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

• 2. Turning Managers Into Leaders - Six Essential Elements of the Leadership Journey

  Management is what you do, leadership is how you do it.
  
  Successful leaders know that there is an enormous difference between managing and leading! Success in leadership is measured not by what you do, but rather by the impact you have on others. Ultimately, management is about getting things done, leadership is about getting other people to get things done. So what exactly are these elusive factors that separate the manager from the leader? Merge has crystallized these differences into what she calls the leadership mentality – six core values that ignite the spirits and minds of leaders and take them from average to exceptional! In this upbeat and fast-paced keynote, you'll discover surprisingly straightforward actions you can take that will make a dramatic impact to your leadership effectiveness - literally overnight. Through rich metaphors and real-life examples, Merge will leave you with six simple, yet incredibly powerful, traits to take you on your journey from manager...to leader.
  
  In this upbeat and fast-paced journey along the highways and side streets of leadership, participants will explore and experience:
  • The six core values that separate managers from leaders
  • Vibrant relevant examples and metaphors that vividly illustrate the differences between managers and leaders
  • Specific and practical techniques that they can use immediately to either start or continue their transition from manager to leader

  Main themes: leadership, people development, growth, positive attitude, continuous learning

• 5. High Heels That Click: Why Female Leadership Has Its Advantages

  Beyond just the obvious, men and women really are different beings! Research clearly demonstrates that women view and respond differently to specific workplace situations than men do. And unfortunately, in the past, these differences were perceived by many as 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 colorful anecdotes and compelling metaphors, you'll see how what makes you distinct also makes you incomparable.
  
  Here is just some of what attendees will learn:
  • The research behind the reality - what the empirical data tells us about the differences in how men and women communicate
  • The five things women are more likely to do in the workplace... and perhaps more importantly, why they give us an advantage when it comes to leadership
  • Compelling and unforgettable metaphors that illustrate and celebrate how women make great leaders
  
  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, 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 employees and ultimately your organization.
  
  As a result of attending this keynote, participants will learn:
  
  • Four key strategies to build strength and sustainability in themselves and others
  • Colorful memorable relevant metaphors that they can apply immediately to engage their employees and other stakeholders and create commitment
  • Practical and realistic perspectives that will give them a long-term outlook on how to survive and thrive well into the future
  
  Main themes: leadership, strength, sustainability, productivity, passion

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

  If you are a Baby Boomer or a Gen-X'er, then the Millennial generation 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 6.5 million in Canada, the Millennial demographic is a growing tsunami that is permanently changing the shoreline of workplaces across North America. In this content-rich and entertaining workshop, Merge outlines the factors that shaped this generation, what immense strengths they can bring to your organization, 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!
  
  In this fast-paced, content-rich and highly entertaining keynote, you will:
  • Gain a greater insight into the factors that have shaped the Millennial generation
  • Identify their common characteristics and explore the immense strengths they can bring to your associations
  • Hear real-life examples of what happens when you ignore this demographic
  • Find out how to tap into their values and achieve success (differently)
  • Learn six specific ways to attract, keep and lead Millennials
  
  Main themes: leadership, Generation Y, managing young people, human resources of the future

• 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 and organizations. And in today's new economic reality, as leaders across the country are facing new challenges and new opportunities, this message is more relevant than ever.
  
  Resources are fewer, nevertheless you're being asked to accomplish more tasks, give greater levels of customer service, and achieve improved results. Yet if you can step back from the day-to-day and focus on the bigger picture, the possibilities hold enormous potential. You already know the importance of stretching and pushing yourself beyond the obvious in order to be successful, but it takes skill and perspective to position for the future! In this powerful and engaging keynote, Merge will teach you six hands-on practical strategies to help you become a lobster - to consciously push the limits of your comfort zone so that you look past the here and now, so that you continue to grow and thrive, and position yourself and your organization for long-term and sustainable success.
  
  As a result of attending and participating in this keynote, attendees will learn:
  • Six realistic and practical strategies to expand their horizons, both personal and organizational, and position themselves for a brave new future
  • Colorful memorable relevant metaphors that they can apply immediately in their professional and personal lives
  • Practical tips and techniques to grow and thrive, no matter what the economic or other challenges
  
  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

• 
  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.

  
  
• 
  November -0001