Lisa Bodell’s work is grounded in a clear belief:
When the most important work isn’t getting done, it’s not the people who need to be fixed.
It’s the work.
For more than 25 years, Lisa has helped organizations eliminate mind-numbing complexity, rethink how work gets done, and restore clarity, momentum, and agency to leaders and teams.
Organizations are struggling because too much that no longer works has been allowed to persist.
Lisa’s focus is simple and non-negotiable: remove what no longer serves so people can focus on the work that truly matters. By trading complexity for simplicity, organizations unlock creativity, spark energy, and create the conditions needed to innovate and compete.
This work doesn’t just improve performance. It lifts morale, increases engagement, and improves employee well-being and retention.
Lisa Bodell is a futurist, entrepreneur, and the Founder and CEO of FutureThink, the world’s largest source of simplification and innovation tools and training.
She is the author of two bestselling books, Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company, and a globally recognized expert on replacing complexity with simplicity so leaders and teams can focus on work that matters.
Lisa consistently ranks among the Top 50 Speakers Worldwide and is known for her insight, clarity, humor, and practical relevance.
WHO LISA IS
After earning her business degree from the University of Michigan, Lisa launched her career at Leo Burnett in Chicago, where she discovered a gift for uniting strategically driven ideas with forward-thinking themes.
She went on to build two successful businesses before founding FutureThink in 2003. Today, FutureThink works with leading brands worldwide and has become one of the most respected sources for simplification and innovation research, tools, and training in the world.
Lisa brings a compelling perspective on simplification and innovation to thousands of people each year. Her work has inspired executives at top-ranked organizations, including:
She helps leaders question the status quo, make small changes with profound impact, and reclaim the time and energy needed to lead effectively.
Lisa is a monthly contributor to Forbes and Fast Company, and a frequent voice in leading media outlets, including:
Her ideas have also been featured in influential books such as A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger, Originals by Adam Grant, and AfterShock, the 50-year celebration of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock.
She has taught innovation at American University and Fordham University, delivered a popular TED Talk, and serves on advisory boards including:
For more than 25 years, Lisa has helped organizations fix what’s broken by challenging outdated assumptions, simplifying how work gets done, and restoring clarity, momentum, and agency to work.
Her belief is simple—and non-negotiable:
The future depends on our ability to stop tolerating the unnecessary and start leading with courage, clarity, and conviction.
If your organization is ready to simplify work, lead with clarity, and build systems that actually support people and performance, it’s time to partner differently.