Leaders from
USA
America turned motivation into an industry: seminar stages, best-selling self-help, money talk shows and comeback stories. Browse the speakers, coaches and founders who shaped it.
Go big, then do a podcast about it.
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Leadership roles in USA
Each role opens a list of leaders from this country who are known for it.
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Amy Purdy
Three-time Paralympic snowboarding medalist, Dancing with the Stars runner-up, author and co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports.
Chris Gardner
Entrepreneur, author and speaker whose journey from homelessness with his young son to stockbroker inspired The Pursuit of Happyness.
Darren Hardy
Author of The Compound Effect, former publisher of SUCCESS magazine and creator of the DarrenDaily mentoring program.
Dave Ramsey
Personal finance author and host of The Ramsey Show, founder and CEO of Ramsey Solutions, known for the 7 Baby Steps and the debt snowball.
David Goggins
Former Navy SEAL, ultra-endurance athlete and author of Can't Hurt Me, known for his message of mental toughness and self-discipline.
Eric Thomas
American motivational speaker, author and pastor known as ET, the Hip Hop Preacher, who went from homelessness in Detroit to a Ph.D.
Iyanla Vanzant
American spiritual teacher, author, lawyer and host of OWN's Iyanla: Fix My Life, known for her books on faith, healing and self-love.
Nick Vujicic
Australian-American evangelist and motivational speaker, born without arms or legs, who founded Life Without Limbs and has spoken in more than 80 countries.
Robert Kiyosaki
American businessman and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad (1997), the bestselling personal finance book, and founder of the Rich Dad Company.
Suze Orman
American personal finance expert, bestselling author and podcast host, known for The Suze Orman Show on CNBC from 2002 to 2015.
Tony Robbins
American author, coach and motivational speaker known for Unleash the Power Within seminars and books such as Awaken the Giant Within.
Les Brown
American motivational speaker, author and former Ohio state legislator known for his story-driven speeches and the book Live Your Dreams.
Where leadership shows up in the USA
The seminar stage
Arena-sized events and multi-day workshops made figures like Tony Robbins and Les Brown into global brands of personal development.
Self-help publishing
Since Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People appeared in 1936, American self-help books have been a steady export worldwide.
Money and media
Personal finance hosts and authors reach millions through radio, TV and podcasts, giving everyday money advice a celebrity face.
Leadership and public life in the USA
The United States has one of the largest and most commercial personal-development markets in the world. Motivational speakers, executive coaches and self-help authors work through books, live seminars, podcasts and social media, and many tell personal stories of hardship, faith, military service or business failure turned into success.
Public speaking has deep civic roots. Toastmasters International grew out of a club founded at a YMCA in Santa Ana, California, in 1924, and the TED conference began in Monterey, California, in 1984 before becoming a worldwide format.
Business leadership is shaped by venture-backed technology hubs, a large franchise and small-business economy and a media culture that turns founders and investors into public personalities. Civic leaders, faith leaders and educators also hold prominent places in public conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will find motivational speakers, personal finance experts, self-help authors, endurance athletes and life coaches. Each profile notes the person’s main field and best-known work.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, created in its current form by President Kennedy in 1963, is regarded as the joint highest civilian honour, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal awarded by Congress.
A long tradition of self-improvement writing, a large corporate training market and media platforms from talk radio to podcasts have made professional speaking a viable career, attracting people from sport, business, ministry and entertainment.
Toastmasters International traces its start to a club Ralph C. Smedley organised at the Santa Ana YMCA in California on 22 October 1924. It now has clubs in many countries.