Professor Lynda Gratton

Former chief pyschologist at British Airways and consultant at PA Consulting Group, Professor Lynda Gratton is Professor of Management Practice at London Business School where she directs the program 'Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Companies' - considered the world's leading program on human resources. She has also written extensively on the future of work, the role of corporations and the interface between people and organisations.

Lynda has written eight books and numerous academic articles and is considered one of the world's authorities on people in organisations. She is also the founder of the Hot Spots Movement, a research consultancy.

In 2011 she was ranked by The Times as one of the top 15 Business Thinkers in the world today and in 2008 The Financial Times selected her as the business thinker most likely to make a real difference over the next decade. She was also in the top two of the Human Resources Magazine's HR Top 100: Most Influential poll, and Lynda was number one of Human Resources Magazine's Top 25 HR Most Influential UK Thinkers 2011 poll.

Lynda has received a number of awards for her research and writing. For example, in 2002, her article “Integrating the Enterprise,” which examined co-operative strategies, was awarded the MIT Sloan Management Review best article of the year. Her 2005 case study of BP's peer assist integration practices won theECCH Best Strategy Case of the year award and went on to win the best case of the year.

In 2012 The Shift received the business book of the year award in Japan and has been translated into more than 15 languages. In 2015 The Key won the CMI Management Book of the Year. This book looks at the impact of the changing world on corporate practices and processes and on leadership.

In 2016, Lynda Gratton and co-author Professor Andrew Scott, published The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity, which, translated into many languages, continues to generate significant interest across the world, also in Japan, where it quickly became a bestseller. It was shortlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year award.

Lynda’s work has been acknowledged globally – she has won the Tata prize in India; in the US she has been named as the annual Fellow of NAHR and won the CCL prize; whilst in Australia she has won the HR prize.

Lynda is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and has chaired the WEF Council of Leadership. She has served as a judge on the FT Business Book of the Year panel, chairs the Drucker Prize panel and is on the governing body of London Business School.

In 2017, Lynda became an Advisor for @GoogleOrg’s initiative to help people prepare for the changing nature of work and was also, as the only foreigner, invited by Prime Minister Abe of Japan to join a new advisory council “Council for designing the 100-year-life society”.

Professor Lynda Gratton is known for her engaging and inspirational speaking style, drawing on the latest thinking and cutting-edge research. Organisations she has spoken for include the RSA, Roche, Microsoft and the World Economic Forum.

Here is an overview of some of Lynda's key speaking topics and themes:

Leadership
It’s impossible to ignore the fact that those who lead corporations find themselves under increasing pressure. Many are plagued by the short-termism of the financial markets, which pushes them to prioritise efficiency, speed and profit in order to deliver shareholder value.

At the same time, trust in corporations is on the decline, and ever more vocal citizens are forming themselves into worldwide communities of interest that are using the power of the crowd to influence corporate policy. And yet, while these pressures may be sweeping away some of the leadership capabilities we hold dear they are also clearing the way for new ideas about what leadership can and should be.

Corporate Resilience
Today's corporations are faced with the implications of climate change, of inequality, and of the gap between their needs and the available pool of talent. These challenges are on a greater and more global scale than ever before, and emerging at an ever faster trajectory. Previously stable companies find themselves on shaky ground – and the negative consequences of the problems that surround them are proving difficult to reverse. How can corporations navigate these waters and continue to succeed in such a challenging environment.

The Hundred Year Life
We are at the dawn of the 100-year life. This creates enormous opportunities, but also significant challenges and risks. Drawing on psychological and economic research to introduce the concepts of tangible and intangible assets at the level of the individual, exploring how a three-stage career will evolve and what it means to work for up to 80 years.

From the corporate perspective, we will consider what this means for selection and development, for mentoring and coaching, and how corporations are beginning to prepare for what will without doubt be the most significant change in human capital ever faced.

Collaboration
Management teams see strong collaborative capabilities as a must-have rather than a nice-to-have - but the conventional design of organisations is not geared towards fostering a collaborative way of working. The latest advances in research on collaboration have a lot to teach us about becoming more collaborative, including the role generosity has to play, how best to recognise and reward collaboration, and opening up the debate on diverse teams.

The Future of Work
What will our working lives look like 20 years from now? What should we be preparing for? How will we be working, where will we be working and who will we be working with? Explore the changes we are all facing and learn about the skills and and behaviours we need to learn to remain competitive.

Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Professor Lynda Gratton. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.