Speaking

Organizational stakeholders are increasingly frustrated and disappointed with the underwhelming results of leadership development initiatives. Travis cuts through the “leadership BS” and offers a way forward. Organizations need to create a common language around leadership. Think about it. Do your colleagues define leadership the same as you? Do you know? Have you ever asked? Does everyone in your organization have the same basic understanding of leadership? What does leadership development mean? Does everyone have the same understanding? How is leadership development different than management training? Travis provides a common, practical leadership language that answers these questions providing the foundation required to address the most pressing leadership challenges.

Servant leadership is revolutionizing individual and organizational approaches to leadership. The impacts are life-changing, and the business results are unmistakable! Servant leadership companies have averaged remarkable returns, and their brands are associated with engaged employees, healthy cultures, and good corporate citizenship. Travis talks about servant leadership as an approach to power, which resonates with organizations, executives, and employees. He will get your organization off of the sidelines and into the game!

We need to stop thinking about power as a dirty word. Power, influence, and persuasion are foundational to leadership. Power is not good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative. Power is simply neutral. Travis challenges people to think differently about power and to appreciate the responsibility that comes with it. High performers need power to positively impact the overall leadership process, so understanding, embracing, and wanting power becomes necessary. People need to reframe how they understand and think about power, and Travis’s research and stories will get them there in short order.

The stories that need to be shared are the ones about people’s struggles, obstacles, and hurdles.  About how they prepared to meet and overcome them. Because it is not ‘if’ life deals you a bad hand, but ‘when’. Travis had aspirations of playing professional soccer in the MLS, and if that did not work out, he planned to serve his country as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps. Both of those plans were dashed by a devastating injury suffered during a pre-season game his senior year at Penn State. How he overcame this adversity, redefined his career, and emerged as a recognized authority on leadership and strategy is a powerful story loaded with memorable takeaways and useful tools. Honest, daring, and encouraging. People leave hopeful, motivated, and inspired to confidently overcome life’s obstacles!

 Excellence. A powerful word that has become so overused that it has lost its punch. What is excellence? Personal excellence? What does pursuing personal excellence even mean? Travis masterfully uses his diverse journey to highlight the guiding principles for the pursuit of excellence. Learn how these principles guided him to pursue his personal excellence in athletics, academics, and business. Dynamic and entertaining. Useful and research-based. You will leave motivated and prepared to pursue your personal excellence!