Tom Morris

Tom is one of the world’s top public philosophers and pioneering business thinkers. He was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina where he graduated with honors in Religious Studies, and then went on to Yale University where he earned PhD degrees in both Philosophy and Religious Studies. He taught for many years at the University of Notre Dame and received many grants and fellowships in support of his work from such institutions as Brown University and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He’s the author of over 30 groundbreaking books and is a legendary speaker whose electrifying talks reengage people around their deepest values and reignite their passion for work and life.

Tom’s new little book, The Everyday Patriot: How to be a Great American Now, is inspiring readers of all ages and political perspectives. Based on the founding values of our nation, this non-partisan, rousing call to action for our time is already motivating people to take positive action and make a difference.

Tom’s longtime favorite, The Art of Achievement, newly “rewritten for our time” in a Silver Anniversary Edition, is now available on Amazon at at bookstores nationwide.

Also, his newest book is Stoicism for Dummies, co-authored with philosopher Greg Bassham, a book that premiered recently at the top of various Amazon categories and with especially strong pre-sales. The Stoics are hot! Tom and Greg offer a new and innovative take on their best ideas.

Tom’s most popular recent book is Plato’s Lemonade Stand: Stirring Change into Something Great. You know the old adage: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Everyone says it but nobody explains how to do it. Finally, the deepest wisdom of the great practical philosophers on how to move from difficulty to delight, and into that far country beyond the valuable qualities of resilience and grit, where true transformation happens. There is an art of change that can be applied to any challenge or adversity, a sort of spiritual alchemy that can use the sour lemons that come out way for truly great lemonade. This book gives the universal recipe for dealing well with challenge and leading change wisely and well!

Tom is now available by Zoom and other platforms as well as for in person talks to serve any business navigating our time of radical and disruptive change as well as pervasive uncertainty, bringing real wisdom to the challenge. He also offers consulting and advising services to a few executive clients.

Plato’s Lemonade Stand: Stirring Change into Something Great

This has been Tom’s most requested talk since March 2020.

How can we move forward productively and flourish amid massive, disruptive change? What’s the best way to view the uncertainty we face? How can we lead well through tumultuous events?

Harnessing the old adage, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” Tom brings audiences the best wisdom on how to do this even with mountains of lemons. Based on his wildly popular new book Plato’s Lemonade Stand, Tom’s presentation helps those facing uncertainty and challenge stir these times of change into something great. Full of powerful images and memorable stories, this engaging presentation of ideas shows that beyond resilience and grit, there is a transformational art we all can use. This book is also a popular audience gift and garners great reports by readers after hearing Tom speak.

True Success in Times of Change

What does it take for new levels of success in the face of challenge? From thirty years of research across global wisdom traditions and modern business success, Tom has identified seven universal conditions for deeply satisfying, sustainable excellence. His now-famous “7 Cs of Success” have fueled extraordinary results in personal and professional success across industries around the world. Never have these ideas been more important than today. In a high-energy and entertaining session, Tom will reveal the most fundamental tools for personal, team, and institutional greatness and provide a practical guide for their use every day. This talk leaves people with a new, well-grounded enthusiasm and a determination to use the wisdom they’ve been given. Its ideas are based on his very popular books True Success and The Art of Achievement, the latter of which is out in a new and highly effective second edition, a Silver Anniversary Edition, re written for our day and full of insights for solid achievement on changing and uncertain times. Audiences often go away with signed copies of this book to keep the ideas alive and deepen their understanding.

The Four Foundations of Greatness

What makes for great teams and partnerships during challenging times? Tom has combed through the world’s great literature, philosophy, psychology, and social science to discover the most powerful and simple tools for doing great work together. There are four ideal values that when respected, nurtured, and applied well in our work make for great fulfillment and true excellence. This presentation lays out a powerful framework for making the most of your energies and efforts with other people, whether inside your organization or with others you serve. This talk is based on Tom’s classic and internationally bestselling leadership book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors.

The Gift of Uncertainty

In the middle of the pandemic, business people everywhere were worried about how to handle all the disruptive change coming their way. But in recent months, another related concern has risen to the top: How to deal with all the uncertainty in the world and in our lives. Have you ever considered the possibility that uncertainty is a gift? In this talk, our favorite philosopher Tom Morris presents a surprising philosophical insight and explains how we can both embrace and navigate the many uncertainties of the present moment. This talk is full of new empowering insights about what’s required to take charge when things seem foggy and map out a clear future amid the mist. It’s about comfort zones, but not just getting out of them—it’s about learning the secret of great athletes and adventurous innovators who take a very different attitude toward comfort zones and learn to operate out of a mindset of mastery even in the most uncertain situations. This talk is funny, revelatory, fast paced and powerful, and is based on one of Tom’s forthcoming books by the same name.

You hit a home run! Thank you for coming and being part of our 100th anniversary!! — Vice President, Oklahoma Hospital Association

This group is certainly accustomed to top-notch speakers, and consequently that makes my - and your - job difficult. However, with all the presenters I've ever put before them, none - and I mean none - has been as well received as you. — SE Regional Meeting Planner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Our Realtors® were captivated by [Tom’s] ‘7 Cs of Success’. Tom’s energy and unique ability to bridge the gap between profound wisdom of past philosophers and connect their logic to modern day business was genuinely enlightening. This insight is integral in helping our Realtors® navigate, from Hill A to Hill B, the uncertain digital future of real estate. His entertaining and captivating delivery completely drew us in and kept us seeking more. Cape Fear REALTORS® highly recommends Tom Morris! — Director of Marketing & Communications, Cape Fear REALTORS®

It was great having you join us at our annual meeting this last week. I know our members really enjoyed your presentation, knowledge base, and great sense of humor. — Minnesota Hospital Association