Biography

John Michael works with clients to help them create and unlock customized leadership development opportunities for their organizations, communities, and causes. His work draws from his experiences as an entrepreneur, artist, producer, and educator.

For four years, Schert served as the inaugural Visiting Artist and Social Entrepreneur at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he studied and lectured on the utility of the creative process, how the skills and behaviors of creatives can be of relevance and value to other sectors. He is the founding principal of the creative leadership consultancy JMS & Company, an executive producer of Boise’s B Corp-certified Treefort Music Fest, and founder of the American Ballet Theatre Leadership Lab.

He began his career as a dancer with American Ballet Theatre and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In 2004, he co-founded Trey McIntyre Project (TMP), serving as the company’s Executive Director and a dancer for nine years. During that time, Schert gained a unique insight into the process and product of art-making, which has led him to become a sought-after national arts leader and speaker focusing on the evolving role of artists in American society.

Schert is a recipient of the USA Eisenhower Fellowship 2019. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Moving Through Uncertainty

In times of unrest, reshuffling, and (re)alignment, on an individual, collective, and systemic level, we look for navigation, reasoning, and a new moral compass. Instead of staying in existing patterns for the sake of comfort and safety, how can we step into—and become—the unknown, balancing the edge and the precarious, tapping into our intuition, improvisation, somatic intelligence, and “making artful” choices to progress forward?

JMS & Company (JMSCo) offers an in-person embodied experience, utilizing the adaptive leadership framework, combined with the creative choice-making skill of dance artists.

Through this experience, JMSCo aids clients in diagnosing the adaptive challenges they currently face, internally and externally,
and helps them build novel patterns and norms to exercise leadership.

Blog Posts

How Great Mothers Raise Even Better Leaders

Celebrate Mother’s Day by exploring how maternal leadership lessons—in listening, resilience, clarity, purpose, and storytelling.

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A Complete Guide to Kill Complexity & Spark Innovation

What if innovation and breakthrough ideas came from working simpler ideas? Learn insights on simplify your workflow with keynote speaker Lisa Bodell.

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Why Creativity Is Your Organization’s Most Critical Skill

Keynote speaker Natalie Nixon explains why creativity is essential for innovation and growth, and how leaders can embed creative thinking into their businesses.

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Life Mission Statements and Mental Health with Johnny Crowder

Dive into real-life strategies for mental health, resilience, and culture change with keynote speaker Johnny Crowder.

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Next-Gen Event Trends That You Must Know

Stay ahead for your next event with trends like with personalization, well-being, diversity, immersive tech, and sustainability—plus pro tips & insider links.

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Escape the Complexity Trap: Why Simple Wins with Lisa Bodell

Want more time to innovate? Conquer organizational complexity with insights from expert on change keynote speaker Lisa Bodell.

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Blog Posts

 

How Great Mothers Raise Even Better Leaders

This Sunday, on Mother’s Day, we honor the women whose love taught us courage, whose...

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A Complete Guide to Kill Complexity & Spark Innovation

What if innovation and breakthrough ideas don’t come from working harder but from working simpler?...

Read More

Why Creativity Is Your Organization’s Most Critical Skill

Tired of thinking creativity is just a “nice to have”? Discover how building creative skills...

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Life Mission Statements and Mental Health with Johnny Crowder

🎙️ On this episode of The Keynote Curators Podcast, meet the rockstar-turned-mental health revolutionary who...

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Next-Gen Event Trends That You Must Know

The events industry isn’t just evolving—it’s accelerating. At The Keynote Curators, we’ve spent years curating...

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Escape the Complexity Trap: Why Simple Wins with Lisa Bodell

Want more time to innovate? Start by killing complexity. 🔥 On this episode of The...

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