Bill Strickland

An Extraordinary Business and Community Leader

The Art of Leadership and the Business of Social Change

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For thirty years, Bill Strickland has transformed thousands of lives, restored our faith in ethical leadership, and reshaped the business of social change. As president and CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation-- an extraordinary jobs training center and community arts program -- he and his staff work with corporations, community leaders, and schools to give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities they need to build a better future. (Centers are already running in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and San Francisco; many more are planned.) And for years now, in front of enraptured audiences, this MacArthur Genius has shared his unshakable message of leadership, self-worth and the intrinsic ability in all of us to achieve remarkable transformation in our lives. "Bill Strickland is a genius," says former e-Bay president Jeff Skoll, "because he sees the inherent genius in everyone."

Bill Strickland is also the author of Make the Impossible Possible, a recipient of The White House's "Coming Up Taller" Award, and the founder of the Grammy-winning MCG Jazz, the most successful jazz subscription series in America.

Bill Strickland Speech Topic

The Art of Leadership and the Business of Social Change

Strickland is a mesmerizing speaker who will inspire you to make a difference, in your life and in the lives of those around you. Ever-gracious, he delivers a profoundly simple, optimistic message for leaders: give people the tools they need, treat them with respect, and they will perform miraculous deeds. He also delves into his story of hope: of how a kid from Pittsburgh's ghetto would go on to lecture at Harvard and serve on the board of the National Endowment of the Arts; of his meeting with a pottery teacher who would change his life; of growing a near-bankrupt community center into one of the most acclaimed social organizations in the world. Throughout, he shares his powerful set of beliefs: for example, that we all make ourselves "poor" in one way or another when we accept that we are not smart, experienced, or talented enough to accomplish something. "A successful life is not something you simply pursue -- it is something that you create, moment by moment."

VIDEOS

LINKS

Bill-Strickland.com

Manchester Bidwell Corporation

BOOKS

Making the Impossible Possible

ARTICLES

"What Can One Man Do?" - Inc.

"Genius at Work" - Fast Company

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