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The author of some 40 published books, Brent Filson writes both fiction and non-fiction and has won awards in both categories.
He is a world renown leadership authority. His latest two leadership books are: "The Leadership Talk: 7 Days to Motivating People to Achieve Exceptional Results" and "107 Ways to Achieve Great Leadership Talks."
A former Marine infantry platoon and company commander, he is the founder of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc., which for 40 years has helped thousands of leaders of all ranks and functions in top companies worldwide achieve sustained increases in hard, measured results.
He has published some 150 articles on leadership and been a guest on scores of radio/tv shows talking about his leadership books.
Also in non-fiction, he has published books on science and psychology for young people.
In fiction, he has published books for children and novels for young adults and adults.
Now he is completing The Short Night Quintet of adult novels that follows characters going through the American social upheavals during the Vietnam War era. The first two are published.
The first, "Phord's Way," deals with a Marine who discovers that giving his all for the Corps is not enough to save him from life-altering trouble.
The second, "Death Before War," deals with Phord and McCabe coming to terms with the murder of their beloved battalion during a military exercise in the Philippines before going to war in Vietnam.
The third, "No-Rank Man" follows a morally wounded Marine, Colm McCabe as he returns home from heavy combat in the Vietnam War to get involved in the historic, hippie-driven Summer of Love in New York City as the festival transforms from initial idealism to madness, criminality, and murder.
The fourth, "Jan," to be published in 2025, Phord finds his own redemption as back from the war, he overcomes his heroin addiction in an alcoholic's home in the desert where the LSD-crazed woman who runs the home treats the patients by having sex with them.
The fifth novel, "Redemption and Revenge," (in the works) ends the quintet as all the characters clash in a resolution of the dramatic interplays developed in the previous novels.
Brent Filson learned about leadership as a Marine Corps rifle platoon and company commander. As a civilian, he has, since 1984, helped thousands of leaders of all ranks and functions worldwide boost their leadership effectiveness. Working with some of the top companies in the world, he has developed motivational leadership strategies, processes and skill sets, and created and instituted leadership educational and training programs. He is the author of 23 books (more than a million copies sold) and hundreds of articles on leadership. His leadership books and articles have been featured in more than 200 magazines and newspapers. He has been interviewed on nearly 200 radio programs, discussing his leadership processes. He has lectured at Columbia University, MIT’s Sloane School Of Business, Boston College, Wake Forest University, Williams College, Villanova, and more; and he has spoken before many dozens of private, non-profit and government organizations. His latest books are, The Leadership Talk: The Greatest Leadership Tool and 101 Ways to Give Great Leadership Talks. It won the San Francisco Independent Publishers Award for “Best Business/Personal Growth Book of the Year.”
Testimonials
“Brent Filson is one of the most talented communicators in the world. If you want to learn to motivate two, two hundred or two thousand people to take action for results, his lectures and seminars are a must!” — Joseph Mancuso, CEO of the Center for Entrepreneurial Management
"The term 'leadership' means different things to different people. Brent's approach to the Leadership Talk is very specific and can be a powerful tool to obtain specific results. I have applied his tools and techniques in multiple companies and on multiple continents and found universal results. In my latest assignment, I applied his principles to help improve operating margin by over 30 margin points. --Paul Conroy, Business General Manager - Honeywell Europe
"In a 360-degree process that I went through three years ago, my peers recommended that I get out in front of audiences more often. They suggested to me that I had good ideas but I needed to share them. I worked through Brent's methodology and it changed my approach completely. What he teaches is simple yet profound in its implications. We need to motivate people to choose to be our cause leaders, not have people simply do things. Instead of telling people what you know and want them to do, we need to understand their motivation, tap their emotion, and enlist them as cause leaders to share a dream. I keep Brent's card in my wallet to remind me of the steps in the process. Every Leadership Talk that I give follows this process. I recently used this process to enlist the support in a campaign for corporate giving. As a result, we increased the employee participation and realized an increase in the giving rate per employee by 10%. His approach had a positive impact on the results. —David Goodnight, Vice President, Asia/Pacific & Latin America, Lexmark International
"The interesting thing about Brent Filson's Leadership Talk methodologies is that they recast the way you think about things; and on a deep and powerful and gentle way, they change the way you do your job." — Laura Arling, General Director of New Business, John Hancock
"There's no doubt, Brent, that your program was one of my professional defining moments." ----Lee Feinberg, Senior Vice President, UBS Financial Services.
"In my work with many cultures in many countries all over the world during the past two decades, I have encountered myriads of leaders and leadership programs — but Brent's methodologies are really special. He not only focuses on having leaders consistently get actual results (not just talk about getting results); but his methodologies have people become engaged in profoundly human ways. Furthermore, he makes leadership and getting results a true joy!" -- Dr. Jeanne-Marie Col, Dept of Economic & Social Affairs, the United Nations.
"I utilized Brent Filson's Leadership Talk initiatives to motivate police officers to perform their duties at a higher level and to be engaged positively with individuals in the community we protect & serve. During my 16 years as a police officer, I know that community support is one of the most important assets a police officer can have. Brent's methodologies can be applied to a broad range of professions & professionals. Exceptional!"—Joseph Bartlett, Patrol Sergeant, Rutland Police Department
"Brent Filson doesn't just teach you how to lead. He inspires you to do it!" —Duncan Maxwell Anderson, Senior Editor, Success Magazine.
"Brent Filson's 'Three Trigger Motivational Process' makes the Leadership Talk all the more concrete. I keep and refer to the wallet card frequently to keep me on course. His two-day intensive is a winner!" —Mark Goldman, Office of Career Development and Employee Work Life, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
"I've been using Brent Filson's methodologies for more than seven years. And they get results! They not only get results on a tactical level but a strategic level too." — Richard Brown, President & Global General Manager, General Electric.
"Here in Vermont, you can count on two sure things--- very deep and cold winters and a plethora of nonprofit organizations. Matter of fact, Vermont has more nonprofit entities per capita than any other state. The good news is that most of the state's 8,000 registered nonprofits have, staff, board members and volunteers dedicated to their organization's mission. What is in short supply is consistent leadership. Over the past several years I have witnessed Brent Filson apply his Leadership Talk to members of our state's nonprofit and government organizations. The application of his seminars converted managers into leaders in a matter of weeks---by no means an easy task but one that Brent Filson was willing to undertake." Brent's audience was, "the tip of the iceberg." We need more Brent Filson's carrying out the Leadership Talk." Don Keelan,CPA and advisor to Vermont's nonprofit community.
"Brent Filson's leadership methodologies continue to be foremost in helping me get far more results at our power generating organization-- and get those results in the best possible ways, by establishing an environment by which people at all levels are continually motivated to do their best." —Ashton Harrilal, Supervisor, Powergen, Trinidad, West Indies.
"You've done a great job working with our executives during our sales, marketing, technology and manufacturing meetings, Brent. In getting to the heart of the objectives and needs of every one of our divisions, you've helped our executives become much better communicators and leaders and helped the businesses get more results." —Helen Casey, General Electric Meeting Planner
"Brent Filson's expertise in communication, writing, speaking and coaching has been of tremendous benefit to me during our sales meetings." — Ray Shepard, former CEO of Houghton Mifflin School Division.
"Your books are excellent! You offer all sorts of intriguing ideas which I have not seen in any other books on the subject. Bravo!" — Richard Jacobs, Vice President of Executive Communications, The Prudential Insurance Company of America
"Why should a business leader buy Brent's Executives Speeches. You might as well ask: Why learn to read a profit and loss statement? The ability to communicate in public with power and precision has become essential to success in corporate America. …. Read this engaging book." --Wayne Calloway, Chairman and CEO, Pepsico, Inc.
"Brent Filson … gives sound and sophisticated advice." -- Thomas H. Kean, former governor of New Jersey.
"One of the key components of Brent's methodologies is their tremendous value in driving monumental change through the leadership of others in the matrix supporting your cause. The actions of developing cause leaders have allowed ordinary teams in my organization to achieve extraordinary results." —Robert Cancalosi, Global General Manager, General Electric Medical
"Many thanks, Brent, for your vision, direction and skill. It was a growth experience working with you!" — John Quinn, president of General Electric Plastics, Canada.
"Brent gave seminars on the Leadership Talk to professionals, students, and entrepreneurs alike in Los Angeles. Afterwards, the participants expanded the Leadership Talk principles and processes to other groups around the area with great success. Brent's brilliant, yet simple approach to leadership met with rave reviews from everyone. It left them wanting more! On a personal level, the core principle of the leadership talk that I embraced has allowed me to continuously evolve in my career but more importantly I have grown spiritually.
Brent's unassuming manner puts his students at ease and meets them where they are and takes them several levels higher in their knowledge, expectations, job/career vision, and results. -- Sam Hashizu, Takenaga, Hashizu, Jay & Co., Certified Public Accountants.
"The Leadership Talk is right on target! In my many years as an Army officer and later as a manager at GE, I knew that effective and motivating oral communications was one of the major keys to success in making your numbers, motivating very smart professionals, hiring future stars, and 360 communications." – Phil Poe, GE executive
"I would like to take this moment and thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing the retreat to be exposed in our world.... God bless you all … it has been an experience that will be with me and I will always be grateful for. My meeting this past week with QVC and infomercial owners was always with the thought of Brent's teachings' in mind. It made a world of difference and my focus was certainly genuinely on how can I support the success of these people with the information and product that I supply. It's an honor to be a part of your endeavor." --Judy Taylor, President, Life Source International, LLC
"Your leadership classes are one of the highlights of my professional career! I still talk about my defining moment! It will be with me always because of you. Blessings!" Gael Hanaeur, Director, Human Resources, Sears Roebuck & Company
"I continue to see my experience with you workshop in early career as one of the more important learning milestones prior to executive level responsibilities. Many thanks Brent!" -- Jim Sheegog, Founder & President, Rowhill Consulting Group
"Whatever cause, policy or product you promote … Brent can help you succeed. "Thoughtful. Insightful. Practical." Dr. Kathryn Clarenbach, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, University of Wisconsin, and co-founder of NOW, the National Organization for Women.
"Brent Filson knows how to help leaders get results! His programs are proven in a variety of settings, including industry, government, nonprofit, and the military, proving that the way he practices, teaches and coaches leadership can work for any organization willing to invest the time and energy to influence its people to produce at their highest productivity levels." -- Joe Javorski, Director, Worldwide Staffing, Analog Devices.