Chester Elton, Bestselling Author, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

Chester Elton
Author | Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker | Building Great Workplace Cultures

Chester Elton is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Business Author, Organizational Culture, Employee Engagement, and Leadership Expert.

One of today’s most influential voices in workplace trends, Elton has spent two decades helping clients engage their employees to execute on strategy, vision, and values. In his provocative, inspiring, and always entertaining talks, Elton provides real solutions to leaders looking to build culture, drive innovation, and enhance wellness. Elton’s work is supported by research with more than one million working adults, revealing the proven secrets behind high-performance cultures and teams. 
 
He has been called the “Apostle of Appreciation” by Canada’s Globe and Mail, “creative and refreshing‚” by the New York Times, and a “must-read for modern managers” by CNN. Elton co-authored multiple award-winning bestselling leadership books, including All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than 1.6 million copies worldwide. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, and the New York Times often quote Elton. He has appeared on NBC’s Today, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, NPR, and CBS’s 60 Minutes. 
 
Elton consistently ranked among the world’s top leadership and organizational culture experts. He co-founded The Culture Works, a global consultancy, and is a board member of Camp Corral, a non-profit for the children of wounded and fallen military heroes. 

Why Chester Elton as your Executive Coach?
Chester is a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Leadership (SCL) Certified Executive Coach. He uses a proven methodology of one-on-one sessions, report-outs and frequent assessment to enhance an individual’s leadership skills and effectiveness. Improvement is gauged through surveys and 360s with pre-selected colleagues, team members, and other stakeholders.

Chester provides real solutions to help leaders develop robust cultures, increase their employee engagement, and lead high-performance teams. He is a distinguished Thinkers50 Coaching Award winner and serves as a leadership consultant and executive coach to high-performing executives. A few clients are American Express, The World Bank, Zoox, momofuku, McKee, Kitsap Credit Union

Feeling deeply honored and incredibly grateful!

I’m thankful to be recognized by Global Gurus as a Top 30 Global Guru for 2026, with rankings of:

#11 in Leadership
#9 in Organizational Culture

This recognition means a great deal to me, and I’m truly honored by the ranking. I’m grateful to be included among so many leaders I respect, and even more thankful to everyone who took the time to vote and offer their support. I don’t take that lightly.

I’ve always believed that when we intentionally appreciate people, great things happen. This honor is a meaningful reminder that the work matters, and that together, we can keep building workplaces where people feel seen, valued, and inspired.

Grateful for the journey, the community, and the opportunity to keep serving.

Chester Elton

About Global Gurus

Global gurus is a research organization, we make our revenue from our advertising on our sites and never from a guru or guru candidate.  Unlike other “Top Guru” or “Best…” lists out there, we do not sell our rankings. Nor do we give any ranking consideration to organizations who advertise. All Global Guru Sites choose thought leaders who make an impact and who people like them enough to vote for them. They are NOT industry leaders, but people who support knowledge and personal / organisational development in their fields through speaking, training, books, and media.

- See more at: http://globalgurus.org/about.php#sthash.bXABnphv.dpuf

#15 on the list

http://leadershipgurus.net/leadershipgurus30.php

Global Top 30 Leadership Guru

"All In" How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results

http://www.amazon.com/All-Managers-Create-Culture-Results/dp/1451659822/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369781914&sr=1-2&keywords=all+in 

"All In" a New York Times & Wall Street Journal Best Seller

eSpeakers

eSpeakers Certified Virtual Presenter

Anxiety at Work

Brigham Young University

Hillside High School

Italian

The Culture Works

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Thinkers 50 Executive Coach, Standing Ovation Keynote Speaker

The Culture Works

The Culture Works helps create great places to work—where people are engaged, enabled and energized. Built upon extensive research into the most profitable and sustainable cultures, The Culture Works has developed a process, services, and products used with organizations worldwide to enhance employee commitment and drive real business results.

- See more at: http://www.thecultureworks.com

Partner and Founder of "The Culture Works"

As a Culture and Leadership Guru, and an Apostle of Appreciation, I preach about the power of celebrating what people are doing right at work, not just correcting what is going wrong. Creating the right culture where people believe that what they do matters and that they make a difference everyday. And when they make a difference, it is noticed and celebrated!

Culture and Leadership Expert

Thinkers50

It's an honor to be included among the top 50 executive coaches in the world by Thinkers50, and supported by Coaching.com

Coaches50 

100 Coaches

I was invited by Marshall to participate in his 100 Coaches Program (#MG100). The aim of 100 Coaches is to inspire successful people and leaders to “pay it forward” by helping others achieve positive, lasting change and behavior; for themselves, their people, and their teams.

100 Coaches brings together diverse individuals who are leaders in their field to provide coaching and support to other successful leaders based on the unique needs of their industry and position.

Dr. Goldsmith is recognized as the #1 Leadership Thinker in the World (by Thinkers50), #1 Executive Coach & #2 Leadership Thinker (by Global Gurus), as well as one of the top ten Most-Influential Business Thinkers in the world. The #MG100 project became the most watched video in LinkedIn’s history when it was announced on the platform.

Executive Coach

One Kind Act a Day

Advisory Board Member

Build then Bless

Build Then Bless Ambassadors are an elite group of seasoned business experts who know how to create and build winning cultures. Ambassadors not only raise awareness about building and blessing others, but they know how to inspire others to do the same. 

Build Then Bless® helps companies and organizations implement a first-of-its-kind culture operating system that creates happier people, increases employee retention, provides higher client satisfaction, and gives the entire organization a greater sense of purpose.

Build Then Bless Ambassador

Cornell University

In my role as guest lecturer at Cornell, my goal is to describe, inspire, enable and lay out a blue print on how employees can fulfill their personal ambitions, create a culture of belonging as well as a Best Place to Work.

Guest Lecturer

O.C. Tanner

Apostle of Appreciation

Blair Television

I ran the unwired networks for Blair TV clients.

VP Marketing

Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker | Culture as a Competitive Advantage. I teach leaders how to build high-performing teams in a rapidly changing world

Anxiety at Work Resilience Training
This dynamic course—led by New York Times bestselling authors and leadership experts Adrian Gostick, Chester Elton and Anthony Gostick—is your gateway to creating a supportive and productive workplace environment where people can do their best work.

Anxiety at Work Self-guided Course

I love speaking to audiences of all sizes all around the world and my job is to leave people better than when I arrived. I leave them with the tools they need to build their own "all in" culture - one where people believe what they do matters, that they make a difference, and when they do, it's noticed and celebrated.

Elton Highlight Video

In #topofthestack this month - Dr Bob Waldinger's book, "The Good Life". This is a short 10 min review of Bob's book based on the longest study of. I hope you enjoy it!

Top of The Stack: Book Club

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Honored by Global Gurus to be named #3 Global Guru in Leadership & #4 in Organizational Culture

Global-Gurus- Chester.pdf

#anxietyatwork is a GOLD medal winner! Congratulations to my wonderful coauthors Adrian Gostick and Anthony Gostick! With #gratitude to Living Now Book Awards for this beautiful honor!

Gold Medal Winner.png

Certified Virtual Speaker

In this humorous video, Adrian and Chester talk about their digital capabilities as well as have a little fun - They also remind us that they bring 20+ years...

Chester and Adrian Virtual Highlight Video

Ability Beyond

Helping disabled adults live productive and independent lives.

Camp Corral

Free Summer camps for the children of military families. Founded by Golden Corral and making a difference in the lives of thousands of children every summer.

Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches

The MC100 is a group of leaders and coaches that are paying it forward to help make a positive impact on leaders and organizations all over the world. 

Every time you pause to acknowledge effort, kindness, or progress, you are reinforcing the behaviors that shape teams, culture, and character. 

Recognition tells people they matter, that their work is seen, and that how they show up makes a difference. Over time, those small moments of appreciation become habits that fuel trust, engagement, and growth.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://lnkd.in/gmbnahin

Substack

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author | Executive Advisor to Global Leaders | High-Performance Culture | Thinkers50 Coaches50 | Keynote Speaker

Kellie Aindow, PMP, SCPM, CSM, CBCM ✦

A lot of snow. Good teamwork. Some of the best moments are found in the everyday.

When you thank people, you build people.

Gratitude does more than acknowledge effort. It reinforces confidence, trust, and belonging. And those are the foundations of great teams.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://lnkd.in/gmbnahin

The Leadership Lesson Most People Miss in Don Quixote.



There’s a wonderful saying: If you want a new idea, read an old book...

Support, encouragement, and belief create a ripple effect that strengthens individuals and teams alike. Lifting others builds trust, confidence, and a shared sense of purpose.

Leadership is not about standing above. It is about elevating those around you so collective success becomes possible.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://lnkd.in/gmbnahin

At some point in your career, applause fades.
Titles change.
Markets shift.
The spotlight moves on.
What’s left is purpose.




This week’s Gratitude Journal is about Gordie Howe — and what he teaches us about why the best leaders don’t retire from the mission, even when they could.
If you’re leading through change right now, this one’s for you.

Bruce Nichols achieved an 80-point culture swing in 90 days at Liberty Mutual.

His secret? He stopped pushing change from the top and gave first-line managers real ownership.

New Culture Works episode on why technology on broken HR systems makes everything worse.

Listen to the full conversation:
https://lnkd.in/ebdkGfY3

Culture shifts the instant gratitude enters the room.
It doesn’t start with programs or perks.
It begins when people feel recognized, valued, and genuinely appreciated.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://lnkd.in/gmbnahin

Join me on March 11 in Lehi, Utah for the very first Build then Bless Conference.

I’ll be speaking about culture, gratitude, mental health, and how we create workplaces where people truly thrive. And yes… there will be carrots for those who participate. 🥕

It’s an incredible lineup of speakers and a day focused on community, generosity, and building stronger teams together.

If you’re planning to attend, early bird pricing is ending soon.

Visit https://lnkd.in/eeicW6SA and use my code CE35 at checkout to save on your ticket.

Hope to see you there!

#BuildThenBless #BTBConference2026

When work is fun and stimulating, people actually want to show up.

This insight from Laura Butler (she/her) stuck with us: AI's real impact isn't just the efficiency metrics- it's building workplaces where people feel energized and engaged.

That's the ROI worth chasing.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/ebdkGfY3

#PurposeDrivenWork #LeadershipPodcast #EmployeeEngagement #AIandCulture #WorkplaceExperience #PeopleFirst #TheCultureWorks #CultureWorks

"What's the bottom line?" That's the wrong starting point. Shawn Premer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP shared a better question: "How do we help members achieve their goals?" When you lead with purpose over profit, work becomes a mission- not just a job.

Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/ebdkGfY3

Technology without trust is expensive noise.

Bruce Nichols spent decades in corporate HR learning one lesson: keep the human in HR.

As AI transforms work, winning organizations won't have the best tech. They'll integrate it without breaking trust.

Listen to the episode at the link in the comments.

Consumers Credit Union made a bold move: everyone back to the office. The result? Engagement went up, not down. Shawn told us: "You can put on a good face on Zoom, but what's happening when it hangs up?" Sometimes the answer isn't more flexibility. It's bringing people together.

Listen now: https://lnkd.in/ebdkGfY3

Ten consecutive years winning Best and Brightest Company to Work For while maintaining 38 years of double-digit organic growth.

How?

I talked with Shawn Premer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at Consumers Credit Union, about building culture that performs.

A few things stood out to me:
Purpose over profit. Their mission is making members' financial dreams come true, not maximizing shareholder returns. Their collections team doesn't pound on doors. They ask, "How can we help you not lose your car?" That changes everything.

Mental health without stigma. They partnered with Be Nice to train 54 suicide prevention liaisons across their organization. The CEO talks about it. Managers talk about it. Cards are at every workstation. The message: noticing someone struggling isn't optional.

Care plus accountability. Shawn's approach: "You give grace when someone is struggling emotionally, but that doesn't exempt them from performance. You balance both, because if they can't succeed in this supportive environment, they won't succeed anywhere."

They brought everyone back to the office five days a week. Not because of control, but because wellbeing was declining in isolation. Engagement increased after returning.

The lesson: Great culture isn't about choosing between caring for people and driving results. It's about doing both, simultaneously, with intention.

Listen to the full conversation:
https://lnkd.in/ebdkGfY3

I LOVE this Adrian, my friend! 

You watch a game like USA vs. Canada and you see it in real time—leadership isn’t a speech. It’s a shift.

It’s the next face off after you just got scored on. 
It’s the bench after a blown call. 
It’s who grabs the stick first when momentum turns. 
The best captains don’t wait for the perfect moment. 
They take the moment.

We’ve spent our careers studying high-performance teams, and here’s what hockey always reminds us:

Culture shows up under pressure.
You can’t fake it in the third period.
You can’t manufacture trust in overtime.
You can’t invent accountability when the whole arena is watching.

The teams that win?
They’ve practiced leadership long before the spotlight hits. That’s what great organizations do too. They build the habits in calm moments so they’re ready for the storm.

And yes… I just love the game. ‍

5x New York Times Bestselling Author | Mission to Help Leaders & Teams Thrive | Thinkers50 Top Exec Coach | Ranked in Top 10 Leadership Speakers | Forbes Columnist | Ghostwriter for Thought Leaders

This week in Forbes I write about the leadership lessons from yesterday's US-Canada men's Olympic hockey final, and what Captains of Hockey can teach all of us in business.
Chester Elton Christy Lawrence John Baldoni Anthony G Scott Christopher Lance Garvin Paul Yoachum Natalie Duell
#leadership #management #teamwork #uscanadahockey

Marshall Goldsmith with a message we all need to hear.

My latest project: MarshallGoldsmith.ai Ask me any question. Everything I know is available for free! | Thinkers50 Hall of Fame | #1 Executive Coach | #1 Leadership Thought Leader | #1 NYT Bestselling Author

Please read my latest Newsletter, all about making a permanent change!
I’m excited to share Permanence, my new book with Lisa Broderick, on how small daily questions and simple accountability can create lasting change. If you’re ready to close the gap between knowing and doing, this is your Valentine’s gift to yourself: start today.

Click on the link below to learn more.

"We're about to become really efficient at doing something wrong."
Bruce Nichols after decades leading HR: organizations think technology fixes broken processes. It doesn't. It enhances what you already have.
Fix the house before you automate it.

Link to the episode in the comments.

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Chester Elton's Linkedin Analytics

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Chester Elton's Best Posts (last 30 days)

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Chester Elton

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Chester Elton's Linkedin Analytics

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