Keynote Speaking

Effective and Engaging

Leadership Development Keynote Speaker Debra Benton

Proven Experience Developing Leaders

"If there is anyone who has contributed to my development as a leader more than Debra Benton, I’m not sure who it is."
— Mike Barkley, CEO of KIND Snacks

Good leadership isn’t born, it’s made. As a leadership development keynote speaker, Debra Benton combines unparalleled insight and experience with practical application to provide developing leaders the tools they need for career and organizational success. Debra understands leadership— from the theoretical to the practical, and she breaks it down for her audience in an accessible, relatable way.

Debra Benton's speaking style is clear and direct. She is engaging, entertaining, and interactive with the audience, using examples and relevant stories to divulge information garnered from thirty years as one of the nation's top C-suite coaches. Her experience in leadership development for managers and young executives gives her timeless, powerful insight into what it takes to succeed as a leader. When she is your keynote speaker, audiences will laugh, listen, and walk away with the type of “Aha!” moment that prompts lasting change.

When you hire Debra Benton to present at your event, she'll personally interview you and your contacts well in advance. After learning about your organization's goals, challenges and culture, she'll weave her findings into a customized presentation that combines her experience developing leaders with the needs of your organization.

Presentation Options

Benton creates a program that accomplishes what you want to accomplish.

Each topic can be:

A 45- to 90-minute keynote
Expanded into a half or full-day breakout workshop or training session (which can include one-on-one coaching)
A follow-on webinar
Presented virtually

She can present a keynote speech with information that can be followed up with more in-depth training and development. Benton can also moderate a panel of executives, or engage with a single executive "interview" style.

Ideal Audience

Benton's presentations are perfect for managers and emerging leaders who want to improve overall performance of themselves and their organizations.

Presentation Topics

Beyond Branding: Differentiate to Exceed Among Exceeders

How to authentically, effectively and appropriately set yourself apart

Exceeds expectations is the highest ranking of most companies performance appraisals.

So how do you consistently go beyond meeting expectations to exceeding? You have to stand out from the crowd. You have to get decision makers to talk about you. It's about doing typical things in atypical ways. It's about doing things that add organizational value — without being asked.

You will learn:

Better strategies and better answers to understand yourself, change your mindset, and present yourself in a way that people are receptive to
Tangible steps to stay connected, stay relevant, and stay ahead of the game — and why to take them
Easy to apply lessons to set yourself apart from the competition
The 'decoder ring' to coach and mentor others in their personal branding

Accompanying Books:

Executive Presence: Develop Your Successful Leadership Style

Use the leadership power of professional presence to stand out, fit in and move ahead

Professional success requires more than capability alone: You may have superior judgment. You may have great ideas. You may have years of excellent education and the degrees to prove it. But if your professional presence — your individual style and comportment — does not make a positive impact on your peers, superiors, subordinates, and clients you may never really succeed in your field.

You will learn:

Guidelines and techniques for self-presentation that sets you apart from even an accomplished crowd
Fresh insights into the good-natured, confident, personal, yet proper way to relate
Interpersonal attitudes and communication skills that CEOs have shared with Benton in over 100 personal interviews

Accompanying Books:

How Top CEOs Manage Conflict

Master the art of working well with a variety of personality types

The number one issue CEOs deal with, according to a recent Harvard Business Review study, is managing conflict. You are promotion material if you manage problems through resolution without being, bossy, heavy handed, arrogant, political, or secretive.

You will learn:

How to collaborate and communicate with various constituents who don't think like you and have a multiple of agendas
To give clear and direct feedback and course correction to resolve differences
To help puzzle through problems by asking the right questions in the right way
How to get a "yes" and be able to say "no"

Accompanying Books:

Coach to Win: How to Mentor the Next Generation of Leaders

Recognize, guide and develop emerging talent in your organization

To climb the corporate ladder, you need to be more than just skilled and knowledgeable about your business you need to be coachable — and be able to effectively coach others. Being a star performer isn't sufficient; you have to make star performers out of others by the coaching and mentoring you provide.

You will learn:

Coaching techniques you can apply to yourself and others
To self-evaluate and determine strengths and weaknesses
How to create a plan and set realistic and achievable goals for yourself and others
To prepare for uncertainty and the unexpected without losing your cool
Insightful and practical solutions to everyday leadership challenges

Accompanying Book:

Sell More and Boost Your Earning Power

How to make a six-figure income selling

Break through your personal glass ceiling and earn that six-figure income — and more! For many of us, it seems out of reach. But you can dramatically boost your earning power if change your fundamental attitude. Benton presents a can-do plan that not only helps you change your whole approach to making money, more importantly, helps you make new choices that lead to a happier more successful life.

You will learn:

To explore your hidden psychological blocks — and eliminate them
The four-step, step-by-step plan for closing more
A dynamic approach to working smarter not harder
A realistic road map with tools, self knowledge, and confidence

Accompanying Book:

Communicate Effectively, Online and Offline

Master digital platforms to deliver powerful messages and build your brand

Blogging, tweeting, commenting, tagging, e-mailing, texting, video chatting — everywhere you turn these days, there's a new way to communicate. Whether you're a c-suite executive or mid-level manager, you have to be able to move seamlessly among the available digital platforms in order to communicate your message effectively. If you don't face it head-on, the future will be a time of chaos and lost opportunities.

You will learn:

How to deliver a clear, powerful message in each platform — while tailoring to your needs
The "do's," but just as importantly, the "don'ts" in each platform
How to cause people to remember you for the right reasons

Accompanying Book:

What Clients Say About Debra Benton's Keynotes

"Benton presents a wonderfully personal, step-by-step guide to being a truly caring leader with integrity, confidence, and drive."
— Reuben Mark, Chairman and CEO, Colgate-Palmolive Company

"Put simply, she is easy to watch and listen to. Her presence makes the audience feel a profound connection. She doesn't so much lecture as confide her secrets."
— Heidi Olinger, CEO, Pretty Brainy, Inc.

"With Benton, it's a lot like having the other team's playbook a week before the Super Bowl."
— Ed Shonsey, CEO, Northrup King

"Benton causes anyone to pause, take stock, and ask: Am I developing all the qualities of character that will allow me to lead and achieve great things."
— Rick O-Donnell, CEO and president, Action Foundation

"In a room packed full of people I felt like I was the one in the room she was talking to versus talking to a mass of people. I noticed no one in the audience was looking at their phones or multitasking but were giving her their undivided attention. I felt this was my company's money well spent."
— Amy Costello, Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference

"This will have a profound impact on anyone's career."
— Rick Ambrose, President, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

"Benton has pulled together the information we all need to be a success."
— Marshall Loeb, (former) Managing Editor, Fortune

"Debra Benton is the leadership Peter Drucker of the 21st Century."
— John Bianchi, Ph.D., CEO, Frontier Gunleather

"Most insightful... especially for the young and hungry go-getters who need Benton's advice more than they'll ever know."
— Jeff Cunningham, Chairman, iLIFE.com

"Shrewd, thoughtful, and very practical advice."
— Senator Gary Hart, counsel, Coudert Brothers

Give an Autographed Copy of Debra's Latest Book

People love receiving Debra's bestselling business books courtesy of the meeting chair. Debra offers a significant discount on books for you to provide to your attendees. Her time with your audience can also include an autograph session at no charge where she will sign any of her books.

Meeting Planner Tools

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