In a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), leaders and organizations must go beyond reactive responses to crises and instead build strategic resilience—a proactive, purpose-driven capability to absorb shocks, adapt intelligently, and emerge stronger. This keynote explores how cultivating strategic resilience and adaptability as core strategic assets enables leaders to navigate disruption, empower teams, and future-proof their organizations. Through a blend of real-world examples, research-backed insights, and actionable frameworks, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to embed adaptive capacity into the culture, operations, and decision-making processes of their organizations. This keynote delivers a strategic shift for leaders to embrace resilience not just as a reaction to disruption, but as a proactive driver of long-term success. By integrating strategic resilience into leadership, team dynamics, and daily operations, organizations can unlock greater consistency, adaptability, and impact across every level. With Adam’s powerful insights, attendees will leave inspired, equipped, and ready to lead with confidence—leveraging the strength of their people, the support of their teams, and the adaptability that drives performance across the organization. ...less

In today’s demanding and fast-paced workplace, employees are being asked to do more with less, meet continuously increasing goals, and navigate constant change—all while maintaining peak performance. The cost of this relentless pressure is staggering: burnout alone costs businesses an estimated $62 billion annually in health and safety expenses, not to mention the toll it takes on productivity, morale, and retention. The ability to sustain high performance in this environment isn’t just about skill or effort—it’s about developing “Change Resilience.” Adam Markel brings a transformative perspective to resilience, drawing on a rich and diverse background that includes 18 years as a trial attorney, 9 years as a CEO, and even 7 years as a lifeguard on Long Island’s beaches. For organizations, resilience is the unsung hero of success, creating a culture where well-being and performance go hand in hand. Without resilience, employees cannot meet the rising expectations placed upon them, let alone thrive within them. This dynamic presentation is designed for leaders and individual contributors alike, offering actionable strategies to build a resilient culture that prioritizes employee well-being while empowering individuals to excel. Through engaging stories, audience participation, and practical tools, Adam educates audiences about what resilience is …. And what resilience is not. By integrating resilience into the core of organizational strategy and personal practice, individuals and teams can rise to meet the demands of constant change that defines today’s workplace. Through engaging narratives and practical strategies, Markel elucidates how resilience is not merely about enduring but about thriving—transforming adversity into opportunity and growth. This keynote delivers a strategic shift for organizations and individuals to embrace strategic resilience as the foundation for sustainable success. By integrating well-being into the core of their strategy, leaders and contributors alike can create a workplace where people not only meet expectations but exceed them—thriving in every sense of the word. Adam’s insights will leave audiences inspired, equipped, and ready to embrace resilience as the ultimate performance advantage. ...less

In a world where change is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, resilience and adaptability have become the cornerstone skills for thriving in the modern workplace. Adam Markel’s keynote on Change Proof resilience offers a transformative framework for equipping individuals and organizations with the tools they need to not only navigate disruption but to lead innovation and achieve extraordinary success. Drawing from his extensive experience as a resilience researcher, bestselling author, and business leader, Adam provides a roadmap for cultivating resilience as a proactive, multifaceted skill set—one that empowers employees to embrace uncertainty, adapt to evolving challenges, and drive meaningful innovation. Through compelling storytelling and actionable strategies, Adam demonstrates how resilience is not just about enduring adversity but about leveraging it as a catalyst for growth and creativity. His latest bestseller, Change Proof: Leveraging the Power of Uncertainty to Build Long-term Resilience, underscores the importance of developing resilience before it’s needed, emphasizing its holistic nature across mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual dimensions. This keynote offers a transformative perspective on Change Resilience, emphasizing the critical role of resilience to achieve and sustain success in today’s dynamic world. Through his compelling narrative and evidence-based strategies, Adam inspires a shift towards a more resilient, adaptable, and proactive approach to personal and professional challenges, leaving audiences energized, empowered, and ready to transform disruption into unprecedented success. ...less

In today’s fast-paced and high-pressure workplace, organizations face a critical challenge: how to create an environment where employees are there to stay, engaged and thriving. With talent shortages, rising turnover costs, and increasing burnout, the need for a workplace culture that fosters engagement, innovation, and resilience has never been more urgent. The solution? A Got Your Back (GYB) culture—one rooted in trust, collaboration, and mutual support. In this dynamic session, Adam Markel reveals how cultivating a GYB culture can transform your organization into a magnet for top talent while boosting engagement and retention. By prioritizing employee well-being and fostering a sense of belonging, organizations can create a thriving environment where individuals feel empowered to innovate, adapt, and perform at their best. This isn’t just about keeping the talent you have—it’s about attracting the talent you need to grow and succeed in an ever-changing world. This session offers a powerful blueprint for creating a workplace that not only survives disruption but thrives because of it. By embracing a Got Your Back culture, your organization can unlock the full potential of its people, driving innovation, resilience, and long-term success. ...less

AI is here to stay. Leaders who recognize its benefits and learn how to catalyze them to future-proof their teams will enhance productivity and retain a competitive advantage, regardless of the changes on the horizon. Embracing this transformative force for greater productivity, collaboration, stress mitigation, and overall employee well-being is critical. However, AI also presents a multitude of challenges that must be addressed in order to fully realize its benefits. In this dynamic and compelling conversation, Adam guides organizations through the intricate adoption of AI in the workplace, sharing effective strategies to empower teams and leaders alike to foster learning, growth and innovation. This session is a call to action for leaders and organizations to embrace the dual power of resilience and AI, crafting a future-ready workforce capable of thriving in any environment. Together, we’ll uncover how to navigate the currents of change with strength, adaptability, and purpose. ...less