The Business Bestsellers Inspiring Organizations in 2024

1,000 new business titles are released each month alone in the United States, but not all books are created equal. In a sea of titles, our speakers set themselves apart through lived leadership experience, cutting-edge research, and deeply relevant case studies. Business bestsellers often contain valuable insights and strategies that can benefit your team's professional development and enhance your organization's operations and strategies. The Harvard Business Review writes, "reading and listening to business books is the single most common way business leaders engage in continuous professional development."

Our exciting roster of leadership, business, and organizational thought leaders represents rising and established stars across industries who are experts at connecting with audiences in the mail room and the boardroom. If you’re searching for the best guest speakers to spark your employees' creativity and engagement, then check out this list of the most exciting authors of recent business bestsellers. 

Information on book buys and signings available upon request.

Top Ideas for Organizational Programming

Our HWA sales team is ready to help you book the best speaker for your event, no matter the focus. Our experts can connect you with the best guest speakers for your organization, so you can curate a calendar of unforgettable events that will connect, celebrate, and inspire your community.

Innovation | Leadership & Strategic Management | Peak Performance | Workforce Culture | Sales | Teamwork

 

 

How to Think Like a Freak

Since the remarkable success of the International Bestsellers Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics (more than 5 million copies sold worldwide), its much-heralded authors, STEVEN LEVITT and STEPHEN DUBNER, have given more than 1,000 lectures, some to audiences as large as 10,000, and are still in high demand. With Levitt and Dubner's trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally—to think, that is, like a Freak.

  • The World Business Forum: "I would like to thank both of you for joining us at Radio City to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the World Business Forum. Your remarks are always the perfect opening to the day, and I think everyone in the audience appreciated not only your sense of humor but the context within it."
  • Ohio State University: "Dubner and Levitt spoke to capacity crowds and couldn’t have been more accommodating. They completely sold out the evening lecture."
  • Buck Consultants: "Our end of the day attendee retention was the best it has ever been, as everyone wanted to stay for the Freakonomics presentation."

Watch Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner in conversation at the 92Y >>

Watch Steven Levitt's keynote at Snowflake Computing >>

Watch Stephen Dubner give the Appalachian State University Commencement >>

Connect with Leaders Making an Impact​

Offering employees the opportunity to engage with thought-provoking literature and interact with renowned authors can boost morale, inspire creativity, and promote a culture of continuous learning within your organization. Providing a book signing event offers your employees access to valuable insights and knowledge from bestselling authors, helping them enhance their skills, knowledge, and professional development. Meeting successful authors and learning from their experiences can inspire and motivate your employees to set and achieve their own professional goals, boosting morale and productivity. According to Forbes, "When people reported their leaders were empathetic, they were more likely to report they were able to be innovative—61% of employees compared to only 13% of employees with less empathetic leaders."

 

How can business leaders drive social change?

In an inspiring discussion based on her book Good Power, former IBM CEO GINNI ROMETTY offers a blueprint for how each of us can drive meaningful change in positive ways in our lives, our organizations, and society. PayPal said, "She hit it out of the park...She is a firecracker and so authentic."

 

What are the proven traits of a great leader?

Former CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo INDRA NOOYI shares the untold stories and sacrifices of her legendary career in the New York Times bestseller My Life in Full. HP Inc. said, "The clarity of her strategic vision, leadership principles, and core values made a huge impact on our audience. You can’t help but walk away energized and inspired... The world needs more leaders like Indra!"

 

How can I find the courage to be a trailblazer?

URSULA BURNS, former CEO of Xerox, the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 Company, and the Head of President Obama's White House National Program on STEM shares her incredible journey in Where You Are Is Not Who You Are: A Memoir. Anne Mulcahy told Fast Company,"The thing I valued most about Ursula is that she has the courage to tell you the truth in ugly times.”

 

How do I become the best?

Tennis legend and entrepreneur VENUS WILLIAMS has created a strategic, practical, and inspirational guide to winning and well-being: Strive. Earning four Olympic gold medals and 21 Grand Slam titles while successfully building two companies, Williams’ remarkable career is the pinnacle of high performance. As a top competitor on the court and in business, Williams’ unstoppable energy motivates any crowd.

Upskilling Communcation & Collaboration

Learn from the tactics of experts at the top of their field on peak performance. Whether you want to negotiate like an FBI hostage negotiator, build a brand that reaches every corner of the globe, find your collaborative 'Huddle,' or pursue peak performance, these books will lay out the road map to success.

CHARLES DUHIGG's journalistic accomplishments, including a Pulitzer Prize and 3 New York Times bestsellers, have made him an in-demand speaker. Bloomberg said, "Charles Duhigg is a phenomenal speaker... His passion for the topic really translates into the audience and everyone picked up on his enthusiasm."

Wall Street Journal bestselling author BROOKE BALDWIN draws on Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power to explore the phenomenon of “huddling,” when women lean on one another. In this empowering presentation, Baldwin takes readers beyond the big headline-making huddles from recent years to share the stories of groups of women of all ages, races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds who are banding together in America through journalistic storytelling and personal narrative.

Inspired by his Wall Street Journal bestselling book Never Split the Difference, FBI hostage negotiator CHRIS VOSS shares one of the most powerful tools for successful negotiation: tactical empathy. In this riveting program, he shares how empathizing with the ‘other side’ can lead to true collaboration and a win-win solution in business and in life.

Stanford lecturer, orator, and communication consultant MATT ABRAHAMS provides an engaging, interactive workshop for refining extemporaneous public speaking skills, as covered in his book Think Faster, Talk SmarterAbrahams shares strategies for improving thinking on your feet, such as active listening, mindfulness, and preparation.

Explore Cutting-Edge Research on Workplace Culture

Stay informed about emerging trends, best practices, and innovative strategies, ultimately enabling them to foster a positive and productive work environment, attract and retain top talent, adapt to changing workforce dynamics, and maintain a competitive edge in their industry.

WENDY K. SMITH, an organizational psychologist, is a Professor of Management and faculty director of the Women's Leadership Initiative of the University of Delaware. Freddie Mac said, "Wendy Smith in her high energy speaking has brought her book to life... connects with the audience extremely well and produces many "a-ha" moments, the type that leave a long-lasting impression."

JOANNE LIPMAN is the former editor-in-chief of USA Today, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal "Weekend Journal," leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. Katie Couric said, "Lipman's cutting edge research and razor-sharp advice will help men and women alike start walking the walk toward a more equitable workplace."

Based his business bestseller How Minds ChangeDAVID MCRANEY reveals how making assumptions holds us back, and actionable strategies for changing minds to make a bigger impact. Recent host Evanta, a Gartner Company, raved: "His content was, as expected, top-notch and received fantastically well. He was incredibly generous with his time. He also graciously gave individual attention to everyone who approached him after his keynote. Many of our attendees, sponsors, and staff mentioned to me that they felt he genuinely connected with them."

3x Wall Street Journal bestselling author ERICA KESWIN offers insights about performance improvement based on her 25 years as a consultant to the world’s top brands. Marcus Evans said, "Everything went really well. Erica was a pleasure to work with and delivered a fantastic session."

3x New York Times bestselling leadership expert and trained ethnographer SIMON SINEK delivered one of the most-watched TED Talks of all time. Sinek is an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. Entrepreneur Magazine called him "a visionary thinker with a rare intellect."

Leadership expert and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author KIM SCOTT has  led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales and Operations at Google, joined Apple to develop and teach a leadership seminar, and served as a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and several other tech companies. Blinkist said, "Engaging and insightful session - loved the practical 'how to' steps for quick and easy implementation!"

MARCUS BUCKINGHAM is a global researcher and New York Times bestselling author focused on unlocking strengths, increasing performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. Golden Corral said, "Marcus' energy and enthusiasm was truly contagious! His presentation was very entertaining, and he provided insight surrounding the areas of employee motivation and leadership."

RICHARD THALER was honored with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his outstanding contributions to behavioral economics. Malcolm Gladwell said, "If I had to be trapped in an elevator with any contemporary intellectual, I’d pick Richard Thaler."

Learn from Top Bestselling Business Authors

By staying updated on the latest trends and ideas in business, you can adapt more effectively to changes in the market and stay ahead of competitors. Additionally, consuming these resources can inspire creativity, foster a culture of learning, and empower employees to contribute new ideas and approaches to problem-solving. Our authors provide practical advice and actionable steps that can be implemented to improve various aspects of your organization, such as leadership, management, and innovation.

For more information on bringing an author to your organization – reach out today!