Martin Gutmann is an author, speaker, and scholar interested in how the past can illuminate today’s most pressing challenges. He is a professor at the Lucerne School of Business, a lecturer at ETH Zurich, and the best-selling author of The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership. Born... Read more
Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders? | Martin Gutmann | TED
Effective leaders aren’t the ones you’d expect: A conversation with historian Martin Gutmann
Martin Gutmann, Leadership Expert: ‘The Unseen Leader’ And Leadership Lessons From History
Building on examples of exceptional sports teams and businesses, as well as state-of-the- art research, Martin weaves a compelling case for how curating happy and healthy teams is the only path to sustained productivity. And he tells you exactly how to do it.
In this talk, Martin Gutmann compares key technological disruptions in history to the emergence of AI and reveals three surprising predictions about what implications AI will have for business and society (and what leaders can and should do to prepare accordingly).
Martin Gutmann is an author, speaker, and scholar interested in how the past can illuminate today’s most pressing challenges. He is a professor at the Lucerne School of Business, a lecturer at ETH Zurich, and the best-selling author of The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership.
Born in Sweden, Martin has also lived and worked in Japan, the US, Canada, Mauritius, Germany, and Switzerland. From 2016 to 2020, he was the founding Managing Director of the Swiss School of Public Governance, where he launched a programme for future global public sector leaders.
His writing and thought leadership has reached over 60 million people through pieces in top business magazines, such as Forbes, Big Think, Fast Company, and Minute Hack, and appearances on well-known management podcasts, such as Phronesis, The Leadership Podcast, and We Are Human Leaders.
Martin delivers story-driven talks centred on vibrant cases, anchored in evidence from modern organisational psychology and management science with actionable takeaways. His recent TED Talk, “Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders?”, has had over 1 million views.
As a writer, he is best known for his book The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership, which challenges the “Action Fallacy”, our mistaken belief that great leadership requires a propensity for action. Adam Grant, organisational psychologist and thought leader, calls it: “A provocative look at what history really teaches us about effective leadership. This book will challenge you to rethink some of your core assumptions about what it takes to align people around common goals.”
Martin holds a Ph.D. in history from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, an Executive MBA from IE Business School in Spain, and higher education teacher’s training from Harvard University and ETH Zurich.
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Martin Gutmann's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Martin tailored to your event.
Martin Gutmann speaks on Business & Management, Future of Work, Leadership, Teamwork. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Martin to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Martin Gutmann for events worldwide, subject to Martin's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Martin Gutmann is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Martin can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Martin Gutmann on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Martin can offer.
Martin Gutmann delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Martin Gutmann's areas of expertise include Business & Management, Future of Work, Leadership, Teamwork. To get a clear sense of Martin's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Martin Gutmann can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Business & Management, Future of Work, Leadership, Teamwork is relevant. Details of Martin's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Martin Gutmann is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Martin Gutmann, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Martin's current availability for your dates.