The 10 Most Motivational Speakers Ever

Here is a list of some of the top living Motivational Speakers that will be sure to help you get focused…

Anthony (Tony) Robbins – Website

(Born February 29, 1960) An American self-help writer and professional speaker for over 30 years. He became well known through his infomercials and bestselling self-help books, Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement and Awaken The Giant Within. The first edition of Unlimited Power was published by Fawcett Columbine (Ballantine Books) in 1987.

Robbins writes about subjects such as health and energy, overcoming fears, persuasive communication, and enhancing relationships. He also became well known in America and internationally through infomercials promoting personal development audio programs and motivational seminars. His audio programs, seminars and self-help products featured Neuro-linguistic programming and Ericksonian hypnosis which he studied at the start of his career. Robbins seminars also used firewalking as a metaphor for overcoming fears and limiting beliefs. Later, Robbins combined his skills and techniques with other methods claimed to effect personal change.

Wayne Dyer – Website

(Born May 10, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan) A popular American self-help advocate, author and lecturer. His 1976 book Your Erroneous Zones has sold over 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all time. It is said to have “brought humanistic ideas to the masses”.

Dr. Deepak Chopra - Website

(Born October 22, 1946) An Indian-American medical doctor and writer. He has written extensively on spirituality and diverse topics in mind-body medicine. Chopra says that he has been profoundly influenced by Jiddu Krishnamurti. He has also been influenced by the teachings of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita, and by the field of quantum physics. Deepak Chopra has influenced the New Thought Movement in the United States.

Zig Ziglar – Website

(Born 6 November 1926 in Coffee County, Alabama.) His parents were John Silas Ziglar and Lila Ziglar. He was the tenth of twelve children.

In 1931, when Ziglar was five years old, his father accepted a management position at a Mississippi farm, and his family moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he spent most of his early childhood. In 1932, his father died of a stroke, and his younger sister died two days later, leaving his mother to raise the remaining eleven children alone. Ziglar served in the Navy during World War II (circa 1943 to 1945). He was in the Navy V-12 Navy College Training Program, attending the University of South Carolina.

On September 15, 1944, he met his wife, Jean, at the YWCA in Jackson, Mississippi. He was 17 and she was 16. After courting her for over two years, she accepted his hand in marriage. They were married in late 1946.

Ziglar later worked as a salesman in a succession of companies, during which time his sales skills improved and his interest in motivational speaking grew.

In 1968, Ziglar became a vice president and training director for the Automotive Performance company, moving to Dallas, Texas, where he still lives today.

In 1970, Ziglar went into the business of motivational speaker full-time. He often incorporates his strong Christian values into his enthusiastic speaking. Up until this final career change, he had gone by his given name, Hilary Ziglar. As more associates in the speaking and motivation business called him by the nickname, Zig, he decided to call himself Zig, and it stuck. Millions of his readers and attendees know of Zig Ziglar but few know that Zig is a nickname for Hilary Ziglar of Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Jim Rohn – Website

(Born September 17, 1930) An American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. His work has been influential in launching or furthering the careers of many others in the personal development industry, including Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield.

Les Brown – Website

(Born 1945 in Miami, Florida)  A motivational speaker and author. He was briefly married to singer Gladys Knight.

He won the Council of Peers Award of Excellence from the National Speakers Association in 1987, its highest honor. Toastmasters international also recognized him as one of the World’s Top Five Speakers for 1992.

As a renowned professional speaker, author and television personality, Les Brown has risen to national prominence by delivering a “high energy message” which tells people how to “shake off mediocrity” and “live up to their greatness.” It is a message Les Brown “learned from his own life and one he is helping others apply to their lives.” Les Brown was invited to share this message in 2004 at The First Cathedral.

In May 2008, Les teamed up with Kerry McCreary of Ardmore PC and kicked off his new radio station, WLBR Radio. The station currently streams excerpts of Les’ products and smooth jazz. By the end of 2008, WLBR will feature Les and other motivational speakers with live talk shows and interviews.

He is now one of the many teachers offering online courses at Success University. He currently resides in Chicago, IL.

Mark Victor Hansen – Website

(Born January 1948) An American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series.

Along with business partner, Jack Canfield, Hansen is best known for creating what Time magazine called “the publishing phenomenon of the decade”. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are one of the most successful publishing franchises in the world today, with more than 140 million books sold internationally and more than 100 licensed products. The name “Chicken Soup” was chosen because of the use of chicken soup as a home remedy for the sick. The first Chicken Soup book, published by Health Communications, Inc., sold more than 2 million copies. There are now over 140 million copies in print and in 54 languages world-wide.

Hansen has appeared on Oprah, CNN and The Today Show and was featured in Time, US News and World Report, USA Today, The New York Times and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Hansen’s most recent book, co-authored with Art Linkletter, is “How to Make the Rest of your Life The Best of your Life.”

Dan Millman – Website

(Born Feb 22, 1946) An author of thirteen self-help books, the most famous of which is the semi-autobiographical novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior (1980). As the winner of the 1964 World Trampoline Championship in London, he co-captained the 1968 NCAA University of California gymnastics team and has also worked as a gymnastics instructor at Stanford University and a professor of physical education at Oberlin College. He is connected to the human potential movement along with Anthony Robbins. His early background includes modern dance and Aikido. Later he studied various yogas and martial arts while he travelled around the world, which resulted in his new calling as spiritual and motivational speaker and author.

Jack Canfield – Website

(Born August 19, 1944) is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, which currently has nearly 200 titles and 112 million copies in print in over 40 languages. According to USA Today, Chicken Soup for the Soul and several of the series titles by Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were among the top 150 best-selling books of the last 15 years (October 28, 1993 through October 23, 2008).

In July 2004, Jack Canfield founded The Transformational Leadership Council, a group of thought leaders, speakers, authors, coaches, trainers, researchers, consultants, and other leaders in the fields of personal and professional development. The members of TLC meet semi-annually to network, connect, and learn from each other, to enhance members’ effectiveness and contribution in the world. As of January 2009, membership numbered 99.

Stephen R. Covey – Website

Recognized as one of Time magazine’s 25 most influential Americans, Stephen R. Covey has dedicated his life to demonstrating how every person can truly control their destiny with profound, yet straightforward guidance. As an an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author, his advice has given insight to millions.