speaking topics
After a 20-year career working in and managing an actual circus, Hanna Miller created Ringmaster Consulting because she realized that Ringmaster skills are just as relevant in the corporate and nonprofit world as they are under the big top. She works as a collaborator and confidante for senior leaders and their teams, helping individuals develop into extraordinary performers. In addition to her singular circus experience, Hanna has a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Development with a focus in executive coaching and is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.
Each of these topics are available as a keynote speech, a workshop, or an interactive discussion.
We all play many different roles, and for leaders, it’s not enough to just be able to put the right hat on – we must keep all the different parts of ourselves in easy reach, switching roles seamlessly as the situation demands. In this talk, I introduce a model of sustainable challenge to help leaders improve their ability to juggle the myriad hats they wear.
Key points:
Juggling too much is setting yourself up to drop something important. In order to improve your skill and efficiency as a Hat Juggler, you must develop awareness around when you’ve taken on too much.
When we run ourselves into the ground, we need to build in time to recover. We can do this with intention to keep things running smoothly, or we can burn ourselves out to the point where it’s no longer optional. The choice is yours.
We learn best when there is a little friction, and we juggle best when there is just enough going on to require our full attention. Learn to identify your sweet spot and spend more time there.
Each of us has a unique set of gifts that positions us to play a role only we can play. But discovering our talent and developing familiarity and confidence is no small feat – it takes practice and support from others before we are ready to step into our spotlight and perform at our highest level. This highly personal talk follows my journey from a childhood spent performing in the literal spotlight of a circus through the discovery of my passion for leadership and the experience of figuratively stepping into my authentic spotlight.
Key points:
Our path to greatness is not the result of being “well-rounded.” Rather, our best self emerges when we invest in the unique gifts we bring to the table.
Many of us have been conditioned to dial down the very thing that provides our greatest potential. By freeing ourselves from this conditioning, we create the ability to provide our greatest contribution.
When you know what you’re great at, you also know what you’re not great at, and that awareness provides a powerful opportunity to appreciate the unique talents of the people around you. Together you can, like a circus, become a whole that is greater than the sum of your parts.
Learning how to effectively hold people accountable was the biggest challenge I had to overcome as a young leader, and when I succeeded the impact was incredible. When we fail to hold others accountable, (even though we mean well!) we deprive our teams of a safe environment, ensure they cannot succeed, and create a toxic culture.
Conversely, when we confidently and consistently hold our team accountable, we give them the following 3 gifts which are critical to their growth and success:
Firm Footing. When folks know where they stand and trust your willingness to hold them accountable, they feel secure and able to trust both you and their colleagues.
Clear Path to Success. When you are clear about what you want, you give people the opportunity to pursue excellence in a meaningful way.
Culture of Accountability. When you consistently uphold standards of acceptable behavior, you teach people not just to be accountable for their own actions, but to help each other exceed expectations.