Daryl Conner

Daryl Conner Speaker Biography

Leadership, Strategy Execution and Change Management
Expert, and Bestselling Author

Daryl Conner is chairman of Conner Partners, an Atlanta-based consulting firm that specializes in transformation implementation. He is an internationally recognized leader in organizational change and serves as an advisor and mentor to senior executives around the globe. He founded ODR®, a training and consulting firm specializing in change management, in 1974. In 2004, he re-launched the company as Conner Partners, incorporating ODR’s tools and methodologies into a larger framework called Strategy Execution.

Speaker

In 40 years of practice, Daryl has worked with many of the most successful organizations in the world, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and nonprofit institutions, to help them achieve the full intent of their most urgent and critically important initiatives. A dynamic public speaker, he has addressed thousands of executives in corporate settings, national conferences, and public programs.

Books

His work is built on a strong foundation of research, extensive consulting experience, a master’s degree in psychology, and a deep spiritual focus. He has authored two books—Managing at the Speed of Change (Random House, 1993) and Leading at the Edge of Chaos (John Wiley & Sons, 1998)—and more than 250 publications, including journal and magazine articles, monographs, book chapters, and videos. Daryl’s blog, Change Thinking, is written for change management professionals who want to raise the level of their game and that of the field of change execution.

Affiliations

Daryl also holds a faculty position on the Masters of Organizational Leadership program (MAOL) at the Center for Leadership Studies.

Honor

In 2007, Daryl and the firm were honored with the International Spirit at Work award, which is given annually to companies that exemplify a deep commitment to nurturing the human spirit.

Daryl Conner Speaking Topics

Successfully Executing Strategic Change (SESC)

SESC introduces key execution risk factors and guides you through a series of applied activities to increase your awareness and understanding of how they inhibit success. This highly interactive, practical, and engaging two-day workshop teaches you: What it takes to succeed at strategic change; how to evaluate the risks to your project; and how to define steps to increase the likelihood that your project will succeed Whether you are leading or participating in a transformational change, you'll discover a disciplined, reliable way to deliver results on your most critical strategic initiatives.

Managing at the Speed of Change

This classic, newly revised with the latest research and insights, is an indispensable source for anyone from mid-level managers to CEO's who must execute key business initiatives quickly and effectively. Managing at the Speed of Change has helped countless business leaders learn how to orchestrate transitions vital to their organizations' success. Rather than focusing on what to change, this book is far more valuable: it shows readers how to change. Based on Conner's long-term research and his decades of consulting experience, Managing at the Speed of Change uses simple, easy-to-understand language and elegant visuals to explore the dynamics of change, and in doing so, teaches readers: Why major change is difficult to assimilate; What distinguishes resilient individuals from those who suffer future shock; How and why resilience forms; How people become committed to change; Why organizational culture is so important to the success of change; The roles most central to change in organizational settings; and Why powerful teamwork is at the heart of achieving change objectives, and how to foster it.

Leading at the Edge of Chaos

The tempo of change has sped up to a dizzying pace over the past few years. Success amidst such turbulence calls for much more than what change management models have to offer. It calls for a radically new kind of organization, nimble enough to adapt instantly to changing market conditions, and piloted by leaders versed in the art of leading at the edge of chaos. This book is not about decision making; it is about execution. It is not about predicting change; it is about adapting to it at a moment's notice. Daryl Conner defines the new roles that all leaders must assume to direct the changes that are crucial to their organization's survival, and he arms them with action steps for instilling their companies with the nimbleness and resilience needed to survive and thrive in today's super-volatile markets.

Project Change Management

Project Change Management combines change management concepts and project management concepts to illustrate how they complement each other. Along with a step-by-step procedure designed to apply change management to complex programs like process redesign and SAP projects, it provides field-tested organizational change findings and concepts to help you systematically incorporate change into your strategic management plan.