Mark Sanborn

Mark Sanborn

Mark is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. GlobalGurus.org lists Mark as one of the top leadership experts in the world.

Mark has given over 2600 presentations in every state and 14 countries. He has authored eight books and more than two dozen videos and audio training programs. His programs are taught by Crestcom International in 90 countries and Mark is the Leadership Expert in Residence at High Point University.Mark is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and is a past president of the National Speakers Association.

Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international bestseller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His other books include 1) You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference, 2) The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do, 3) Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between, 4) Fred 2.0: New Ideas on How to Keep Delivering Extraordinary Results and 5) The Potential Principle: A Proven System for Closing the Gap Between How Good You Are and How Good You Could Be and 6) The Intention Imperative: 3 Essential Changes That Will Make You a Successful Leader Today.

Most Requested Programs

UP, DOWN, OR SIDEWAYS:
How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad, or In Between

Discover practical ways to prepare for and deal with change - good, bad or otherwise - by focusing on the mindsets and methods that never change.

Predicting the future is easy; predicting it correctly is very hard. Since we can’t be certain of what the future holds, what should we always be doing to ensure our success regardless of what happens?

Originally created to help audiences through the aftermath of the economic downturn of 2008, this presentation contains strategies and tips extremely relevant to the COVID-19 crisis and any other unimaginable situations.

THIS PROGRAM:

  • Examines the mindsets and methods that enable us to succeed come what may
  • Teaches a practical way of preparing for and dealing with change
  • Helps listeners to focus on those things that should never change
  • Shows the audience how to make the most of up, down, and sideways situations
  • Improves company morale and inspires teams to push through challenging times
  • Advises what to do when coming out of a crisis

THE INTENTION IMPERATIVE:
3 ESSENTIAL CHANGES THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER LEADER TODAY

Nobody ever got to the top of Mount Everest accidentally. Summiting the highest peak in the world takes clarity and intention; and so does leading successfully.

Intentional Leadership = Clarity (knowing clearly where you want to go) + Intentionality (taking consistent action to get there). Clarity without consistent action is daydreaming. Consistent action without clarity is wasted time and effort.

Just as the tools of successful mountaineering have changed and improved over time, so have the requirements of intentional leadership. Based on 33 years of working with organizations globally, teaching leaders and observing powerful shifts, Mark Sanborn has identified three essential areas of focus for leaders in the world.

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF:

  • Inspiration: motivation to the power of purpose
  • Culture: creating the engine that sustains vision and values while achieving desired results
  • Emotion: designing for and delivering positive emotions for customers and employees

THE POTENTIAL PRINCIPLE: HOW THE BEST GET BETTER
How do you keep getting better if you are already among the best? This is a critical question for successful leaders and organizations. What happens when complacency, outdated thinking or weariness stunts performance? What do leaders do when growth stalls, or when their teams are working below their true potential?

In this presentation, Mark Sanborn provides the answer and teaches four powerful tools your audience can use to pursue their potential.

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL LEARN:

  • Why you must pursue your potential and not settle for simply achieving your goals
  • How to disrupt yourself before somebody else does
  • Three ways to become laser-focused on doing things that produce the biggest results
  • A powerful way to think that gives you a competitive advantage over others

THE FRED FACTOR:
HOW PASSION IN YOUR WORK & LIFE CAN TURN THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY

In this inspiring presentation, Mark Sanborn shares four life-changing lessons he has learned from Fred, an extraordinary postal carrier. Based on his New York Times and international bestseller, The Fred Factor, Mark will teach how no one can be prevented from choosing to be exceptional.

As a result, your audience will be able to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and the mundane into the magnificent in their personal and professional lives.

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL DISCOVER HOW TO:

  • Build better relationships with customers and colleagues to improve overall work performance
  • Create new value for others without spending a dime
  • Elevate the customer experience for everyone
  • Stay motivated and engaged every day for maximum working life enjoyment

YOU DON’T NEED A TITLE TO BE A LEADER:
HOW ANYONE, ANYWHERE, CAN MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

Based on over three decades of working with some of the world’s best leaders and companies, this keynote focuses on the true heart of leadership: making things better for others (and you don’t need a title to do that).

Mark Sanborn proves how anyone at any level and regardless of title can make a significant contribution and a positive difference.

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL WALK AWAY WITH:

  • The six fundamental skills of leadership that nearly all leaders practice
  • How to create an army of lions where everyone knows when and how to lead
  • How to maximize the only three resources any organization possesses
  • Over a dozen ways that leaders communicate differently than others

Testimonials

“Mark’s presentation was "extraordinary" this morning. I LOVED the review of the book and the 3 final points: LOVE what you do, LOVE who you do it with, and LOVE who you do it for! Thank YOU for the opportunity to share your PASSION, CREATIVITY, and COMMITMENT to what you do best. From one "Fred" to another, I look forward to sharing your version 2 with all my friends and colleagues. I will never say "How are you?" The same again! Grateful for the impact you've had on my life!” - Buffalo Wild Wings

“I wanted to thank you for presenting at our kick off meeting today. You really hit a home run, perfect ending to a perfect day. Spot on with the theme of our kick off, and I could tell that the group took some key takeaways from your message that they will put into motion to make positive change and impact personally and professionally!” - Cisco

“Thank you again for taking the time to come speak to our group today! Your presentation, while not only entertaining, was incredibly inspiring. Your book … a great read and even better, principles to put into practice. We really do need more Freds in the world.” - DemandGen International, Inc.

“I will be and have been talking about the positive experience we had, it was such an EXCELLENT presentation! The preparation that you put in to research our company and understand its main points really resonated with the attendees. Everything you said was spot on and has value to our organization. I think the most telling aspect of our experience happened after the presentation and the book signing, when you met with some of our people and talked about the people you knew in Denver and the offer to help them by introducing them to some of the people you knew. You are a real gentleman and I am truly impressed by your character. You have been officially adopted as a charter member of the Softmart family.” - Softmart