Merge Gupta-Sunderji

Merge Gupta-Sunderji turns managers into leaders. A professional speaker, author, radio commentator, and consultant since 1988, Merge gives people specific and practical tools to help them achieve leadership and communication success. Over 34,132 managers in four countries have participated in her engaging keynotes and workshops. A leader at one of Canada's premier oil and gas companies and a Board leader at a Credit Union for a combined total of more than seventeen years, she offers a unique blend of realism and humour that consistently engages and entertains her audiences!

Previously, she was the well-known voice behind the national CBC radio column The Softer Side of Business. She's an award-winning published author, writing for many well-known organizations and publications, including a regular leadership issues column in CGA Magazine and the very popular Merge's Monthly Mega Minute. The second edition of her book Why Does the Lobster Cast Off Its Shell? was released in July 2009. She is also the author of an entire Leadership Series of educational audio CDs that cover specific and day-to-day leadership challenges faced by managers and supervisors. She is presently working on her latest book, Power Tools for Leaders: Practical Strategies and Tactics to Build People, a hands-on practical how-to guide for managers and supervisors.

Merge Gupta-Sunderji's Blog Entries -
Why Good Employees Jump Ship (And What You Can Do to Stop Them)

Demographics Shemographics? Why You Should Pay Attention to the Numbers

• 6. Moving from Manager to Leader: Four Essential Elements of the Leadership Journey

  Making that transition from non-management to management requires a significant shift in attitude and action. No longer is your success measured by what you do, but rather by the impact you have on other people. Ultimately: Management is what you do, leadership is how you do it. In this upbeat and fast-paced ride along the highways and side streets of leadership, Merge is your tour-guide who teaches four essential elements of a successful journey. You'll explore and experience specific and practical techniques that you can use right away to make the transition from manager to leader. This crisp and compelling keynote is most effective when delivered at the beginning or end of a leadership or management conference. Guaranteed to leave participants with plenty of gas to punch the accelerator and go!

• 2. Millennials Exposed! Insights into the Psyche of a New Generation of Workers

  If you are a Baby Boomer or a Gen-X'er manager, then the Millennial demographic has probably puzzled, bewildered, and perhaps even frustrated you. Smart, self-confident and savvy, these young people question everything, demand instant gratification, and are not accustomed to being denied what they desire. If you came before them, you likely believe in the "respect for elders" and "reward comes from effort" maxims, so their attitudes can be both exasperating and maddening. Yet, like it or not, numbering 68 million in the United States and another 6.5 million in Canada, the Millennial demographic is a growing tsunami that is permanently changing the shoreline of organizations across the country. In this content-rich and entertaining keynote, Merge outlines the factors that shaped this generation, what immense strengths they can bring to the workplace, and perhaps most importantly, how you can tap into this motherlode of innovation and tenacity. The Millennials can take your organization to the next level of success if you can figure out how to harness their potential!
  
  Baby Boomer = born before the mid-60's
  Gen-X'er = born between the mid-60's and 1979
  Millennial = born between 1980 and 1994
  
  Main themes: leadership, Generation Y, managing young people, human resources of the future

• 5. The Female Leadership Advantage: The Five Exceptions That Make You Exceptional

  Beyond just the obvious, men and women are really different beings! Research clearly demonstrates that women view and respond differently to specific workplace situations than men. And unfortunately, in the past, these differences were perceived by many to be disadvantages in leadership and success. Get ready to explode that myth! In this entertaining, engaging, and sometimes tongue-in-cheek keynote, Merge outlines five significant traits that separate the women from the men, and shows how the things that set us apart as women actually set us ahead as leaders. Using colourful anecdotes and compelling metaphors, you'll see how what makes you distinct also makes you incomparable. This keynote is best suited for an audience of women in any position of professional or personal leadership.
  
  Main themes: women in leadership, "girl power", workplace differences between women and men

• 4. Turtle Training for the Hare: Why Slow 'n' Steady Trumps Fast 'n' Furious

  Whether you use the metaphor of the turtle vs the hare or the sprinter vs the long-distance runner (Merge uses both!), the underlying message is that building strength and sustainability in your people is what will give you long-term victory in lasting leadership. If your organization is going to be successful in today's highly-competitive business world, then you need to look beyond just the day-to-day. Are your people marathoners who have the energy and endurance to go up hills and down valleys, or will they fizzle and sputter when the hurdles get higher? In a positive and entertaining look at growth and productivity, Merge offers you specific and practical ideas to build strength and sustainability in your people and your business.
  
  Main themes: leadership, strength, sustainability, productivity, passion

• 3. How to Stop Your People From Walking Out the Door

  Believe it or not, it's not about the money! Despite what you may think, increasing their salaries is not the solution! With a fresh and invigorating perspective on accepted motivation strategies, Merge offers simple, practical, powerful strategies to help you make your organization the workplace of choice. Find out how to make your people choose to stay, even when the competition comes courting!
  
  Main themes: leadership, employee retention, motivation, employee engagement

• 1. Why Does the Lobster Cast Off Its Shell?

  This intriguing title actually has a very simple answer: to grow! But for a lobster, the task is not as easy as one might think! Unknown to most, the lobster goes through periods of extreme vulnerability and risk in order to develop and evolve ... and so too it can be with people. This energizing session is best placed at the beginning of a conference. It is designed to get peoples' minds kick-started and their attitudes pumped up. Merge teaches six practical strategies for people to consciously push the limits of their comfort zones so that they don't become stagnant. This program is based on Merge's highly-acclaimed opening chapter in an anthology of articles titled Expert Women Who Speak ... Speak Out!
  
  Main themes: leadership, growth, change, transition, seizing opportunity, continuous learning

• Merge is a meeting planner's dream come true! She doesn't just deliver packaging, the content is always rich. Her platform skills and subject knowledge will ensure that you get rave reviews from your attendees.
  Promotional Products Association of Canada
• Merge was inspirational and engaging. All the participants I spoke to had nothing but glowing reviews. One participant even wistfully mentioned that she wished she could do the day all over again.
  International Association of Administrative Professionals
• The feedback from Merge's sessions is always outstanding. She is a dynamic speaker who is in tune with her audience. She uses humor appropriately, and it very successful at creating situations for participants to be interactive during the full day sessions. We always have a Waiting List for her class.
  Fisher-Price Inc.
• Merge's presentation was indeed very well received by our staff, and the information she shared made, and continues to make, a difference...
  Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario
• Our employees attending found Merge to be enthusiastic, articulate, and her manner of teaching was easily understood. She had the attention of everybody in the room almost immediately.
  General Manager, Peavey Industries Canada

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  July 2009

  Why Does the Lobster Cast Off Its Shell?

  Revised and expanded, this second edition contains a brand-new section called 171 Ways to be a Lobster. Superbly inspirational and insightfully practical, this book not only answers the intriguing question posed in the title, but also teaches you six specific and realistic strategies to consciously and constantly push the limits of your comfort zone so that you do not become stagnant. Beautifully and whimsically illustrated, it's a great addition to your professional or personal library.

  
  
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  November -0001