Speaking

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For public speaking, please email Mike or call (703) 938-7153

Why select Mike Mears for your next event? Here are 10 Good Reasonsspeakingimage1

  1. A track record. Mike is experienced addressing corporate boards, government agencies, non-profits, and general audiences.
  2. Fabulous references. Take a look at what people have said after they’ve heard Mike speak.
  3. Extensive leadership experience. He’s actually run organizations including combat platoons, fast food companies, government units, and nuclear missile sites.
  4. Mike knows theoretical part too. He worked with leading business schools and premier corporate training centers to establish the CIA’s Leadership Academy.
  5. He provides usable guidance, not fluff. Mike researches his audience needs and offers presentations tailored to them.
  6. Mike has a great sense of humor. He’s fun!
  7. International speaking experience. Mike has done numerous simultaneous translation sessions abroad.
  8. Mike provides unique motivational insights for audiences along with practical tools and solutions.
  9. He works with you. He does his homework to make sure that your objectives are met. He arrives early and leaves late to mingle and provides each attendee with a memorable gift.
  10. He’s a nice guy. He’s down to earth. Talk to Mike and you’ll find out why.

About Mike

10 Second Summary
  1. When George Tenet needed a Leadership Academy at the CIA, he tapped on Mike Mears to establish it.
  2. Mike is a visionary thinker and thought leader in practical approaches to enhancing employee performance.
  3. A leadership speaker, trainer, consultant, and author.
  4. He does keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and seminars. He uses a highly interactive approach even with groups of 300 and more.
  5. Sample topic – Leadership Secrets: Ten Important Questions and Answers.
  6. Mike has extensive public and private sector experience at GE, CIA, and small businesses.
  7. His first two books, Elements of Leadership and Life: a guide to building trust, and Hidden Leaders: ordinary people with extraordinary traits.
Credentials
Mike has a colorful background. He is a retired CIA executive engaged in consulting, training, and professional speaking on management and leadership topics. He draws from his past public and private sector and military experiences to include his experience as:
  • Consultant to Intelligence Community senior leaders
  • Chief of Human Capital, CIA
  • Manager of compartmented government programs
  • Turnaround specialist for GE
  • Senior VP at GE Investments (private equity investing)
  • US Senior Commercial Officer to Moscow
  • President of a fast food company
  • Entrepreneur (11 start ups)
  • Commander of a nuclear missile site
  • General’s Aide
  • Decorated Vietnam Veteran
Mike has a BS from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Ask about a Leadership Seminar

A powerful highly interactive day-long session tailored to your organization on what really works in leading others. The former Director of CIA’s Leadership Academy provides exciting practical leadership techniques based upon current neuroscientific research on what makes people tick. Tailored to any management level from supervisor to executive, the exciting day-long session covers practices used by hundreds of great leaders to improve performance and morale. The session also shows why most leaders fail, and the five essential steps to become a great leader. Successful completion of the seminar will increase participant knowledge and ability to:
  • Develop and demonstrate key leadership approaches to energize and engage employees.
  • Create a positive work environment.
  • Overcome the drag of cultural and bureaucratic impediments.
  • Increase effectiveness through five communication mechanisms that will break through organizational background noise.
  • Gain the support and cooperation of team members by actively involving them in the decision-making process.
  • Foster creativity, accountability, and empowerment in the workplace.
  • Encourage leaders to become personally motivated and enthused about their work, the team, and the organization.
Contact Mike to learn more about how you can have a leadership seminar tailored to your organization.  

Sample topics – each can be tailored from one to four hours

Leadership Secrets: Ten Important Questions and Answers

  1. Why are there so few good leaders?
  2. How do we unleash the power in employee brains?
  3. Are leaders born or made?

Barriers to Employee Performance and What to Do About Them

  1. Three employee inhibitors and one crusher
  2. What motivates employees to higher performance?
  3. Three major boss blind spots

Essential Secrets for Great Executives

  1. Why organizational design is your weakest lever
  2. The two levers that accelerate transformation
  3. How to step around your management chain to mobilize employees

Please email Mike or call (703) 938-7153

Mike Mears - Public SpeakerTestimonials from Tough Audiences:

Your presentation in Stockholm was the hit of the event and the participants are still talking about it. We tapped into [name deleted] from the Kellogg school as a follow on to your presentation at an event in Ottawa last month and it brought out comments again on how impressed the Europeans were with what you did in Stockholm. -Western Intelligence Service Executive

“Home run with Mears. I am sooooooo impressed. Thank you!” -Executive at a Global Investment Bank

Thanks go to you. Your passion and data got us focused. Now we will follow through. -Chief Operating Officer, Large Federal Agency

The feedback that I have received indicates that your talk was an overwhelming success. People really appreciated you candor, humor and insights into what it takes to be a leader. The experiences and stories you shared really resonated with my team as we too straddle the line between commercial and government organizations. Your ability to draw out the audience and to get them to engage with you right from the onset is world class. -Big 8 Consulting firm

Formal participant feedback at the conclusion of the five-week program made it clear that Mr. Mears was rated “superior” as a speaker, both for substance and delivery, receiving some of the strongest ratings and commentary in the history of the PTSS (other speakers include senior NATO, U.S. State Department and FBI officials). This is no small accomplishment; the PTSS audience traditionally regards speakers with a discerning, and often critical, eye. The participant assessment is fully and universally shared by the Marshall Center faculty members who have had the real pleasure of interacting with Mr. Mears. -Official, International Center for Security Studies

Testimonials from attendees:

“Mike’s “gift” at the end was wonderful. It will always hang in my office.”

“Very positive and energetic personality.”

“This was terrific!!! I would have liked the opportunity to ask more questions.”

“Mike is an outstanding speaker. I would go to hear him anytime he speaks.”

“Superb speaker – really wanted to hear a lot more.”

“Excellent, engaging lecture. Brought real-world insights to the leadership materials presented. Good job in bringing out the crowd and getting us involved.”

“This was an inspiring talk. It combined a realistic assessment of the present with tremendous optimism for the future.”

“A very thought provoking session. An excellent presentation.”

“Wow.”

“Mike is a great speaker. Excellent”

For public speaking, please email Mike or call (703) 938-715

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Listen to Mike Mear’s Podcasts

A Leader’s Magic Formula to Stimulate Organizational Change

Podcast 17 – A Leader’s Magic Formula to Stimulate Organizational Change

Best practices for organizational change have risen to an all-time high because of COVID and the cascading shifts throughout the work world.

Human Nature

Podcast 16 – Understanding Human Nature

In this episode of the Leadership Raccoon Podcast, we discuss what is needed for a leader to capture the best aspects of human nature, while learning to compensate for some of its negative aspects.

0 comments
Mark Twain Quote

Podcast 15 – Fact Based Decision Making

There are important decisions to be made when you are in a leadership position. In this week’s episode of the Leadership Raccoon Podcast, we examine the crucial role of data and facts in the process of making those decisions.

0 comments
Problem Solving

Podcast 14 – Solving Problems

Problems are unavoidable in our daily lives and in our places of employment. but how do we go about identifying and overcoming these problems?

0 comments

Podcast 13 – Sharing Knowledge

Knowledge is a invaluable resource, and sharing it with others can lead to new insights when it comes to problem solving.

0 comments
Delegating

Podcast 12 – Delegating

Knowing how to motivate others is an important skill for a leader. Today on the podcast we delve into the topic of delegating responsibilities as a  way to achieve this goal.

0 comments
Direction

Podcast 11 – Have/Show Direction

This week on the Leadership Raccoon Podcast we examine the importance of having and showing direction in the workplace.

0 comments
Expectations

Podcast 10 – Setting Expectations

This week the Leadership Raccoon Podcast discusses why it is important for leaders to set expectations in the workplace.

0 comments
passion

Podcast 9 – Passion

In this episode, the Leadership Raccoon Podcast explores how bringing passion to the workplace can make all the difference for a leader.

0 comments
vision

Podcast 8 – Vision

Today on the podcast, we discuss how having a vision contributes to good leadership in the workplace.

0 comments
A Leader’s Magic Formula to Stimulate Organizational Change

Podcast 17 – A Leader’s Magic Formula to Stimulate Organizational Change

Best practices for organizational change have risen to an all-time high because of COVID and the cascading shifts throughout the work world.

Human Nature

Podcast 16 – Understanding Human Nature

In this episode of the Leadership Raccoon Podcast, we discuss what is needed for a leader to capture the best aspects of human nature, while learning to compensate for some of its negative aspects.

0 comments
Mark Twain Quote

Podcast 15 – Fact Based Decision Making

There are important decisions to be made when you are in a leadership position. In this week’s episode of the Leadership Raccoon Podcast, we examine the crucial role of data and facts in the process of making those decisions.

0 comments
Problem Solving

Podcast 14 – Solving Problems

Problems are unavoidable in our daily lives and in our places of employment. but how do we go about identifying and overcoming these problems?

0 comments

Podcast 13 – Sharing Knowledge

Knowledge is a invaluable resource, and sharing it with others can lead to new insights when it comes to problem solving.

0 comments
Delegating

Podcast 12 – Delegating

Knowing how to motivate others is an important skill for a leader. Today on the podcast we delve into the topic of delegating responsibilities as a  way to achieve this goal.

0 comments
Direction

Podcast 11 – Have/Show Direction

This week on the Leadership Raccoon Podcast we examine the importance of having and showing direction in the workplace.

0 comments
Expectations

Podcast 10 – Setting Expectations

This week the Leadership Raccoon Podcast discusses why it is important for leaders to set expectations in the workplace.

0 comments
passion

Podcast 9 – Passion

In this episode, the Leadership Raccoon Podcast explores how bringing passion to the workplace can make all the difference for a leader.

0 comments
vision

Podcast 8 – Vision

Today on the podcast, we discuss how having a vision contributes to good leadership in the workplace.

0 comments
humility

Podcast 7 – Humility

This week on the Leadership Raccoon podcast talks about the importance of humility for leaders in the workplace.

0 comments
honest_failure

Podcast 6 – Honor Honest Failure

In this episode of the Leadership Raccoon Podcast we discuss how we can learn from and even be proud of honest failures.

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courage

Podcast 5 – Acting with Courage

What does it mean to have courage? Listen to the Leadership Raccoon Podcast this week to find out!

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competence

Podcast 4 – Competence

This week the Leadership Raccoon Podcast covers the subject of competence in the workplace and when it matters most.

0 comments
values

Podcast 3 – Live Your Personal Values

This week we discuss personal values and how they influence your performance as a leader.

0 comments
Leading with Optimism

Podcast 2 – Optimism

Explore why optimism is a critical skill for leaders and managers, and what effect it has on others.

0 comments
Leading with Humor

Podcast 1 – Humor

Find out how humor in the work place can be one of the most important ‘safety signals’ you can send as a leader.

0 comments
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For public speaking, please email Mike or call (703) 938-7153

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Mike Mears

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