Biography

Book David Burkus through The Keynote Curators.

One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration.

A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the best-selling author of five books about business and leadership. His books, Best Team Ever!, Leading from Anywhere & Under New Management have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business ReviewThe New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning.

A former business school professor, David Burkus now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening, they’re evidence based and immensely practical—offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately.

Contact us for David Burkus’ fees and availability.
Read More

Videos

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Best Team Ever®:The Surprising Science Of High-Performing Teams

Every leader wants to build a high-performing team, and nearly everyone wants to be on one. But most teams fail to perform at their optimal level. We try to recruit star players, improve compensation, give copious feedback, obsess over engagement surveys, and in the end, we still don’t have the results we want and often feel we're out of options. But the secret to unlocking performance isn't recruiting new teammates or designing the perfect incentive. The most effective teams became that way by building the habits and culture of the team that allows for optimal performance.

Talent doesn't make the team; the team makes the talent.

That’s what building the best team ever is all about. When you focus on improving the culture of the teams you lead–or the teams you're on–you create an environment that improves the performance of everyone on it. In this entertaining and enlightening keynote, Dr. David Burkus reveals the secrets of the highest-performing teams in the world and how you can get started tomorrow applying those secrets. Leaders will leave with a clear and concise understanding of how the culture of their team affects its performance, and a simple and practical blueprint for how to build the best team ever.

Click: Why Some Teams Collaborate Fast And Others Just Collapse

Every leader dreams of a team that just "clicks," one that collaborates effortlessly, tackles challenges head-on, and delivers results time and time again. But not every team reaches this pinnacle of performance. Some teams struggle from the beginning, others start strong and fall apart. And many just coast along. In each case, engagement breaks down and performance suffers. Why is it that some teams break records while others just break down?

Most leaders think the solution is more talent, more resources, or even more meetings. But the real key is mastering the two elements of great collaboration: clarity and empathy. When teams understand not just their roles and responsibilities (clarity), but also the personalities and work preferences of their teammates (empathy), they operate at a higher level. When they don't, they're just one misunderstanding away from collapse.

In this evidence-based, high-energy keynote, Dr. David Burkus will reveal the surprising science behind why some teams succeed while others spiral into dysfunction. You'll learn how to establish instant clarity, alignment, and accountability, even in the newest or most complex teams. And you’ll leave with research-backed insights, practical tools, and actionable strategies to elevate your team’s performance immediately.

Ready to unlock effortless collaboration and unstoppable performance?

Let's make your team "click."

The Trust Loop: The Hidden Pattern That Builds (or Breaks) Your Team

Every leader wants a team they can trust. Every teammate wants to know their trust is earned. But here’s the reality: Trust isn’t built in a moment; it's grown over time with each and every interaction.

Trust isn't given. Trust isn't earned. Trust is reciprocated.

The highest-performing teams don’t just hope for trust—they build it, reinforce it, and protect it through a powerful feedback cycle–The Trust Loop. Every time trust is extended, it needs to be met with respect to keep the cycle going.

In this dynamic and research-backed keynote, Dr. David Burkus reveals a proven framework for reinforcing trust in every interaction. You'll learn why trust erodes faster than you think—and how to prevent it from slipping away, but also how great teams recover from failures and setbacks without losing trust. And you'll leave with a practical blueprint to strengthen trust and drive results.

Let’s get The Trust Loop going.

Innovation Is A Team Sport: The Science Of Creative Collaboration

As the challenges organizations face seem to compound, we need innovative ideas more than ever. But many teams struggle to find and implement their brightest ideas. Much of this struggle comes from a common misconception: you can’t create an innovative company teaching individuals to be more creative. Instead, research reveals that “lone creators” are historically rare and for most innovations, creativity is a team sport.

Teams bring a broader perspective and a more diverse set of solutions, but only if they know how to leverage the wisdom of everyone involved.

By combining insights from social science research and practical takeaways from the most innovative companies and teams, Dr. David Burkus outlines a prescription for any team or organization to work more creatively together, without silos, politics, or frustration. You'll learn how to leverage the expertise of the whole team, how to harness conflict to strengthen ideas, and how to find and implement the best solutions to the challenges your teams face.

Testimonials

What I loved about his presentation was its intellectual underpinnings. That depth made his rise above the average motivational speech. And our Academy participants loved it.
– Phi Theta Kappa
We loved David’s presentation and delivery. He’s a genius. He paid attention to everything and incorporated it into his presentation.
– SACRS
David got rave reviews.
– NOSCO
David received very high ratings. He clearly had done his homework and that allowed folks to make those direct connections to their own work.
– The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
David was fantastic!
– American Chemical Society
I couldn’t have asked for a better keynote speaker for our leadership conference.
– Synovus Bank
The team and I appreciated all David did to understand our challenges and tailor his talk to meet the needs of our workforce. David provided us with tips and practices we can easily implement.
– NASA

Booksby David Burkus

Best Team Ever!

Leading from Anywhere

Under New Management

Blog Posts

Best Speakers on Innovation and Creativity: Ideas That Stick, Stories That Spark, Strategies That Scale

The Best Speakers on Innovation and Creativity don’t show up with generic futurist slides or buzzword bingo. They show up with real stories that explain why Innovation matters, how Creativity fuels it, and what teams can do on Wednesday morning when the conference...

Read More

How Everyday Acts of Kindness Can Help Your Team (and Change Your Life)

Discover how words of encouragement and everyday acts of kindness transform workplace culture and create lasting impact in professional settings.

Read More

Change Management: How Embracing Change Helps Build Real Resilience

Discover how change management expert April Rinne transforms personal crisis into organizational resilience through proven strategies.

Read More

How Laughter Heals and Connects—Insights from Greg Schwem

Discover why laughter and humor are vital for navigating challenges with insights from motivational corporate comedian Greg Schwem.

Read More

The Strategy to Play Your Career’s Long Game—Insights from Dorie Clark

Learn keynote speaker Dorie Clark’s approach to career strategy, balancing short‑term wins with long‑term vision in this episode of The Keynote Curators Podcast.

Read More

Why Every Great Brand Focus on Their Story, Not Sales

From emotional storytelling to keynote speakers who spark brand identity and loyalty, discover the real drivers behind brand obsession.

Read More

Related Speakers

Contact Us Today

  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.