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Madan Birla      

Author, Speaker, Strategist, Unleashing Innovation for Enterprise Growth

Madan Birla is an author, international speaker, consultant, and strategist for companies around the world. A FedEx veteran of 22 years, he was a member of the Long Range Planning Committee where he worked closely with Fred Smith (founder and CEO) and his senior management team on the development and implementation of innovative business growth strategies.

Madan’s life experiences in two rich cultures - eastern and western - and his broad and deep educational background have prepared him well to creatively meld ideas from fields like engineering, business, psychology, and spirituality to develop comprehensive models for the purpose of “Leading for Innovation and Growth”.

He received a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from IIT, he joined RCA in Indianapolis, where he also did graduate work in business at Butler University. After moving to Memphis to join FedEx, Madan received a Master of Science in counseling from the University of Memphis.

The companies Madan has spoken at include Sony, Microsoft, FedEx, Smith & Nephew, Bridgestone, Tata Consultancy Services, Syntel, Mphasis/HP, and First Tennessee Bank. He is also a regular speaker in prestigious executive education programs at Kellogg Management Institute, Northwestern, Tuck Business School, Dartmouth, American Management Association, The Conference Board, Indian School of Business, Indian Institute of Management, Singapore Institute of Management, and other renowned institutions.

Speech Topics


Enjoying a Healthy and Balanced Life

The standard leadership training, most managers have been through, does not work for technical managers and professionals. One of the reasons for this gap between training and leadership behaviors on the job is that technical managers and professionals are programmed differently. They have a strong preference for left-brain/analytical activities. Innovation is a people process, and leading for innovation calls upon right brain capabilities. This seminar is specially designed to address this and the other four root causes.

Generating and Gaining Acceptance of Your Creative Ideas

Managers understand the importance of engaging everyone in generating creative ideas and expect employees to do that. But employees experience difficulty in meeting this expectation because they don't know how. This interactive workshop teaches proven and practical skills to bridge the gap between expectations and reality.

Every company has sound ideas that don't get accepted or implemented successfully because the person with the idea lacked the necessary communication and people skills. People operate with the assumption that when there is a great idea, everybody will see it and rally around it. The reality does not support this assumption.

Transforming from a Successful Technical Professional to an Innovation Leader

The standard leadership training, most managers have been through, does not work for technical managers and professionals. One of the reasons for this gap between training and leadership behaviors on the job is that technical managers and professionals are programmed differently. They have a strong preference for left-brain/analytical activities. Innovation is a people process, and leading for innovation calls upon right brain capabilities. This seminar is specially designed to address this and the other four root causes.

Leading for Innovation and Growth

This seminar presents a step-by-step blueprint for building and sustaining an innovation and performance culture. It starts out by asking the question, “If business leaders recognize the need for innovation, why is it that only a few succeed in that quest?" What exactly are the roadblocks to innovation? The five most common roadblocks are discussed. The managers will develop the required competencies and skills to adapt to the new and unforeseen realities. Using real world case studies the seminar trains leaders to thrive in complex environments, deliver innovative solutions and act on behalf of multiple stakeholders.

Unleashing Creativity and Innovation

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