakeholders as needed to determine the key outcome objectives and direction for program content.
Customize
After those calls, David will focus finding the perfect research insights and takeaways for your specific attendees, event themes, or organizational goals.
Deliver
David will deliver a highly customized, energetic, entertaining, interactive, strategic, and results-focused experience. In addition, David will make himself available the day of the event for anything that will deliver extra value, like book signings, Q&A sessions, or receptions.
Reinforce
Unlike many speakers, the learning doesn’t stop after the speech. Each client will receive several articles, videos, and/or books to reinforce learning. We can even film the event for clients to share after with attendees. All at no additional cost to you.
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Evidence-Based yet Applicable
David’s keynotes focus on synthesizing research from organizational psychology into practical, accessible takeaways.
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Entertaining and Enlightening
David is one of the world’s leading business thinkers, but also a powerful storyteller who understands that audiences need to be emotionally engaged and inspired.
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Customized and Tailored
David and his team work with you to better understand your industry and organization and build a customized keynote tailored to the needs your team faces and the solutions they can implement immediately.
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An Experience and a Journey
The learning doesn’t stop when David steps off stage. Our Aftercare program provides additional content and resources you can leverage to continue learning long after the event concludes.
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Frictionless and (even) Fun
David and his team know how hard it is to run a successful event. That’s why we work to make every interaction as frictionless and fun as possible, from contracts to billing to preparation and follow-up. It’s David’s job not to add to your job.