Speaker Profile

David Lee
Founder of HumanNature@Work,

David Lee , the founder of HumanNature@Work, is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of employee engagement and performance. He is the author of over 150 articles and book chapters that have been published in trade journals and books in the US, Europe, India, Australia, and China, as well as the books Dealing with a Difficult Co-Worker and Powerful Storytelling Techniques (published by ASTD Press). In addition to his research and work with both struggling and “best in class” organizations, David Lee’s work draws from a wide range of scientific disciplines including cognitive neuroscience, anthropology, psychoneuroimmunology, trauma and resilience research, and paleopsychology.

Taking this research which typically doesn’t find its way into the business world, David translates these principles of human nature into practical leadership and managerial strategies that optimize employee performance. To capture the impact understanding human nature makes, David borrows from the popular TV show The Dog Whisperer, and explains “Understanding human nature helps you become a People Whisperer, and by doing so, dramatically improves your ability to get the best results from others (and yourself).” Recently, his work on what makes organizations resilient and employees perform at their best has focused on the central role productive relationships and productive conversations have on these outcomes, with this being the take away message:

“Every better business result you want requires having a better conversation.”