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New Breed of Speakers Represent Diversity, New Ideas

Many of the rising stars on the speaker circuit are helping break the conservative stranglehold on corporate thinking. A new breed of speakers reflecting the country's growing diversity is helping American business reinvent itself. Democratic insiders, women, blacks, Hispanics and other innovative thinkers brimming with new ideas are making subtle inroads into a speaker circuit dominated for the past 12 years by conservative white males. The country is going through a social, economic and political transition. And like President Bill Clinton, many organizations are turning to professionals from diverse backgrounds who bring fresh insights to old problems. These new speakers are selling new value systems to their audiences. "We see more organizations willing to be challenged, willing to stand up and do something about diversity and social issues, and willing to have speakers other than those who represent 'business as usual' on their platforms," said Joseph E. Cosby, chairman and CEO of CCL Eleanor Clift, a liberal white female; and Juan Williams, a black male with strong views on politics, civil rights and race relations. "Clients want to do the right thing. They're saying, 'Let's get more diverse,'" said Cosby. "Five years ago this would never have happened. It would have been considered too explosive, too controversial. But today this is what companies need to survive." Unfortunately, the supply of women and minority speakers does not meet the increased demand. There are many reasons for this shortage, some cultural, some professional. The search for these potential stars, however, is now quite intensive. The spirit of change and survival are just two of the many powerful messages being delivered from podiums today. Lewis Puller Jr., who won a Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography, Fortunate Son, and went to Vietnam the son of a military legend and returned in a wheelchair, is a good example. Puller, a speaker represented by New York City-based Greater Talent Network, translates real-life trials into lessons for business. "His message is about how to win the battle to reclaim your life," said Don Epstein, president of Greater Talent Network. "It's a message that any organization could benefit from." Learning a new way Strategic management techniques, the environment, the economy, international business, and health care are other hot topics. "Organizations are responding to a fundamental restructuring of business and are trying to get ahead of the curve," said Daniel Stern, president of The Leigh Bureau, a speakers bureau located in Somerset, NJ. "Companies are looking to learn new strategic concepts and hear a substantive presentation of ideas." Stern cites Prudential Insurance Co. and IBM as examples of corporate giants with a conservative tradition that are turning to the new breed of thinkers for help. Shortly after President Clinton's election, Prudential contacted Stern and requested a "first-rate economist, a strategic thinker"--someone who could make sense out of the rapidly changing business landscape. …