Organizations face the challenge of navigating a complex environment while striving to achieve seamless integration between leadership, strategy and operational execution. These factors are responsible for achieving operational excellence and strategic alignment for businesses. This requires a transformative leadership approach to guide organizations through this complex landscape, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth.
Carlos Francisco, a distinguished Keynote Speaker and the visionary Founder and CEO of Changing Paradigms is leading these transformations. Carlos is revolutionizing how businesses align their strategies with operational processes, fostering adaptability and continuous improvement to excel in today’s dynamic market. His approach bridges traditional management practices with modern, agile strategies, reshaping how organizations achieve strategic coherence and operational efficiency.
Embracing the Unexpected
Carlos’ journey began not with a deliberate ambition to speak from grand stages but rather with a simple yet profound dedication to sharing ideas. As he shares, “I never initially aspired to become a keynote speaker, as it was not something I had previously contemplated.”
However, after attending various conferences and sharing his ideas on social media, his unconventional approach to subjects garnered significant attention. His commitment to public engagement resonated with many, leading to an invitation to speak at an event and join a panel discussion. This transition occurs organically and without a predetermined plan.
Carlos’s passion for sharing knowledge and learning from others is not just profound; it’s inspiring. He values the opportunity to learn from their perspectives and experiences on a diverse range of topics. This passion and openness create a dynamic exchange of ideas and foster an environment of mutual growth and understanding.
Let’s know more about Carlos’s journey and the power of authentic engagement, followed by the impact of sharing one’s unique insights!
The Human Element
Carlos’s primary message addresses the ongoing issue of organizations operating with insufficient emphasis on people. He observes that many organizations lack a framework to support individuals within the organization and often overlook fundamental aspects of strategy development, change management, emotional intelligence, and alignment with people and society.
Carlos meticulously crafts his speeches to break down barriers to understanding, making his points accessible and visual for individuals to engage with him. This ensures that his audience comprehends the importance of placing people at the center of organizational strategies.
Precision in Presentation
Carlos prioritizes the appropriateness of his content for the audience, ensuring it is thought-provoking and reflective of their level of expertise. Each presentation is uniquely tailored to the audience’s specific context. When addressing C-level executives of large conglomerates, he incorporates provocations that address their strategic realities and concerns. Conversely, when presenting to junior managers, he adapts the content to resonate with their experiences and challenges.
Carlos employs various techniques to ensure the effectiveness of his presentations. Initially, he reviews his presentation multiple times to ensure it is perfectly aligned with the topic at hand. Next, he scripts his remarks for each section, carefully selecting impactful words that will resonate with the audience, ensuring the message compels them to engage and take action. As a final step, he practices by presenting to his wife and recording himself multiple times if necessary, making further refinements as needed.
Carlos also enhances all his topics with real storytelling examples drawn from his career experiences. This methodology makes his presentations more relatable and further helps to illustrate key points in a memorable way.
Empowering People and Organizations
Carlos has a strong inclination to discuss topics centered around people including strategy, change management, operational excellence, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence, all infused with a touch of coaching. He integrates knowledge and experience from philosophy and neuroscience into these subjects.
Carlos finds these topics relevant to any industry and organization, as they resonate with him deeply. He believes that organizations are operated by people—individuals with feelings, humans behind spreadsheets, tightening bolts, or piloting £50 million fighter jets. These are people who must spend a third of their day adding value to the company. As he points out, “These people don’t come with an instruction manual—we were not trained in emotional intelligence.” Over 60% of all managers and team leaders agree that they have never received any training in leading and managing people.
Carlos emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues and making a difference. His passion for these topics stems from the belief that understanding and supporting the human element within organizations leads to better outcomes.
Delivering Presentations That Inspire and Motivate
Carlos’s approach involves understanding the topics he wishes to present and the key messages he wants to convey. Equally important is determining the desired actions he wants the audience to take after his presentation concludes. He states, “Successful presentations should leave the audience with a moment of reflection and a clear call to action, motivating them to implement positive changes in their lives and organizations.”
Carlos believes in the power of purposeful presentations. He plans each session to ensure that the audience is not only engaged but also inspired to act. This belief drives his dedication to crafting presentations that are both impactful and memorable.
Seizing the Moment
Carlos views keynote speakers as leaders who should adopt a leadership role, demonstrating new approaches and challenging individual and collective paradigms to foster improvement and progress beyond the status quo. Given the influential nature of keynote speaking, he believes it is crucial to leverage this platform to inspire change.
Carlos asserts, “Society is constantly evolving, and if we have the opportunity to share insights on what is lacking and how to improve, we must seize it.” He sees keynote speaking as an opportunity to drive transformation and guide others toward better practices and innovative thinking. His perspective emphasizes the responsibility of keynote speakers to lead by example and push for advancements that benefit society.
Consistent Practice and Ongoing Learning
Carlos mentions that maintaining motivation and pursuing continuous improvement is crucial. For him, this involves a combination of consistent activities. Regular practice is key to enhancing speaking skills—he engages in this practice with friends and family whenever possible. Actively seeking feedback helps him reflect on what he wishes to improve and identify areas for development.
Carlos also enrolls in courses and workshops to overcome obstacles and gain deeper self-awareness. He immerses himself in relevant articles, books and podcasts and observes how others act, behave and engage. He believes, “This approach will expand your skills and knowledge, ultimately better preparing you for future challenges.”
Achieving Meaningful Change
Having embarked on this career path, Carlos’s goal is to persist in offering audiences unique insights and authentic data on the topics he is passionate about. He aims to demonstrate that effective strategies exist for achieving success and fostering improvement, both within organizations and society at large.
Carlos is dedicated to driving meaningful and impactful change. He believes in contributing to a better world in which to live and work. As he puts it, “My objective is to drive meaningful and impactful change, contributing to a better world in which to live and work.”
How to Excel as a Keynote Speaker?
Carlos offers valuable advice to aspiring keynote speakers. To begin, he emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting the topics you wish to address. This choice is crucial as it enables you to tailor your message to the appropriate audience, making it more compelling and impactful. Once topics are chosen, he advises crafting your message with precision, using appropriate language and incorporating real-life examples through storytelling.
Carlos encourages aspiring speakers to engage their audience actively and avoid turning their presentation into a lecture. It is important to connect with the audience by speaking their language and avoiding unnecessary complexity. As he believes, “Our goal is to communicate simply and directly so that the audience can absorb the message and take action.”
Finally, Carlos highlights the importance of remaining current on the subject matter. He recommends reading books, articles, interviews, or engaging with other relevant content to keep one’s knowledge up-to-date. By following this advice, aspiring keynote speakers can enhance their skills, connect with their audience effectively and deliver impactful presentations.
