Ryan Estis: A Human-Centered Approach to Sales, Leadership, and Life
A corporate advisor, coach, and speaker, and Founder of ImpactEleven, a marketing and advisory firm for human-focused speakers and advisors, Ryan Estis spoke with the Enterprise Engagement Alliance in its Meaningful Meetings: Lessons Share series on his insights on leadership today, the role of meeting and motivational events, and advice he’d pass on to people starting out in their careers.Click here for links to information about EEA solution providers. Click here to subscribe to ESM weekly. Click here for an ESM media kit.
Human-focused leadership provides a sustainable competitive edge. Leadership goes beyond presenting a vision—it requires systematic follow-through. Meetings and conferences can achieve high-impact results for organizations when they are based on clearly defined purpose, goals, and objectives, with clear strategic planning and pre-program preparation. These are key recommendations from Ryan Estis, Founder and CEO of ImpactEleven, a marketing and advisory firm for human-focused speakers and advisors and business leaders seeking to up their games.
Click here to watch or listen to the show.
Estis says his passion is to empower individuals and organizations to “leverage change as a catalyst for growth and to maximize impact by embracing a human-centered approach to sales, leadership, and life.”
A former Fortune 500 chief revenue officer, with 19 years in advertising and venture capital, he explains that he learned early in his career that the key to achieving meaningful results is to be found in unlocking people’s highest potential. As he guides a client roster of category-leading brands to prepare for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he says he emphasizes the value of people—their ideas, values, expressions, and experiences—as the foundation for sustainable success.
Today, his company ImpactEleven creates over 70 meetings and events for a growing community of speakers and professional advisors, as well as coaching and advisory services for CEOs and human-centered leadership. Estis says he has “inspired meaningful change in millions of people worldwide through his videos, articles, and new book Prepare for Impact.”
According to Jaki Baskow, CEO of Baskow Talent, “Estis' work helps people maximize their potential in service of having an impact on others and contributing to something that is larger than themselves. Ryan’s approach reminds me of Bill McDermott, CEO of Servicenow. It’s all about the people.”
Below are highlights for those who don’t have time to listen or watch.
- There is a paradigm shift in management that is only half-way or so toward its achieving its potential, Estis believes. “What was good enough to lead an enterprise in the past isn't going to drive sustainable profitable growth over the course of the next decade. We must get back to prioritizing people. The role of leadership is fundamentally changing toward a people-centric approach.”
- Leadership today requires CEOs to have a strategic and authentic approach, understanding that the purpose, goals, objectives that they set forth at an event or in corporate communications must be consistent with what stakeholders experience to have sustainable value or to avoid later push back, resentment or worse. He says his advisory services not only help CEOs address the best approach to their presentations at an event, but the critical link to the expectations they will create in what they say.
- For CEOs wondering how they can improve their organizations, start by asking themselves what they would do if they left the company to launch a competitor. What weaknesses would they exploit?
- To what extent organizations will return to a five-day office experience, Estis doesn’t predict, but the relationship with the office has essentially changed, creating even more demand for off-site events to foster cohesiveness, collaboration, and innovation, he believes.
- As for planning an event, “look for why you are gathering people and making the investment. What do you hope to accomplish--not only during the time that you’re together but 90 days after, six months, a year after? What is the catalyst for coming together? And if it's to build relationships that’s great; if it's to unleash new ideas or learning or a direction and strategy, that's great...Whatever the goals, the ultimate benefit is for an event to become a community that attendees look forward to not only for the people they will get to see but for what they can accomplish together.
- The days of the auditorium and breakout session format are gone. Take advantage of digital resources to share information with and guide attendees well ahead of the event. Make it so they can spend more time on site collaborating to achieve the specific goals of the event in a more personal way by letting them get better prepared in advance. Allocate much more of the traditional auditorium time to formats that bring people together to collaborate and share experiences.
- Make the event about the audience, not the speakers. The most effective speakers and facilitators live the experience of the stakeholders in advance. In preparation for an event for Campgrounds of America, for instance, Estis says he camped at one of its campgrounds, and brought a crew to film the experience so he could share it at the event from the point of view of all stakeholders.
- Make meetings about disruption and change, as innovation can be an important byproduct of any gathering as well as source of cohesion and motivation.
- Enjoy the ride. If possible, find work that you enjoy and try not to give up your family or day-to-day joy along the way.
- Be intentional. Gain momentum by focusing early on becoming an expert and go deep on your passion. Make it so that you are hard to replace.
- Hire your boss whenever possible. That means finding a company where you will feel supported and mentored by your supervisor.
Enterprise Engagement Alliance Services
Celebrating our 15th year, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance helps organizations enhance performance through:1. Information and marketing opportunities on stakeholder management and total rewards:
- ESM Weekly on stakeholder management since 2009. Click here to subscribe; click here for media kit.
- RRN Weekly on total rewards since 1996. Click here to subscribe; click here for media kit.
- EEA YouTube channel on enterprise engagement, human capital, and total rewards since 2020
Management Academy to enhance future equity value for your organization.3. Books on implementation: Enterprise Engagement for CEOs and Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap.
4. Advisory services and research: Strategic guidance, learning and certification on stakeholder management, measurement, metrics, and corporate sustainability reporting.
5. Permission-based targeted business development to identify and build relationships with the people most likely to buy.
Contact: Bruce Bolger at TheICEE.org; 914-591-7600, ext. 230.
