Confidence Staveley
Africa's Leading Female Cybersecurity Expert | Founder, CyberSafe Foundation & MerkleFence | Bestselling Author, 'API Security for White Hat Hackers'
Heidi Grant
Social Psychologist & Expert on the Science of Motivation | Chief Science Officer, NeuroLeadership Institute | Columbia Motivation Science Center | Bestselling Author of Reinforcements
Dr. Heidi Grant is one of the world's leading experts on the science of motivation. A social psychologist, Chief Science Officer at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and Columbia Motivation Science Center director, she is the bestselling author of Reinforcements. On stage, she turns decades of behavioral research into practical, entertaining tools that help leaders and teams motivate themselves, influence others, and perform at their best.
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Heidi Grant biography
Dr. Heidi Grant is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of motivation, the social psychologist who translates decades of rigorous research into practical tools for getting things done, influencing others, and unlocking human performance. Her gift is turning what science actually knows about why people act, help, persist, and change into advice that leaders and teams can use the very next day.
Psychology speaker Dr. Heidi Grant is the Chief Science Officer at the NeuroLeadership Institute and Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia University, where she also teaches executive education. She is best known for her work on how we can motivate ourselves and others, and for a counterintuitive insight at the heart of her bestseller Reinforcements: that although asking for help makes most of us deeply uncomfortable, people are far more willing to help than we expect, if we simply ask in the right way. Her 2019 TED talk on the subject has been viewed more than three million times.
The Science of Motivation and Human Performance
Grant is the author of six influential books, including Reinforcements, No One Understands You and What to Do About It, the international bestseller Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, and Focus, co-written with the eminent psychologist E. Tory Higgins. Beyond her research and writing, she serves as Director of Research & Development in Learning at EY Americas, helping one of the world’s largest organizations apply behavioral science to how its people learn and grow. A regular presence on CBS Mornings and a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes, she has delivered keynotes for companies including Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, and BlackRock. Ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers consistently since 2017, she holds a PhD in social psychology from Columbia University.
As a speaker, Dr. Heidi Grant is known for making rigorous behavioral science genuinely useful, and genuinely entertaining, with humor, storytelling, and practical takeaways. She speaks on the science of motivation, how to get people to help and collaborate, giving and receiving feedback, and the mindsets and habits that drive high performance. Audiences leave understanding not just what to do differently, but why it works, and with concrete strategies they can apply immediately to themselves and their teams.
Heidi Grant Speaking Videos
How to ask for help -- and get a "yes" | Heidi Grant
Heidi Grant Halvorson: The Incredible Benefits of a "Get Better" Mindset
Heidi Grant Keynote Topics
Based on her bestselling book and 3-million-view TED talk, Grant reveals a paradox of the modern workplace: we all need help, people are wired to give it, yet asking makes us deeply uncomfortable, so we do it badly. She shares the science-backed ways to ask that make others genuinely want to help, essential for anyone leading through influence rather than authority.
Grant unpacks what decades of research reveal about why people act, persist, and give up, and how leaders can use it. She explains the different ways people are motivated (including promotion versus prevention focus) and gives audiences practical tools to motivate themselves and tailor their approach to get the best from every member of their team.
Drawing on her research into achievement, Grant identifies the specific, learnable habits that separate those who reach their goals from those who don't, from how they set goals to how they handle setbacks. She dismantles the myth that success comes down to innate talent, giving audiences a concrete, evidence-based playbook for execution.
Based on No One Understands You and What to Do About It, Grant explores the science of perception, why others so often misread our intentions, and what we can do about it. She helps leaders understand the lenses through which they're judged, communicate more effectively, and build the trust and influence that effective leadership depends on.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Heidi Grant
Why Heidi Grant?
Booking Dr. Heidi Grant gives audiences one of the world's foremost authorities on the science of motivation, delivered with a rare combination of scientific credibility and genuine entertainment. A Columbia-trained social psychologist, Chief Science Officer at the NeuroLeadership Institute, and R&D leader at EY, she draws on decades of rigorous research rather than opinion or anecdote, then makes it practical, memorable, and immediately usable. Ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers since 2017 and the bestselling author of Reinforcements, she has helped organizations like Microsoft, IBM, and Adobe get the best from their people. Warm, funny, and deeply insightful, she is an ideal speaker for leadership summits, corporate conferences, and events on motivation, collaboration, performance, and personal development. To bring Heidi Grant to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Heidi Grant?
Dr. Heidi Grant is an American social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation, leadership, and human performance. She is the Chief Science Officer at the NeuroLeadership Institute, Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia University, and Director of Research & Development in Learning at EY Americas. The author of six bestselling books, including Reinforcements and Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, she has been ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers since 2017. She holds a PhD in social psychology from Columbia and has previously published as Heidi Grant Halvorson.
What is Heidi Grant's book Reinforcements about?
Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You is Dr. Heidi Grant's bestselling book on the science of asking for help. Its central insight is that although requesting help makes most of us intensely uncomfortable, people are far more willing to say yes than we assume, provided we ask in the right way. Drawing on social psychology, Grant explains the mistakes that make our requests fall flat, the drivers that genuinely motivate people to help, and practical techniques for getting the support we need, a crucial skill in today's collaborative workplaces.
What topics does psychology speaker Heidi Grant cover?
Dr. Heidi Grant speaks on the science of motivation, how to get people to help and collaborate, achievement and high-performance habits, giving and receiving feedback, and how perception and influence work. Her keynotes suit leadership summits, corporate conferences, and events on motivation, collaboration, performance, and personal development. To book Heidi Grant as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Heidi Grant as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Heidi Grant as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Heidi Grant's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Heidi Grant or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Heidi Grant speaking fee?
Heidi Grant speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Heidi Grant to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Heidi Grant.
How can I contact Heidi Grant?
We only work with Heidi Grant on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Heidi Grant and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Heidi Grant speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Heidi Grant for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Heidi Grant for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Heidi Grant is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Heidi Grant for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
