Mastering the S-Curve of High-Powered Careers May is an engaging and sought after speaker on topics including leadership, performance, and career success. Her experience spans a variety of formats from university to corporate settings over a range of group sizes. All talks can be customized for audience, length, interactivity, or keynote, or specially created to fit your needs (talk, workshop series, keynote).
Sample Speaking Topics
The S-Curve: A leadership model for achieving and sustaining success
The S-Curve is about learning how to be successful while being yourself. Combining models of economics, management and psychology with years of first-hand experience and mentoring on the high-powered career track, The S-Curve answers the questions:
- How can I stay true to myself yet rise to the top of the organization?
- What does it take to stay on track through the three crucial career transitions?
- How do I put myself in a position to succeed?
- How can I navigate the politics without becoming political?
- What do I need to know to successfully navigate my organization?
- How do I attract people who can propel my career?
- How do I get appropriately paid, promoted and recognized?
Six Actions for Success: Mastering the S-Curve of High-Powered Careers
On the road to success, some things are in your control while others are not. While you cannot pay or promote yourself, you can influence outcomes more than you may think. The better you understand your workplace “ecosystem” as well as your self, the more you can make your own luck.
Here are six ways to operate within that ecosystem and lead yourself to success:
- Take charge of your own career
- Use your EQ, not just your IQ
- Align yourself with people who can propel you
- Understand the organization and make it work for you
- Be excellent
- Know who you are and what you stand for
Career Transitions – All Along the S-Curve
Where are you in your career, where do you want to go, and how can you get there? This interactive two-hour workshop focuses on the theory and practice of career transitions using the speaker’s “S-Curve” framework for career success to help you:
- Recognize the critical transition points in your career
- Identify the capabilities required to get to the next career stage
- Devise strategies for creating options and making informed decisions
- Learn top tips for making a successful transition
Eastern Guides for Western Leaders: Eight Leadership Principles from my Chinese Ancestors
Drawing on centuries old Chinese wisdom and philosophy, and translating these into practical actions and personal development solutions for Western leaders.
The Leading Edge: Insights for High-Performance Leaders
Workshop series or standalone talks:
- Full Circle Leadership: How and when to lead from the front, the center and the back
- Essential Leadership Traits: The Ability to Hold Two Opposing Thoughts. Great leaders must, among other things, be able to hold conflicting ideas simultaneously. This is part of the leadership paradox. Explore how best to recognize, reconcile, harness and translate apparent contradictions into actionable steps for becoming an even better leader. On being:
- Ruthless vs. Compassionate
- Decisive vs. Considered
- Visionary vs. Detail-Oriented
- Transparent vs. Discreet
- Tolerant vs. Drawing the Line
- Powerful vs. Popular
- Selfish vs. In the Interests of the Greater Good
Your Brand at Work – Having Presence, Impact and Influence
How is your brand at work working for you? What can you do to improve your presence, impact and influence both internally and externally? What is the alignment between your personal and professional self? This interactive two-hour workshop focuses on strengthening your personal brand at work and helping you to:
- Identify what your brand is versus what you want it to become
- Understand how to be a powerful communicator for your brand
- Develop your game plan for incorporating presence, impact and influence into your brand
- Learn top tips for enhancing your presence, impact and influence
Speaking Engagements
Squire Sanders (law firm): Keynote speaker, Women’s Network client event – “What Works for Women” (London) Nov 19, 2009
Oxford Said Business School: Panelist, The Entrepreneurial University Leadership Programme (Oxford, UK) Feb 4, 2010
Imperial College Business School, Full Time MBA Programme: Guest lecturer, Perspectives on Leadership (London) Mar 3, 2010
CASS Business School: Panelist, Women in Business event on “Banking vs. Consulting” (London) Mar 22, 2010
CRAC (The Career Development Organisation): Workshop, “The Future of Financial Careers in the City” (London) Apr 21, 2010
Arizona State University/W.P. Carey Business School: Guest lecturer, “Leadership and Success” (Tempe, AZ) Apr 23, 2010
Stanford University, Clayman Institute for Gender Research: Panelist, “Gender Perspectives on Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Policy and Practice” (Stanford, CA) Apr 28-29, 2010
Imperial College Business School, Executive MBA Programme: Guest lecturer, Perspectives on Leadership (London) May 27, 2010
England National Team Training Camp (Girls’ U18 Basketball): Keynote speaker, “Leadership, Motivation and the Winning Mindset” (Hertfordshire, UK) Jun 4, 2010
SEO London (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity): Keynote Speaker, “How to Succeed in the City and Beyond” (London) Jun 12, 2010
HERA (Her Equal Rights and Autonomy) Mentor Orientation: Trainer and Workshop Facilitator, “What it Means to be a HERA Mentor” (London) Jun 16, 2010
City Women’s Network: Panelist, “Getting the Most out of Your Corporate Career” (London) Sep 15, 2010
Channel 4, Talent Management Series: “In Conversation with May Busch: Career Insights From a Diverse Leader” (London) Sep 22, 2010
Harvard University: Workshop on Leadership and Career Success (Cambridge, MA) Sep 29, 2010
Deutsche Bank, Debt Capital Markets Women’s Dinner: Keynote Speaker, “Perspectives on Leadership and Career Success” (London) Oct 14, 2010
Inside Out Festival of Higher Education and the Arts: Panelist, Debate on “Should Universities Continue to Exist in their Current Form?” (London) Oct 25, 2010
CASS Business School: Leadership MBA Course Lecture, “Leadership Perspectives” (London) Oct 27, 2010
Harvard Leadership Conference at the Kennedy School of Government: Panelist, “Corporate Leadership in Complex Times” (Cambridge, MA) Nov 13, 2010
Major, Lindsay & Africa/DLA Piper Women’s Event: Guest Speaker, “Having Personal Impact” (London) Nov 17, 2010
UK Investment Bank: Workshop on “Impact and Influence” (London) Jan 19, 2011
Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business: Speaker, Thought Leadership Series – “Anatomy of a Deal” (Phoenix, Arizona) February 10, 2011
UK Media Company: Workshop on “Your Brand at Work – Having Presence, Impact and Influence” (London) March 8, 2011
Channel 4: Panelist, “An Evening Discussion – China” (London) March 31, 2011
UK Media Company: Workshop on “Career Transitions – All Along the S-Curve” (London) April 5, 2011
The Two Percent Club, Pearls Launch Event: Keynote, “The Art of Networking” (London) April 13, 2011
UK Media Company: Workshop on “Concepts for Leaders – Success, Failure and Other Apparent Paradoxes” (London) May 10, 2011
