Robert H. Thompson

Robert H. Thompson, author of “The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable”, is a sought-after speaker, executive coach, journalist and thought leader in his field.

Founder of Applied Performance, a leadership communication services company, Robert’s clients have included AT&T, Amgen, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Nike, Qwest, Sony, Sun Microsystems, SVB Financial, The Gap, and Visa to name a few. Robert also is a senior consultant with the Tom Peters Company/UK.

Before founding Applied Performance, Robert created, managed, and sold a successful regional newspaper publishing company as well as a national advertising sales company, which he guided to international prominence through relationships with Proctor and Gamble, General Motors, Bayer and other major corporations. Along with many other career highlights, Robert also served on the board of advisors for a successful Internet start-up digital media technology company. He assisted the group through their initial public offering.

Over the years, Robert has boiled down reams of leadership and management research into easy to understand, simple, practical steps that create concrete results. Whether you enjoy substance with your motivation or motivation with your substance, Robert offers simple, rock-solid inspirational information you can take back to work, home or play and put into practice immediately.

Just like his presentations, Thompson’s book, The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable, shares his philosophy that leadership is not about title, position or being the decider…that’s positional authority. It’s not about costume changes, knowing it all, creating a fearful atmosphere or demanding obedience from others. It’s about closing the gap between your beliefs and behaviors with openness, honesty and authenticity.

The Offsite story follows a group of business colleagues who arrive at an off-site meeting with a lackluster vision and finish by transforming it into a blockbuster.

Using plain, frank language and by speaking what others are saying to themselves inside, but afraid to express out loud, Robert Thompson establishes a starting point for creative discussion of what can change and how to start from now.

People quickly get the concept that they are self-determining individuals who make choices every day about whether to cower, cope or create and that the outcome of these choices is their present story. Thompson’s “Vision Story” process provides proven steps for creatively re-writing and starring in one’s own life, as an individual and in groups, both professionally and personally.

Many of Thompson’s speeches draw on and build off of situations dramatized in his book, The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable. Sometimes he even brings along characters from the book who, in their fears, follies, inspirations and triumphs, are easy for audiences to relate to. Using The Four Commitments or material from The Leadership Challenge, Robert’s topics can be combined and modified to fit your audience’s characteristics and needs.

The Leadership Connection: Building Bridges to Success

Using Robert’s newest The Four Commitment model plus his new signature Sixteen Sources of Leadership instrument which will be featured in his next book, this presentation offering explores the necessity of building strong relationships up, down and sideways. Participants will take away new, practical, actionable information regarding their leadership behaviors and be able to identify those behaviors in others. Need this in a workshop format? No problem.

The Shadow of Your Brand: Be Distinct or Extinct

Using Robert’s newest The Four Commitment model, this presentation explores leadership from a personal brand point of view. Participants begin to understand how one’s personal brand is connected to leadership and why it matters. The take-away can be a personal brand promise that increases their distinction and inspired performance. The program is fully customizable as a workshop to suit intact teams.

The Leadership Challenge

Backed by over 20 years of original research of ordinary people who get extraordinary results in hundreds of organizations, The Leadership Challenge conversation is an intense and unique discovery process that demystifies leadership development and approaches it as a teachable, learnable and measurable set of behaviors. Moreover, all TLC conversations are fully customizable with a variety of cutting-edge options. Workshop style breakouts are available.

The Four Commitments

SHOW UP…

Your values create your veracity, which allows for your voice to be respected.

STEP UP…

Your curiosity creates disruption, which allows for innovation to occur.

SERVE UP…

Your engagement with the community creates camaraderie, which allows for a deeper ownership of results.

SPEAK UP…

Your vision story creates possibilities, which allows for aligned action.

The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

Model the Way

*Clarify your values by finding your voice and affirming shared ideals.

*Set the example by aligning actions with shared values.

Inspire a Shared Vision

*Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities.

*Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

Challenge the Process

*Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve.

*Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience.

Enable Others to Act

*Foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.

*Strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence.

Encourage the Heart

*Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.

*Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community.

Copyright Kouzes Posner. All Rights Reserved.

"Robert is an accomplished presenter who challenges his audiences to stretch beyond their current ideas about leadership and how they represent themselves to others...both in their professional and personal lives. He is both thoughtful and thought provoking. He uses storytelling as a means to engage others to participate in meaningful discussions." — Director, Organizational Development, Palomar Pomerado Health

"Robert encourages everyone to lead themselves and others in an open, honest and authentic manner. You'll find his genuine, real-world approach to leadership issues refreshing. His passion will stimulate you, and you'll appreciate his ability to truly listen to your thoughts and concerns." — Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank

"[Robert] connected with our audience in a very personal way! His delivery and personality made everyone feel as though he was a longtime friend, and not simply a presenter. His message received unanimous praise and left everyone feeling inspired and motivated to take his simple, yet powerful message to make changes in the way they manage their organizations." — CA Sanitation Risk Mgmt Authority

"Robert is not your ordinary motivational speaker. He is more of a corporate counselor. He creates meaningful conversations and makes them come alive." — Director, College of Continuing Education, California State University, Sacramento