David Grossman
Leadership and Communication Advisor to the World's Leading Companies; Bestselling Author of The Heart Work of Modern Leadership; Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group
Every organization has good leaders who were trained for stable times. David Grossman shows why that's exactly the problem — and how to close the gap between good and exceptional. Blending three decades of experience inside Fortune 100 C-suites with original national research, he equips leaders with the "Heart Work" that drives engagement, guides change, and can't be replaced by AI.
David Grossman is one of America's foremost authorities on leadership and change communication inside organizations.
An award-winning author, keynote speaker, and trusted executive coach to the C-suite, he also advises academic institutions, offering guidance on curriculum and programs.
Over 25 years, he’s impacted the work and lives of over 16,000 leaders, delivered more than 1,100 training sessions, and worked with over 30 Fortune 100 clients globally. Clients include Abbott, AbbVie, Mars, Hillrom, Microsoft, and Nationwide, among others.
A frequent media source for expert commentary on leadership and workplace issues, David has been featured in MIT Sloan Management Review, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Sun-Times, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek, the World Economic Forum, Directors & Boards, and CBS MoneyWatch, among many others.
David is also a six-time author known for his popular, award-winning Heart First series. Heart First: What Exceptional Leaders Do in Extraordinary Times continues to be applauded at all levels for its practical approaches and rich stories from senior leaders around the globe.
His latest book, The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders (Amplify Publishing, March 2026), is a bestseller on Amazon.
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David Grossman
Power of Heart First Leadership
David Grossman’s Speech Topics
From Disruption to Advantage: A Leader's Playbook for Enterprise Change
Today's leaders are leading at a tipping point: the rapid rise of AI, nonstop transformation, and employees already at capacity for change. Grounded in new national research with The Harris Poll, this session explores how modern leaders drive successful transformation – and how you can do the same. This session equips you with the insights and tools to meet that challenge.
You'll explore best practices and reflect on your role as both a driver of enterprise change and a champion for the people who make it possible.
New national research reveals that one in four operational transformations fail – and the difference comes down to how leaders show up. Drawing on Grossman’s Modern Leadership study, this session unpacks six behaviors that set high-performing change leaders apart, alongside the 5Ss of Managing Change framework to help you scale transformation across your enterprise.
You'll also leave with a sharper lens on the road ahead and a clearer sense of your dual role: driving change with urgency while championing the people who must live through it.
The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: What Good Leaders Hold Back, and What It Costs
Most organizations aren't worried about their good leaders. And that's precisely the problem.
New research from The Grossman Group and The Harris Poll found that most leaders are rated “good.” They’re competent, well-meaning, and solid. That’s not the reassuring news most executives think it is. People feel what’s missing, in ways no engagement dashboard picks up.
In this keynote, David Grossman draws on 30 years alongside world-class leaders and new national data to reveal what gets held back, what it costs, and the release that moves leaders from good to exceptional. In the Age of AI, the Heart Work is the one competitive advantage that can’t be replicated.
Works by David Grossman
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