Matthew Syed Keynote Speaker

Advocate for Continuous Improvement, how to develop a 'Growth Mindset' and how to drive innovation and performance.
Author of seven books including 'Rebel Ideas', 'Black Box Thinking' and 'Bounce'
Columnist and feature writer for The Times

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Matthew Syed's Biography

Matthew Syed is a popular keynote speaker and one of the world’s most influential speakers in the field of high performance and cultural change. He is a highly acclaimed author of seven best-selling books on the subject of mindset – Bounce, Black Box Thinking, Rebel Ideas, and The Greatest, as well as children’s books You Are Awesome, What Do You Think? and Dare to be You.

Matthew has worked with many leading organisations to build a mindset of continuous improvement. He is a multi-award-winning journalist for The Times and a regular contributor to television and radio. In his previous career, Matthew was the England table tennis number one for almost a decade.

In his most recent bestseller – Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking – Matthew argues that individual intelligence is no longer enough to solve today’s complex problems; to truly succeed we must harness the power of ‘cognitive diversity’. Rebel Ideas uncovers the best-kept secrets of the world’s most successful teams, bringing insights from psychology, anthropology and data science, whilst drawing on a dazzling range of intriguing case-studies.

Matthew’s work explores a thought-provoking approach to high-performance within the context of a complex and fast-changing world. By understanding the intimate connection between mindset and high performance, organisations can unlock untapped potential in individuals and teams, driving innovation and agility to secure a future-proofed environment.

Matthew was invited to speak at TEDxLondonBusinessSchool, where he discussed why every individual should own their own black box.

Matthew works with clients to build growth mindset cultures and drive higher performance in individuals, teams and organisations. His cutting-edge thought leadership programmes and digital learning tools are becoming a catalyst for real and lasting change within business and the public sector.

Matthew also works very closely with the education sector to help improve mindsets in schools and young people. He is an active founding member of the charity Greenhouse Sports and an ambassador for the PiXL Educational Foundation.

In 2021, Matthew released the Sideways podcast for BBC Radio 4, currently in its sixth series, exploring the ideas that shape our lives, and sharing stories of seeing the world differently.