Dr. Denis Waitley

I must admit that I’m a little biased about this particular author as I’ve read everything he’s written, attended numerous seminars at which he was a keynote speaker, and have been strongly influenced during my career by his work.

Early in my career, as a regional manager for an international firm, I was charged with the task of finding a keynote speaker for our annual award’s banquet. Having read several of his books and having attended one his seminars, I contacted his organization to learn more about scheduling him for our special event. We chatted several times in preparation for his appearance and I must admit he made me feel as though I had known him for quite some time.

We had dinner together the evening before his presentation, and I shared the fact that I’d give anything to be able to impact people the way he does. His simple reply was: “Why don’t you?” I explained that public speaking scared me to death, and I would be indeed fortunate to survive his introduction the next day as that task also fell to me. He spent the rest of the evening sharing his wisdom on the importance of self esteem, self confidence, and risk taking. He obviously didn’t have to do that, but I certainly appreciated it and it was a turning point in my career! That’s the kind of man he is.

I managed to survive his introduction the following day, and he congratulated me after the program, suggesting that I pursue my aspiration to become a speaker. That was 25 years ago, and since that time I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to speak professionally to national and international audiences in a wide variety of industries … none of which would have happened without his encouraging words. I’m certain he wouldn’t recognize me if we bumped into each other face to face in an airport today. However, he’s been an inspiration to me for decades.

Allow me to explain why. The day after our dinner meeting, I watched this man stroll to the center of the stage and, within moments, captivate an audience of close to 1,200 people! Using no podium, no notes, no slides, no PowerPoint, he stared into the eyes of his audience and delivered his message of inspiration in a very quiet, precise, and informative way. You could have heard a pin drop. At the end of his presentation, the entire room stood as one and applauded for what seemed forever. I’ll never forget that presentation and the inspiration he provided to me and the other 1,199 people in that auditorium that snowy night in Fort Wayne.

Let me share with you some of the many reasons why this man can mesmerize an audience with what appears to be a great deal of ease.

Denis Waitley is much more than a best-selling author, speaker, poet and lyricist … he’s the world’s foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. His program “The Psychology of Winning” is the all-time, best-selling audio cassette program on personal and professional excellence based on his studies and consults in the following areas:

Apollo astronauts pre and post their illustrious flights into space.
Fortune 500 top executives from every walk of life.
World-renowned Olympic gold medalists from many countries.
Super Bowl champions from a variety of teams.
Returning POWs from several conflicts.
Heads of state from all over the world.
Boardrooms of top multinational corporations.
Classrooms of students of all ages and cultures.

From years of interviewing “winners” from every walk of life, he created The Psychology of Winning in which he shares a remarkable set of strategies that can change your life dramatically. He found there is often only a small difference between the top leaders in every field and those who merely “do well.” In The Psychology of Winning, Denis Waitley offers simple, yet profound principles of thought and healthy behavior that guide men and women to the top in every field of endeavor … principles that give you the winning edge in every situation.

This very popular theme lead to additional international best sellers such as Seeds of Greatness, Being the Best, The Winner’s Edge, The Joy of Working, and Empires of the Mind. With over 10 million audio programs and many non-fiction books sold in 14 languages, Denis Waitley is the most listened-to voice on personal and career success.

For the past 40 years, he has inspired, informed, and enlightened millions of individuals with his 15 non-fiction books, hundreds of audio programs, and entertaining, penetrating live keynote lectures, seminars and television appearances.

Denis Waitley has painted word pictures of optimism, core values, motivation and resiliency that have become indelible and legendary in their positive impact on society.

Denis has been described by his peers as “the poet laureate” of modern-day philosophers. Career highlights include:

B.S., U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
Ph.D. in Human Behavioral Psychology
Simulation Trainer for the Apollo Astronaut Program
Rehabilitation coordinator for Vietnam POWs and Iranian hostages
Former Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California
President of La Jolla Clinic Research Foundation
President of the International Society for Advanced Education
President’s Council on Vocational Education
Author of “The Winning Generation,” a student-oriented video workshop used in over 1,000 schools nationwide
Founding Director of National Council on Self-Esteem
Associated with Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Science
Former Chairman of Psychology, Sports Medicine Council, U.S. Olympic Committee
Received the National Youth Award for outstanding work with young people