What America's Top Leaders Do Differently

A New York keynote speaker for companies, associations, and universities, drawing on 500+ interviews with America's top leaders

I've interviewed 500+ of America's most successful leaders including the founders and CEOs of hundreds of
the world's most admired organizations

Thousands of conversations with the world's top leaders translated into keynotes that drive leadership and performance for New York audiences.

Leadership Keynote Speaker for New York Events and Organizations

My keynotes come from the interviews I’ve done for Thirty Minute Mentors with more than 500 of America’s top leaders, from Fortune 500 CEOs to four-star generals and admirals to Olympic gold medalists. I’ve pulled out the patterns that show up again and again in how they lead and perform, and I bring those to New York audiences in a way they can act on. Your people leave able to lead better and get more out of the teams they run.

“Best keynote speaker we've had in years.”

– Chris Williams, President, OHSSAMT

Every leader needs to hear Adam.

-by Someone
DMK 2539

Speaking Topics

Learn what drives high-impact leadership in today’s environment
and leave with clarity on how to lead and perform at your best.

Every keynote is customized to your audience, with subtopics tailored to your event
and focused on what matters most to your attendees.

Keynote Topic #1

Leadership Patterns That
Drive High Performance:
Leading People, Teams, and
Yourself in Today’s Landscape

Keynote Topic #2

Leadership Patterns That
Drive High Performance:
Building the Foundation for
High-Performance Leadership

Popular Subtopics

Keynote Topic #1

Leadership Patterns That Drive High Performance: Leading People, Teams, and Yourself in Today’s Landscape

Adam Mendler delivering a leadership keynote at Future Forum

Topic Overview

Most leaders are surrounded by advice but lack a clear way to recognize the repeatable patterns that actually drive great leadership and high performance. After interviewing more than 500 of America’s top leaders – from Fortune 500 CEOs to founders of household name companies to four-star generals and admirals – Adam has identified the patterns that show up again and again in how the best leaders think, operate, and lead across different environments. In this keynote, Adam breaks down those patterns and brings them to life through stories, examples, and practical frameworks that help people consistently show up and lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.

attendees will learn:

After this presentation, attendees will be better equipped to lead people, teams, and themselves in today’s landscape and drive better outcomes across their organizations.

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Keynote Topic #2

Leadership Patterns That Drive High Performance: Building the Foundation for High-Performance Leadership

Adam Mendler speaking at a leadership conference

Topic Overview

In the early stages of your journey, it is virtually impossible to know what actually drives success or how to get there. You’re surrounded by advice, expectations, and noise, but lack a clear way to truly understand what success looks like for you and how to consistently move toward it. After interviewing more than 500 of America’s top leaders – from Fortune 500 CEOs to founders of household name companies to four-star generals and admirals – Adam has identified the leadership patterns behind how the most successful people achieve breakthrough success and how they lead themselves and others along the way. In this keynote, Adam breaks down those patterns and brings them to life through stories, examples, and practical frameworks that help individuals define success on their terms and take ownership of how they lead their lives and lead others.

attendees will learn:

After this presentation, attendees will have a better understanding of what success looks like for them and will be better equipped to lead their own lives and lead others.

Thirty Minute Mentors Exclusive Experiences

Engage Adam and one of America’s most accomplished leaders in a highly customized fireside chat-style session, focused on the topics most pertinent to your audience.

Adam designs bespoke in-person and virtual experiences featuring previous Thirty Minute Mentors guests, offering organizations the ability to access the best thought leadership from top CEOs, founders, military leaders, political leaders, and athletes at their events.

Adam Mendler in a fireside chat with a guest leader

Additonal Ways to Work with Adam

Leadership Training / Staff Development

Take Adam’s strategies and insights to the next level through half-day and full-day workshops, leadership trainings, and professional development experiences – including staff trainings and leadership retreats – designed to enable teams to work through key ideas, apply them to their specific challenges, and foster stronger connectivity and collaboration.

Facilitation

Bring Adam in to facilitate leadership offsites, executive team meetings, and strategy sessions where teams need to work through complex issues and achieve tangible goals. Adam creates the conditions for transparent, focused conversation, helping people show up with honesty and helping teams move forward with clarity and alignment.

Interviewing / Moderating

Having interviewed thousands of prominent leaders, thought leaders, and newsmakers across virtually every industry, Adam brings a level of depth and direction to fireside chats and panel discussions that few can, drawing out insights audiences don’t usually hear. For events featuring senior leaders, executives, and industry voices, engage Adam to lead meaningful conversations worthy of the room’s attention.

Emceeing

Adam’s ability to read the room and connect with audiences allows him to create deeply engaging and powerful experiences not only as a keynote speaker but also as a host and emcee. Adam's improvisational and show flow management skills and dry sense of humor bolster the energy and flow of every event. Have Adam serve as your emcee to ensure that your program runs smoothly and resonates.

Testimonials

Adam is affable, warm, very bright, engaging, and easy to work with both from a contracting perspective and a content perspective. There was not a step in the process to retain Adam or a time in our relationship with Adam that was not easy, professional, personable, affable, and enlightening. He was the perfect person for our event and a phenomenal speaker. He shared insights that spoke to our specific audience (C-Suite professionals) in a very enjoyable and relatable way. I loved working with Adam and would love to do so again if ever able.

– Aaron Grau, CEO, Global Association Partners

Although Adam has years of experience in the business world, he is so humble and down to earth when he speaks. Adam is extremely approachable, and it feels as if he is speaking to close friends when he presents. He personally connects with each member of the audience, and he knows how to really listen, validate, and include everyone’s input. Adam willingly shares his advice and is happy to help others succeed. He is not afraid to talk about the difficulties he had to face, personal and professional, proving that failure is a part of success. Adam is extremely relatable, and because of this, he is able to foster a unique sense of trust and understanding with his audience when he speaks.

– Lana Mousessian, Human Resources Specialist, The Walt Disney Company

Adam was extremely easy to contact, book, and work with. His flexibility, adaptability, and passion for just wanting to inspire people made working with him not only impactful, but enjoyable. Adam went above and beyond any national speaker I’ve ever worked with when it came to consistent communication, working with our budget and policies, and willingness to make our event the best it could be. I whole-heartedly recommend Adam for your next speaking event.

– Anna Cedro, C2 Global

Adam brings a true authenticity and transparency to his story and advice on how to pursue career goals, build key relationships, and remain agile in the business and life planning process. I left a 90 minute session with Adam inspired, while also clear on tactical steps I could take tomorrow to improve my career and business. My biggest takeaway was the power of relationships and people in your career. I’d encourage everyone in any industry to listen to Adam’s message and use his story to redirect or re-inspire your team.

– Ryan Campbell, Snowflake

Adam did a wonderful job guiding our team through leadership training. He was personable, knowledgeable, and easily facilitated discussion among our group. Adam has built valuable insights and expertise through interviewing top leaders across several industries. Would definitely recommend him to other teams!

– Juliana Balich, Threat Intelligence Analysis Lead, Google

Adam was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish. He was professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in understanding our audience. His keynote was both engaging and entertaining. He connected with our attendees through relevant stories and insights from his career and did a great job tailoring his message to make it deeply relevant to our event and mission. The audience feedback reflected his effort with satisfaction rankings in the 90s and numerous comments praising his energy and insight.

– Scott Jensen, Vice President of Marketing, NEOGOV

What truly set this session apart was the unyielding focus on our shared humanity. In a world that often seems divided and fragmented, it was a breath of fresh air to witness a gathering that fostered connection and understanding – and the fact that we each have a superpower. Adam skillfully wove personal narratives and emotional testimonies into the conversation, reminding us that behind every successful person, there is a unique story and profound emotions. It was an invitation to embrace empathy and see the world through the eyes of others, fostering an environment of compassion and unity through each of us sharing our unique gifts with the world. Yes… just yes.

– Mariza McKee. Partner. Kutak Rock LLP

Adam is an excellent speaker and has a uniquely broad and deep perspective on leadership that he taps into during his talks. Highly recommend.

– Nick Bellanca, Vice President, Lockton

"It is never too early or too late
to begin the journey -
of self-discovery, of becoming
your best self, and of becoming the
best leader you can possibly be."

- Adam Mendler

Frequently Asked Questions

Adam speaks on leadership, high performance, motivation, team and culture, career development, and leading through change. Most of his keynotes build on the patterns he’s found across his interviews with CEOs, founders, and other leaders. He adjusts the talk to the audience, so a group of senior executives and a group of new managers won’t get the same version.

Adam is based in Los Angeles and speaks at events across New York, in person and virtually. He travels to clients nationally and regularly works with NY companies, associations, and universities on conferences, leadership summits, and team sessions. The travel and the prep are built into every booking, so an NY event gets the same preparation as one in his own city.

It starts with a call before the event to go over the organization, the audience, and what the team wants people to take away. From there, Adam pulls examples from his interviews that match the industry and the situation in the room, whether that’s a financial firm, a law or consulting partnership, or a nonprofit. The core framework stays the same, and he changes the stories, examples, and language to fit who’s in the audience.

Yes. Adam does both in-person and virtual keynotes. For a remote or hybrid team, he changes the pacing and builds in more interaction so the session holds up without a live room. He’ll usually suggest in-person when the setup allows, since a live audience changes how the material comes across.

Adam’s keynotes come out of more than 500 long-form interviews he’s done with America’s top leaders, from Fortune 500 CEOs to four-star generals to Olympic gold medalists, and the patterns those conversations show about how the best leaders operate. He’s also taught graduate-level leadership courses at UCLA and written more than 70 articles for outlets like Forbes, Inc., and HuffPost. What he shares on stage comes from that research as much as from his own experience building and running companies.

Most organizations reach out three to nine months ahead, and further out for big annual meetings and conferences, which gives more time to tailor the session. Shorter timelines can still work depending on his calendar, so it’s worth asking even if the date is close.

Yes. Besides keynotes, Adam runs leadership training programs, facilitates offsites and executive sessions, and moderates panels and fireside chats. These can be anything from a single half-day workshop to a series of sessions, built around whatever the organization is working on at the time.

Use the contact form on this page with your event date, location, audience, and the topic you have in mind, and Adam’s team will follow up about availability and fees. Pricing depends on the format, size, and date, so sending those details up front is the quickest way to get an accurate quote. From there, a call before the event sets the goals before anything gets built.