Neil Ihde
Speaker Life IQ
- Appleton WI
Helping individuals and groups work, play, relate...and live intelligently. "Fresh...Humorous...Insightful"
Social
Biography
Neil’s list of Fortune 500 companies he has worked with includes Wal-Mart, Merrill Lynch, Pearson, and Gannett among others. Neil has also consulted internationally with clients from a dozen countries. He is the co-author of the book “When Would Now Be A Good Time?” and was recently a personality consultant to Woman’s World magazine.
Neil's academic background includes a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Counseling.
Neil and his wife Deb have two children and live in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Master Practitioner MBTI® Consultant
2009-01-01
Distinguished recognition of experience and education with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®
Exemplary ICON®
CPP®, the publisher of the MBTI®, selected Neil as an exemplary ICON® (Independent Consultant) and featured him in a 2008 ad campaign.
Education
University of Sioux Falls
BA
Psychology
1994
University of Sioux Falls
BA
Sociology
1994
Sioux Falls Seminary
MA
Counseling
1997
Affiliations
- National Speaker Association
Testimonials
Assistant Finance Director, City of Tacoma
Washington Financial Officers Association conference
I’ve attended a lot of workshops over 25 years and Neil’s was one of the best I have ever seen.
Senior Manager CUNA Insurance
CUNA Insurance retreat
I found Neil to be exceptional! He did research on our company and audience well in advance of his presentation. He delivered an outstanding message that was both inspiring and touching. He was a big win for our conference.
Account Manager, Woodward Communications
BLEND Leadership Conference
Woodward Radio Events was proud to work with Neil! We were thrilled to have a nationally known speaker provide a workshop at our event. Participants learned how to become great leaders and the presentation had the audience excited to apply the skills taught to their professional lives. We welcome the opportunity to work with Neil in the future.
HR Director, Gannett
Gannett Management Retreat
Neil’s training program for our front-line managers was fantastic. He was able to engage participants and provide them with information they could use in their daily work environment.
Founder and CEO of HealthOne, Inc.
HealthOne Executive Retreat
I had the pleasure of utilizing Neil’s services both as a speaker for my client events and my CEO network and as a consultant/trainer for my senior management team. As a speaker he provided thought provoking, relevant topics that kept the audience informed as well as entertained. He was an excellent ambassador for our organization and the feedback was extremely positive. I also had engaged Neil as a consultant and trainer for my new management team. My team and I enjoyed working with him and his training created a much more cohesive team. I will utilize his services again.
Director
Gundersen Lutheran
I’ve heard Neil speak a number of times and I would listen to him speak on any topic, any time. He’s fantastic!
E-Learning Professional, Twickenham UK
Magnum IQ, Las Vegas
Understanding how you and others prefer to take in information, make decisions, and communicate can be a huge advantage. Neil gives a wonderful insight into this illuminating way of looking at the world. I have learned a lot from his classes.
HR Director
Gundersen Lutheran
Neil’s skill in connecting with and understanding the needs of others is second-to-none. His ability to look at all challenges with both depth and creative breadth make any partnership with Neil enlightening and very practical. Of all the individuals I’ve interacted with over the years, Neil is the most exceptional.
MD
Gundersen Lutheran
Neil is fresh, engaging, and informative. He has a pulse on organizational cultures and his motivation makes an impact!
Chief Information Officer
MacDonald & Owen Lumber
Neil’s ability to discern the needs of an organization along with his knowledge of the complexities of building and effective team are exemplary!
IT Systems Educator
Parkland Hospital, Dallas
Neil is a very engaging speaker and kept our audience engaged and entertained. I highly recommend Neil!
Director
Gundersen Lutheran
I can only give the highest recommendations for Neil as a person and as a professional. He has proven he can work well with the highest levels of leadership to front line staff. He has a respectful nature and is great at understanding and bringing out people’s personal best through his teaching and mentoring.
Executive Director
Wisconsin Health Information Management Association (WHIMA)
Great presentations! Participants commented on how much they learned about themselves in your sessions. Thank you!
President
Home Instead Senior Care
Thanks so much for your presentation. Many of the participants raved not only about the content, but also about your engaging style as well. It was a pleasure working with you.
Administrative Coordinator
Workforce Connections
I have learned a lot from Neil’s in depth knowledge of Myers-Briggs. Neil gave me, for the first time in my life, the permission and confidence for me to be me.
General Manager
MacDonald & Owen Lumber
Neil's insights into personalities and relationships is incredible! His explanations of the MBTI are practical and his everyday examples bring the material to life. My team understands one another better and we communicate more effectively as a direct result of Neil's trainings.
Executive Director
Family and Children Learning Centers/Head Start
Neil's uplifting and inspiring message was appreciated by our staff as we kicked off another year. With his social services background, he understood the needs of our group and connected with us.
Chair
Leaderfest
Neil was a big win for our conference. We were delighted to have a nationally recognized speaker at our event. His expertise was evident and participants commented that his breakout session was one of the best and that the takeaways were priceless.
Executive Director
Finishing Contractors Association of Illinois
Neil’s topics are more pertinent now than ever. He provides a good look at life in a light hearted way that gets people thinking!
Money Smart Chair
Menominee Reservation
Working with Neil was a pleasure, from start to finish. He listened to what we had in mind for our audience and he brought it. I felt the audience didn't want the program to end - they wanted to hear more. He definitely had their attention. Great job Neil!
VP of Institutional Advancement
University of Sioux Falls
Neil is the catalyst that started a professional development revolution at the University of Sioux Falls! Executives, managers, faculty and staff were inspired to invest in their own professional development. We are taking practical steps to systematize and maintain the momentum Neil started for our employees. We are on a path to become a better University because of his work
Managing Director
Alvarez & Marsal North America, LLC
Neil is very, very good at what he does. He won over a tough, intelligent crowd through his engaging presentation style and his entertaining storytelling. Neil clearly spent a great deal of time researching our organization, which earned him instant credibility and demonstrated to our group that he had tailored the discussion to our specific interests and needs. Our data-hungry group was impressed with his depth of subject matter expertise and his ability to explain concepts in layman's terms. He delivered on everything we asked, and more. Well done!
Event Appearances
When It Comes To Money, Change Matters
Money Smart Week Menominee, WI
2012-04-25
YOUSF
Faculty and Staff 2012 Kickoff Sioux Falls, SD
2012-08-28
Myers-Briggs Communication Event
Faculty Retreat Westfiled, WI
2012-08-07
Personality and Building Relationships – How Your Personality Can Hinder or Help Your Personal Effectiveness
Alvarez & Marsal Executive Retreat Dallas, TX
2012-10-02
Developing Your Managerial Style
American Nephrology Nursing Association National Conference Chicago, IL
2012-09-27
Sample Talks
10 Mistakes New Managers Make...And How to Avoid Them
First impressions are everything. Nowhere is that more true than for the new manager. Not only are you in a new position with new responsibilities, you are learning on the fly while on stage with your employees watching and analyzing your every move. This talk delves into the most common mistakes made by new managers, examining why they happen and how to avoid them. It is critical that new managers understand the common pitfalls and avoid setting precedents that can come back to haunt them down the road. Too many mistakes too soon and your ship is sunk before you've had a chance to set sail.
Myers-Briggs Teambuilding - Utilizing the MBTI to help you understand yourself and others
The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory is a useful tool for better understanding ourselves and others by looking at eight personality preferences that all people use at different times. For any team, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can be valuable in understanding each others preferred ways of interacting with others, taking in information, making decisions, and structuring their world. The information enhances understanding of yourself, your motivations, and your natural strengths, as well as helping you appreciate those who differ from you.
The four goals of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are:
- Increasing self-awareness
- Awareness that others have preferences different from your own
- Respecting the differences in others
- Utilizing the variety of types and preferences in a team to realize its full potential
Here's just a few testimonials:
"It was impactful just knowing how other people think and realizing that my thoughts and suggestions are not the only answer. I don't get as upset with others when they say things I don't agree with."
"I found the information very helpful. It gave me insight into why people behave as they do and hopefully, I am a bit more patient with those who differ from me. Also I can appreciate someone with a different perspective and what they can add to the decision making."
"I learned to be more respectful and mindful of others whose preferences differ from mine."
The Complicated Business of Living the Life of a Human Being - Humorous lessons from the animal kingdom on how to simplify and find purpose in our lives
Do you know what Mayflies have to complete in their lifetimes? Breed and die. That's it. And they usually do it in 24 hours. Starfish's to do list includes eating clams and avoid being eaten. They don't even have a brain. Human animals, however, are a bit more complex. We are the only animal society that takes 25 years (or more) to raise our children, uses the internet to find a mate, and supports mimes. Our lives are less and less about survival. Instead, we are living in an age that offers unprecedented choices and opportunities. Our life then becomes a one long to-do list where Prioritize Your Life is #167 if it appears at all. Simplify. Discover your passions. What do you want to live for? Whats on your life's to-do list?
My Selfish Reasons for Wanting You to be Happy - So, Get Happy and Stay That Way!
Why do I want you to be happy? I have my reasons – some of them altruistic, and some of them selfish. Our country’s happiness has flatlined since the 1950’s despite dramatic improvement in nearly every aspect of our lives. It's been said that for every want fulfilled, another emerges. In fact, entire industries have been created on this fact alone.
One path we pursue to secure happiness is possessions. Do we need half of the stuff we own? At what point did we begin to belong to our belongings? Did you know that the number one complaint homebuilders hear from owners is that there isn't enough storage space? This despite the fact that the average square footage per household has doubled in the last generation.
We need to begin distinguish what brings joy and happiness in every aspect of our lives...work, family, and friends.
4 Secrets to Becoming a S.T.A.R. - How to Attain Success in Your Personal and Professional Life
It's amazing to me how uncomfortable individuals get when asked about their greatest strengths, their passions, their dreams. They are unsure how to answer the question. They may stammer, offer up some modest goals, or begin to list off their less-than-desirable qualities. How would you answer that question? Have you considered it before? One of the secrets to professional success hinges on your ability to identify your weaknesses and strengths. Another secret involves tapping into your dreams and discovering your potential to make it a reality. Take a look at the successful people around you and you'll find these four characteristics in all of them.
Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Workshop Leader
- Author Appearance
