Erik Qualman

Erik Qualman is a globally recognized keynote speaker on AI, digital leadership, focus, and the future of work. He is a 5x #1 bestselling author and has spoken in over 60 countries and reached more than 60 million people while earning a 4.9 rating out of 5 for motivating his audiences. Qualman helps organizations turn change into a competitive advantage.

He is known for helping leaders and teams future-proof themselves in an AI-powered world—focusing not just on technology, but on the human behaviors that drive success.

A former Silicon Valley executive and sitting professor at Harvard and MIT’s edX Labs, he earned an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work. Qualman currently teaches Digital Leadership & AI at Northwestern University. His work sits at the intersection of innovation, leadership, and emerging technology, with a practical focus on moving to action.

His high-energy, interactive keynotes move audiences to action—literally and figuratively. Attendees wear his signature green glasses as a reminder to focus on the future—thinking big versus busy—creating a memorable experience that blends insights with fun.

His work has been featured on 60 Minutes and in The Wall Street Journal, and used by organizations ranging from Google to the FBI. He was voted the 2nd Most Likely Author in the World behind the Harry Potter series. Qualman’s Socialnomics work has been deployed by Nordstrom to the National Guard to NASA. His commencement address on “Things Happen for You, Not to You” is one of the most-watched in the world on YouTube.

Categories: AI Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Featured, Innovation and Creativity, Social Media, Technology and Science, TED Talk

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Videos

Topics

Digital Leadership: Future Proofing You and Your Organization

Leaders this digital decade are made—not born. We don’t have a choice on whether we transform, the choice is how well we do it. The key is understanding & never forgetting the powerful harmony between the offline and online. While technology changes every second; human nature never does.

Based on profound and practical research, Qualman showcases the 5 Habits that drive success & happiness for employees, partners, and customers. Qualman reveals new techniques including Posting-It-Forward, Being Flawsome™, Socialnomics™, 1 to 10, and other insights that will transform your audience & organization. Learn how to stay a year ahead of your competition but never a year ahead of your market.

Key Takeaways:
1. The 5 Digital Leadership Habits of leading organizations.
2. New methods of innovation.
3. Future Proofing top-line and bottom-line growth

This entertaining, educating, and empowering experience will provide your audience with the tools and knowledge needed today, and tomorrow, to drive quantum growth.

Focus: How to Focus In An Unfocused World | Big vs. Busy

It seems impossible to focus in this unfocused world. Yet, the main difference between winners and losers in this era of quantum change and distraction is … Focus. Winners are constantly focusing on BIG things versus BUSY things. While it sounds simple, it’s not easy.

The #1 killer of promising careers, teams, and businesses is a lack of focus. We either try to do too much, get easily distracted, or put our time, treasures, and talent into the wrong buckets. Qualman shares insights from his #1 Bestselling book, The Focus Project, providing practical techniques to make focus a daily habit. Learning to focus in this unfocused world is a modern superpower. How and what we focus on today will determine our growth and success tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:
1. Being the change vs fearing the change
2. Making focus a daily habit
3. Going Big vs Busy

Artificial Intelligence: Transforming Your Future... Today

We don't have a choice on whether we digitally transform via AI. The choice is how well we do it. As a leading futurist, professor, and author, Erik Qualman is at the forefront of the AI revolution and the impact it’s having across all sectors.

The key is not only leveraging AI, social media, IoT, mobile, AI, and Blockchain, but more importantly, understanding how they work together to drive successful outcomes like winning customers, employee retention, and beyond. In short, it's about getting to artificial relevance.

Key Takeaways:
1. Using AI to make your organization more efficient and human
2. Overcoming the challenges these new technologies present including successfully navigating ethical implications, job adjustments, algorithmic bias, employee retention, privacy, security, and more
3. Striking the right balance between AI and Eye-to-Eye (Jetsons + Flintstones) This session will give you timeless tips on how to stay ahead today and tomorrow.

Innovation by Design: Being The Disruptor vs The Disrupted

To ensure you are the disruptor versus the disrupted, you must understand societal shifts and instill a culture of creativity around them. This session looks at key future trends and their impact on your organization. Qualman provides the roadmap for your organization’s continual transformation by fostering a culture of daily innovation. After all, most innovation is evolutionary versus revolutionary. Leap over the competition by landing on a foundation of progressive and practical innovation principles. Future forward.

Erik’s supporting books: Digital Leader, Socialnomics, What Happens in Vegas Stays on Youtube

Socialnomics: Winning Customers’ Hearts + Minds at Scale

Based on his #1 Bestseller, Qualman dives into the powerful concept of Socialnomics. Word of Mouth is on digital steroids and has transformed into World-of-Mouth. Organizations must learn the new rules of social, mobile, and beyond or they will miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity to earn customers’ loyalty and drive long-term success. Socialnomics is the key to winning customers’ hearts, minds, and wallets.

Erik’s supporting books: Socialnomics, Digital Leader, How to Sell on LinkedIn

Books

The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less

The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less

Welcome to The Focus Project a book designed to provide answers and solutions to the challenge of focusing in an unfocused world. Combining street science and institutional research alongside his own personal focus project Qualman delivers practical advice on doing the important things instead of a bunch of things.

You can purchase this book here

Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence

Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence

Bestselling author Erik Qualman explains what modern leadership means and describes how to be an effective leader in the digital world. In order to succeed, you need to adjust your leadership skills to adapt to today's digitally open world--and you need to start today. Qualman breaks the process down into five powerful truths you can use to establish your leadership "stamp".

You can purchase this book here

Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business

Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business

Join Erik Qualman in Socialnomics for a fascinating look at the business implications of social media, and tap its considerable power to increase sales, cut marketing costs, and communicate directly with consumers.

You can purchase this book here

What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube

What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube

This is the student version of Qualman's book What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube. Learn the new rules for your reputation on campus, online and beyond. Today, your digital reputation is determining your next internship or job offer, your role in student organizations and leadership positions, even athletic scholarships and much more! This book will help you not only protect your reputation, but it will teach you how to leverage digital tools to produce a strong digital presence. The book includes several student case studies, tips, resources and more. You can read it in a day and reference it for a lifetime!

You can purchase this book here

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube

Privacy is dead. Reputations are dying. Don't let it happen to your company, your team, or your family. You need to turn this potential liability into leadership, and you need to start today. Learn the art and science behind why digital reputations are determining: business winners and losers, your child's future, effective vs. ineffective CEOs & school teachers, your team's culture, church congregation sizes, your next job, everything...

You can purchase this book here

Learn How to Sell on LinkedIn

Learn How to Sell on LinkedIn

Learn How to Sell on LinkedIn from #1 Bestselling author Erik Qualman. Qualman reviews 30 Tips in 30 Days that take less than 3 minutes a day. This book is perfect for anyone trying to rapidly increase sales through the most powerful sales tool ever invented, LinkedIn. Each tip is simple, but powerful.

You can purchase this book here

Testimonials

His depth of insight and breadth of examples have prompted us to shift our thinking on leadership.

Starbucks

Equalman raised the bar to a new high that few will be able to match. His presentation delivered a perfect mix of thought leadership trends, and the building blocks required to thrive in this era.

PlayStation

Qualman’s messaging made a difference with our cast members. Our board even requested green glasses!

Disney

Qualman was dynamic and inspiring. We appreciated that he tailored his presentation to suit our agency and audience. He was excited to engage with the audience and he incorporated themes and talking points from earlier presentations into his block, which made his message even more relevant.

FBI

Equalman’s presentation was the most important presentation — in terms of immediate in how I approach my job — that I have sat through in 10 years!

ADP

Qualman is to Digital Leadership what Deming is to quality and Drucker is to management.

NYU

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