The Art of Leadership
Keynote Presentations with Michael Jones

"When we lead from our gifts,
we will naturally seek to temper power with beauty,
accomplishment with humility
and action with reflection."
— Michael Jones

"Wonderful creative and profound- what Michael expresses through his art will remain an enduring experience for me"
Andy Van De Ven Program Chair
Academy of Management International Conference

"Intelligent, genuine, open and transformational… Michael is able to meet his audiences where they are and move their thinking forward."
Leanne Grillo Conference Director,
Pegasus Communications System Thinking Conferences.

Through the beauty of his music and the inspiration of his stories, Michael Jones, a Juno nominated pianist/composer, an award-winning author of Artful Leadership and Creating an Imaginative Life and a gifted leadership educator offers a unique and memorable experience in his keynote presentations.

“Who will play your music if you don’t?” He asks. This question, which he was once asked, sets us on a journey towards finding the heart of our own creativity.

This journey of discovery begins by asking what we are uniquely called to do. What fills us with a sense of wonder that enables us to see familiar landscapes with fresh eyes and fresh ears. This journey includes developing a sense of empathy; the ability to see the imperceptible, to co- create in resonance with others, to engage the possible future and follow the thread of aliveness when the larger picture is unknown. It includes the art of story telling and story listening- of being an expressive and authentic communicator and also a listener with ears attuned to learning through the power of image and metaphor. And it involves beauty; of knowing how the inspiration of a place offers both a compass and a place to grow out from so that we can create places for others to learn and grow.

Together these practices of self-discovery are also key to discovering the gifts and potential in one another. As such they serve as building blocks for creating cultures of collaboration and engagement in our communities and organizations.

Through the dynamic interplay of story and music, Michael shares insights drawn from thirty years as a practicing artist and leadership educator. In so doing he engages others in a uniquely inspiring exploration of how, through our presence, we can co- create environments where people can learn… and ideas can grow.

Michael Jones has been a featured keynote speaker at many national forums including; The Academy of Management, The Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership, Meet the Masters and Towers Perrin Tillinghast (Amsterdam) Suncor Energy/University of Waterloo, The Masters Forum (Minneapolis) The Vine Conference on the Nature of Community, The International Leadership Association, The Greater Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, The Creative Education Foundation, The Innovation Group for Transforming Local Government, Andrews University and many more….

He has been a featured keynote speaker in forums alongside such visionary thinkers as Colin Powell, James MacGregor Burns, Peter Senge, Margaret J. Wheatley and Peter Block. He is also widely known for his work as a thought leader in exploring the synergies between creative artistry, authentic leadership and collective learning and collaboration with global innovation groups within Proctor and Gamble, Zachry, a Texas based global leader in new energy technologies, and PepsiCo, Quaker Foods and the Global Nutrition Group.