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Len Schlesinger

Entrepreneurship Expert, Services Industry Authority, Baker Foundation Professor of Business AdministrationFormer President, Babson College

Len Schlesinger

Len Schlesinger

Entrepreneurship Expert, Services Industry Authority, Baker Foundation Professor of Business AdministrationFormer President, Babson College

Travels From Travels From:
Dover, MA, USA
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Categories Categories:
Business, Business Growth, Business Leaders, Education, Entrepreneurism, Leadership Speakers
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Len Schlesinger Biography

For Leonard (Len) Schlesinger, entrepreneurship is a lifestyle – one that’s integral to the success of every 21st century leader. Formed from three decades of leadership expertise in industry and academia, this belief is a driving force of his work helping students and business professionals alike navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams to achieve common goals. Following nearly 15 years at the helm of several influential organizations, including Babson College, Limited Brands and Au Bon Pain, Schlesinger recently returned to his teaching roots as a Harvard Business School (HBS) professor.

The former President Emeritus of Babson College – consistently the number one-ranked entrepreneurship institution, a reputation he championed and solidified during his tenure – Schlesinger helped develop and institute a new method for teaching entrepreneurship called Entrepreneurial Thought and Action®. He’s now part of another curriculum innovation at HBS. As Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration, Schlesinger teaches in the new FIELD (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development) program, designed to give students meaningful opportunities to act like leaders and translate their ideas into practice.

A foremost authority in the services industry, Schlesinger served in executive positions with Limited Brands (1997-2007) – ending as vice chairman and chief operating officer – and was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Au Bon Pain (1985-1988). He has also consulted and lectured on service quality, customer satisfaction and organizational change for more than 200 major corporations, non-profit organizations, governments and international leadership organizations around the world. Schlesinger was an active leader in the design and development of the renowned GE “Work-Out!” initiative, and the “Reinventing Government” process for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Well known for his pioneering research and publications on the “Service Profit Chain,” Schlesinger’s writings on organizational management have also been widely published. He is the author or co-author of a dozen books, including “What Great Service Leaders Know and Do” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, September 2015), “Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future” (Harvard Business School Press, March 2012), “Action Trumps Everything” (Black Ink Press, December 2010), “The Value Profit Chain” (Free Press, January 2003), “The Service Profit Chain” (Free Press, April 1997) and “The Real Heroes of Business … and Not a CEO Among Them” (Doubleday Currency, March 1994), and has written over 40 articles for academic audiences as well as for The New York Times, Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. He has served on the editorial boards of four major academic journals and published numerous case studies on management issues that have sold well over one million copies. He also has produced three video series on service management issues.

Schlesinger is vice chairman of the board of directors of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a member of the Corporation of the Winsor School and the President’s Council of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and a director of Viewpost, LLC. He also serves as an advisory council member of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative and the Global Business Schools Network, and is a member of the Council on Competitiveness and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Schlesinger holds a doctorate from HBS, a master’s from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization from Brown University.

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Len Schlesinger Speaking Topics

  • A Global Strategy for Education

    Much of business education is based on the assumption that the future will be very similar to the past. Clearly, however, the world is growing increasingly unpredictable. Is education doing the job it needs to for businesses? Former Babson College President Len Schlesinger doesn’t think so. In this presentation he dissects his perspective and offers recommendations for how the education system can catch up with the changed – and still changing – reality of how jobs are created, both domestically and globally. The fact is, he says, entrepreneurship will continue to be the most powerful force for social and economic value creation; this must be reflected across education, from how we teach young children through to the structure of universities and the courses business schools offer skilled managers. It is a practice that, like law and medicine, can be codified, developed and taught. Schlesinger explains how.

  • To Thrive through Uncertainty, Think and Act like an Entrepreneur

    In today’s climate of social and economic uncertainty, traditional approaches to problem-solving no longer work. The future of business, according to Len Schlesinger, requires entrepreneurial thinking – and acting. Drawing from his experiences leading two industry leading public companies and most recently Babson College, renowned for its pioneering entrepreneurship programs, Schlesinger explores how entrepreneurial activity steeped in experiential learning can transform the way leaders – and their organizations – move forward in the face of unpredictability. And contrary to conventional wisdom, he also believes entrepreneurs are made, not born. He explains how entrepreneurial thinking can be taught to anyone.

  • In a Service Economy, Leadership is Competitive Advantage

    Globalization, advancing technology and constant, instantaneous communication are forcing organizations to seek competitive advantage by placing emphasis on a factor not as easily copied as price or product – the quality of service. Len Schlesinger – co-author of the landmark books The Service Profit Chain and The Value Profit Chain, one of the first to recognize and define the service economy evolution – draws from new data, new company stories and new CEO insights to discuss the foundation of a powerful strategic service vision, and offers best practices for building and managing a sustainable service profit chain in today’s world.

  • Be Big, Act Small

    Companies are hungry – for innovation, talent and competitive advantage. To win the war for all three, smart organizations of every size, from global giants to small shops, are increasingly embracing a more entrepreneurial approach to business. However, most people believe entrepreneurship in large organizations is an oxymoron; that they are systematically incapable of exploiting current assets while also stimulating the risk-free exploration that help make start-ups successful. Len Schlesinger not only insists it’s possible, he says it’s vital. He discusses strategies for building, managing and sustaining the agility and adaptability required to thrive, as well as the leadership approach needed to nurture a more entrepreneurial culture. He also shares specific examples of companies doing it right. Those doing it wrong (or not at all) risk going out of business or becoming shadows of their former selves.

Len Schlesinger Videos

  • Len's Last Lecture: Babson College President Leonard ...
    Len's Last Lecture: Babson College President Leonard ...
  • Len Schlesinger, Action Trumps Everything - YouTube
    Len Schlesinger, Action Trumps Everything - YouTube
  • Leonard Schlesinger - YouTube
    Leonard Schlesinger - YouTube
See All Videos »

Len Schlesinger Books

  • Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future
    Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future

FAQs on booking Len Schlesinger

  • How do I book Len Schlesinger to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Len Schlesinger for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Len Schlesinger, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Len Schlesinger or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Len Schlesinger

    Speaking fees for Len Schlesinger, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Len Schlesinger are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Len Schlesinger, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Len Schlesinger speak about?

    Len Schlesinger is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business, Business Growth, Business Leaders, Education, Entrepreneurism, Leadership Speakers.

  • Where does Len Schlesinger travel from?

    Len Schlesinger generally travels from Dover, MA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Len Schlesinger’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Len Schlesinger for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Len Schlesinger for your next private or corporate function.

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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Len Schlesinger or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Len Schlesinger is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as A Global Strategy for Education, To Thrive through Uncertainty, Think and Act like an Entrepreneur, In a Service Economy, Leadership is Competitive Advantage and Be Big, Act Small. The estimated speaking fee range to book Len Schlesinger for your event is available upon request. Len Schlesinger generally travels from Dover, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Johann Koss, Shiza Shahid, Liz Wiseman, Cynthia Montgomery and Sheldon Yellen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Len Schlesinger for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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