John Spence

John Spence One of the World's Top Business Experts
Coaching | Strategy | Workshops | Keynotes
Visit My Website How have I earned the credibility to do this sort of work?

For more than 30 years I have traveled upwards of 200 days-a-year worldwide helping businesses and people be more successful. I assist my clients through training, business coaching and as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator in the areas of leadership, high-performance teams, organizational culture, and strategic planning. I have worked for numerous Fortune 500 firms, small to medium-sized

businesses, and professional associations and have built my entire career on making complex business ideas simple and actionable. Here is a little bit of my background. At 26 I was the CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation, overseeing projects in 20 countries. Just two years later Inc. Magazine named me one of America’s Up and Coming Young Business Leaders. I have also been recognized as one of the Top 100 Business Thought Leaders in America, one of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers in America, one of the Top 50 Small Business Experts in America, and one of the top 500 Leadership Development Experts in the World. The American Management Association named me one of America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch along with Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. I was also shortlisted by the highly prestigious Thinkers50 as one of the top eight in the world for their Distinguished Achievement Award. I hope you will take a moment to look through the rest of my profile and if you feel that I might be able to help you or your organization please send me a note and we will set up a call. Thank you -- John

A few weeks ago, during an executive coaching session, I asked two different leaders to complete the same sentence:"I'm ...
06/10/2026

A few weeks ago, during an executive coaching session, I asked two different leaders to complete the same sentence:

"I'm the kind of person who ________."

Both were following rules they had created years earlier. Those rules were still shaping how they handled conflict, relationships, and decision-making without either of them realizing it.

In this week's blog, I write about where many of these rules come from and why most people never question whether they are still working.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rules-we-live-john-spence-hvnve/

If you are ready to examine what is driving your decisions, send me a note. [email protected]

Many of the most important decisions we make are driven by rules we never consciously chose. Those rules shape how we respond to conflict, pressure, relationships, opportunity, success, and failure.

06/09/2026

In this Business in a Minute, I share one simple practice that eliminates confusion and raises accountability.

If you find this useful, share it with your network, and let's connect.

Honored to be included in this month’s Leadership Development Digest, hosted by Diana Peterson-More.The Digest brings to...
06/08/2026

Honored to be included in this month’s Leadership Development Digest, hosted by Diana Peterson-More.

The Digest brings together 26 contributors exploring topics such as accountability, engaging employees, courage, and the deeper aim of leadership.

Grateful to be part of a community that values thoughtful leadership and generous idea-sharing.

You can read the full issue here: https://dianapetersonmore.com/2026/06/02/june-2026-leadership-development-digest/

If you find this useful, share it with your network, and let's connect.

Drum roll, please! This month’s Leadership Development Digest features a record number of offerings – 26 thought leaders share their wisdom on a range of topics: Performance and Results; Growth & Development, Resilience, Well-Being, & Burnout Prevention, and AI & Technology ; Culture, Coaching a...

One idea from this week's blog that seems to resonate with many people.The strongest companies I work with create enviro...
06/06/2026

One idea from this week's blog that seems to resonate with many people.

The strongest companies I work with create environments where people feel genuinely supported and still expected to perform at a high level. Culture and performance hold up best when both are present.

If this reflects something you are seeing in your organization, the full blog is worth your time: https://johnspence.com/capabilities-successful-companies-business/

The CoEfficient Workplace Report 2026 surveyed more than 4,000 employees and the findings are worth paying attention to:...
06/04/2026

The CoEfficient Workplace Report 2026 surveyed more than 4,000 employees and the findings are worth paying attention to: workload, leadership, and everyday working conditions are shaping mental health outcomes far more than most organizations realize.

On June 18th I am joining CoEfficient for their first CoEfficient Conversation, a live discussion built around those findings. We will be looking at what the data is showing about workload sustainability, staff retention, and what leaders can do about it starting Monday.

Free to attend. Live on Zoom at 12PM ET. I would love to see you there.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6417801571169/WN_UX8ElPnhRMKn0qKI34i5dg

Over the last year, I've spent a great deal of time working with leadership teams, facilitating strategy sessions, and c...
06/03/2026

Over the last year, I've spent a great deal of time working with leadership teams, facilitating strategy sessions, and coaching executives. One pattern continues to stand out. The companies building the strongest cultures are not choosing between supporting people and demanding performance. They are learning how to hold both together.

In this week's blog, I share five capabilities I continue to see in organizations that are adapting well, executing consistently, and building healthy cultures at the same time.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-capabilities-successful-companies-share-john-spence-saqte/

Let's partner to build a culture where your team feels supported and high performance follows. [email protected]

Over the last year, I’ve spent a great deal of time working with leadership teams, facilitating strategy sessions, coaching executives, and studying the broader trends shaping businesses. One pattern continues to stand out to me, because I see it across industries, company sizes, and leadership st...

Leadership is about guiding your team toward results they could not achieve without strong direction. The infographic be...
06/02/2026

Leadership is about guiding your team toward results they could not achieve without strong direction. The infographic below covers seven qualities that consistently separate good leaders from great ones. Which one do you think gets overlooked most?

If you want to build a leadership team that brings out the best in the people around them, send me a note. [email protected]

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