Who is Future Change Speaker Nigel Barlow?

Nigel Barlow is an internationally acclaimed Keynote Change Speaker on Disruption, Innovation, Changing Mindsets and Inventing the Future. He has spoken at many major events for some of the world’s leading organisations. His special skill is to wake up and inspire business leaders to see new and exciting possibilities in their own lives, and in the enterprises they run.

Change Speaker Nigel Barlow’s previous clients include Apple Education, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, BT, Candriam, Danone, Etisalet, Hewlett Packard Printing, Lilly, Louis Vuitton, Microsoft, Nestle, Roche, SKF, TetraPak, Thyssen Krupp, Vodafone.

Learn more about business & future change speaker Nigel Barlow.

Change Speaker | Storytelling In Business

by Nigel Barlow

Have you noticed the recent trend for conference presenters to be described, not as ‘speakers,’ but as ‘Storytellers?’ It’s a theme I’ve worked with for some years now, coaching individuals and organisations to communicate with better and more inspiring narratives to capture their peoples’ – or their customers’ – hearts and minds.

Naturally being more creative implies a curious and questioning mindset; Curiosity, Questioning and Creativity and Storytelling in Business are just two topics I offer that cover this…

But if you’re after a quick insight, then here is my Top Ten Business Questions for 2023 to get your mental juices flowing…

1. Technological innovation is never-ending – but have we lazily stopped applying different thinking to other areas of life and work?
    
2. Has ‘Work’ become a 4 letter word? What are the biggest topics to rethink in the Future of Work?
    
3. What can physical events achieve that virtual ones can’t?
    
4. The old cliché was: ‘People are our greatest resource.’ In the era of AI, is this still true?
    
5. Given the dominance of a handful of mega-brands in industries like technology, pharma, retail and finance, when is small still beautiful?
    
6. Who are our business heroes and heroines today?
    
7. Doesn’t real diversity mean a wide range of viewpoints, as well as ethnic and gender variety?
    
8. Is the world getting better – or worse?
    
9. Is it still possible to make ‘good business’ (ethical and sustainable) pay?
    
10.  Are businesses today serious about ‘differentiation,’ or fearfully becoming look-alikes?

Change Speaker Nigels Storytelling Content…

Types of Story

In my interactive presentations – sorry, Storytelling Events! – I focus on the essential narrative tools to make a message, argument or even a sales pitch come to life. But I also find it useful to categorise stories in a similar way to Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Similarly, Stories of the Past are great for culture building and disseminating values. They include the original brand and founder’s stories, which can be timely and inspiring – but given the business world’s ‘corporate amnesia,’ are often forgotten. Tales that reinforce the desired culture and the values in action are also very powerful ways of lifting peoples’ eyes to fresh horizons.

Stories of the Present are invaluable for highlighting priorities and creating a climate of high performance.

They can also be used to clarify and communicate a strategy, highlight the kind of behaviour that is not acceptable, and inspire people in an impactful way.

Stories of the Future is my innovative approach to inventing a more successful future for your organisation. Coming up with highly motivating and clear narratives about the near future, and then working in reverse to nail the steps to bring the story to fruition, is from my experience a lot more engaging and useful than slaving over the words of a mission or vision statement! It also unleashes creativity and deepens ownership by the players in the business, who can make the story version of the future really come to life.

Hire Future Change Speaker Nigel Barlow

As a business change speaker Nigel loves to know what’s missing from your business model – what the kind of creative questions that you and your enterprise are pondering – Nigel aims to answer them! If you think Nigel could help your business flourish, then he’s happy to discuss how these topics may fit into events, meetings or transform projects you are engaged in.

Contact us at Great British Speakers to hire future business change speaker Nigel Barlow for your next corporate event. Email: bookings@greatbritishtalent.com or call  +44 1753 439 289