Ozan Varol

Reimagine the Status Quo with Moonshot Thinking

Moonshot thinking is a way of turning the seemingly impossible into the possible. It’s the key to leaving behind the baggage of history and fostering innovation. 

Businesses that take moonshots perform better, attract and retain top talent, and inspire teams and customers. In times of unrelenting change and uncertainty, it’s moonshot thinking that sets apart industry-leading businesses from the rest.

In this keynote, Ozan reveals his 4-step moonshot model to help you launch your own moonshot, spot opportunities you couldn’t see before, and create an extraordinary advantage to shape the future of your industry. The keynote draws on Ozan’s #1 bestselling book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist, which has been called “dazzling” by Adam Grant and “must read” by Susan Cain. 

You’ll learn:

• How invisible assumptions constrain your business (and what to do about it) 
• How to abandon the “We’ve always done it that way” mindset and reimagine the status quo
• Why obstacles and uncertainty present opportunities to innovate
• The single principle SpaceX used to revolutionize rocket science (and how you can use the same principle to transform your business)
• Why breakthroughs begin with a smart question—not a smart answer 
• How to nail your next product launch using an unstoppable astronaut training strategy
• How to place little bets on innovative ideas without risking it all

Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary

We say that some people march to the beat of a different drum. But implicit in this cliché is that the rest of us march to the same beat. We copy and paste from our peers and competitors, chase trends, and adopt the latest fad. We hide the creative genius of our employees under outdated modes of working. 

An extraordinary group of organizations think and act with genuine independence. They stand out from the crowd because they don’t copy the crowd. They unlock the full creative potential of their employees and create a thriving workplace that attracts and retains top talent. They become remarkable in an increasingly competitive marketplace and generate raving customers.

In this keynote, which draws on Ozan’s bestselling book Awaken Your Genius, Ozan will share practical strategies that you can use to escape conformity, ignite creativity, and become extraordinary. 

You’ll learn:

• How to ignite the creativity of your team members and unlock their superpowers
• How to discover your edge—the qualities that make your organization extraordinary
• The secret to fostering an engaged and motivated workforce 
• Why brainstorming doesn’t work (and what to do about it)
• What you can learn from Netflix’s biggest mistake
• Why there actually are stupid questions (and how to ask better ones)
• How to look where others don’t look and see what others don’t see
• Why success creates complacency (and what to do about it)

Innovation and the Future of Work

The old ways of working no longer work. Businesses can’t afford to live in a world of endless meetings, bureaucratic red tape, and broken ways of collaborating that decrease employee morale, hurt engagement, and hamper innovation. 

The pandemic-induced disruptions—including greater uncertainty, talent shortages, and supply chain constraints—are just the beginning. Although people yearn for a return to “normal,” or try to predict the “new normal,” there is no such thing as normal. There is only change. Never-ending, constant change. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but constant nonetheless.

As we return to work, how can businesses stay at the forefront of change instead of being unraveled by it? In this keynote, Ozan shares research-backed tools and tactics for accelerating innovation in the new world of work. 

You’ll learn:

• What you can do to activate a culture of belonging, boost psychological safety, and set up the ideal environment for creation and collaboration 
• How to strengthen your organization with lessons learned during the pandemic, instead of reverting to “business as usual”
• Why searching for certainty is a mistake—and how to thrive, not just survive, in uncertain conditions
• Three science-backed strategies for avoiding burnout and cognitive overload
• How to let go of past successes and continuously reimagine the status quo

Think Different: The Power of Cognitive Diversity

Many businesses strive to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. But they often overlook cognitive diversity—which is based on differences in viewpoint or perspective. As a result, groupthink and conformity thrive even in institutions whose lifeblood is creativity. Employees hide their best selves rather than go against the grain. 

In this keynote, Ozan shares a lively, research-backed roadmap that business leaders can use to promote a thriving corporate culture that harnesses cognitive diversity and fosters innovation. 

You’ll learn:

• The two reasons why most modern workplaces stifle cognitive diversity and undermine creativity
• How you can promote psychological safety where employees feel free to speak up and share their best ideas
• How to harness the power of diversity while maintaining team unity and alignment
• Why innovation often begins with input from industry outsiders
• What you can do to foster collaboration across organizational silos