KEYNOTES · CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS · WORKSHOPS
CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS. CHANGE PERSPECTIVES.
Practical lessons about organizational effectiveness, leadership, and navigating change—drawn from decades of experience and a life that hasn't always followed the plan.
giving people something to think about long after the talk is over
I've spent more than 25 years working inside organizations, from nonprofit executive leadership to local government and economic development.
Those experiences have taught me that meaningful improvement begins when we're willing to question familiar assumptions.
My presentations combine practical experience, organizational thinking, and candid observations about leadership and human behavior.
I don't promise audiences easy answers. I aim to give them better questions, useful frameworks, and perspectives they can apply to their own circumstances.
Presentation topics
Organizational Architecture & leadership
Your People Aren't the Problem
Organizational Architecture · Leadership · Operational Effectiveness
When organizations struggle, leaders often look first at employee performance. But many recurring problems originate in unclear authority, poorly designed processes, and disconnected systems.
This presentation challenges conventional assumptions about accountability and introduces organizational architecture as a practical framework for improving performance.
Built to Outlast the Founder: Fixing the Nonprofit Infrastructure Gap
Nonprofit Leadership · Governance · Sustainability
Many nonprofits depend heavily on the knowledge, relationships, and personal involvement of their founders or executive leaders. That dependence creates operational vulnerabilities and threatens long-term sustainability.
This presentation explores how nonprofits can build the structures, systems, and decision-making authority necessary to sustain their missions beyond any individual leader.
Out of Your Head, Into the Business: Why Small Businesses Stall at the Founder Ceiling
Small Business · Growth · Operational Capacity
A founder's personal involvement can fuel early growth but eventually become a constraint. When critical knowledge and decisions remain concentrated in one person, the organization struggles to scale.
This presentation examines how business owners can move from founder-dependent operations to repeatable processes, distributed authority, and sustainable growth.
Consistent Service, Consistent Story: Operational Architecture for Local Government
Local Government · Service Delivery · Accountability
Residents expect consistent services regardless of department, employee, or elected leadership. Yet fragmented processes, unclear responsibilities, and disconnected information often produce inconsistent results.
This presentation examines how local governments can strengthen service delivery, improve accountability, and build public trust through deliberate organizational design.
Personal Growth & Resilience
The Five Negotiations of Recovery
Resilience · Identity · Adaptation · Personal Growth
A life-changing event can redefine what we expect of ourselves and what we're capable of doing. Recovery involves more than physical healing; it requires ongoing negotiations with identity, independence, expectations, and an uncertain future.
Drawing on his personal experience following a stroke, Mike explores the difficult process of accepting changed circumstances without surrendering the determination to move forward.
Interested in bringing one of these presentations to your event?
Built for people facing real challenges.
My presentations are suitable for business and nonprofit leadership conferences, local government and economic development events, professional associations, leadership development programs, and organizational retreats.
Sessions can take several forms:
Keynotes
Ideas and perspectives intended to challenge, engage, and encourage reflection.
Conference Sessions
Focused presentations combining practical experience and actionable frameworks.
Interactive Workshops
Facilitated sessions that help participants examine and apply concepts to their organizations.
Experience shapes perspective
Mike Lisle is an organizational architect, author, speaker, and founder of RBI Consulting Group.
His career spans more than 25 years of executive and operational leadership across nonprofit organizations, economic development, and local government.
He has served as a nonprofit CEO, COO, and CFO, led Main Street revitalization efforts, and served as the Town of Summerville's first Economic Development Manager.
Today, his work focuses on helping organizations understand how their operating architecture affects their performance, capacity, and long-term effectiveness.
His speaking also draws on personal experience, including his recovery from a stroke and the lessons of navigating significant life changes.
Let's start a conversation
Planning a conference, leadership retreat, workshop, or other event?
Tell me about your audience, what you want participants to take away, and the format you're considering.
I'll review the details and follow up to discuss whether there's a fit.