Karen Dillon

Karen Dillon

Keynote Speaker: Contributing, Former Editor of the Harvard Business Review; Faculty of Intermountain Leadership Institute & Author

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  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $30,000 - $50,000
    Virtual Event Fee: $10,000 - $20,000
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Karen Dillon Biography

Karen Dillon is a former editor of Harvard Business Review magazine and the coauthor of three books with Clayton Christensen, including the New York Times best-seller "How Will You Measure Your Life?" She’s also the co-author of "The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems – and What to Do About It," which was named a Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea of 2023. Her books have been translated into 30 languages. Dillon is currently on the faculty of Intermountain Leadership Institute and a contributing editor to Harvard Business Review. She was once named by Ashoka as one of the world’s most influential and inspiring women.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Karen Dillon and other top speakers and celebrities.

Karen Dillon Speaking Topics

The Microstress Effect

​Ever find yourself flopping into bed exhausted without remembering exactly why? Is your team struggling to do their best work under the pressures of everyday work and life? Dillon’s research on high performers may explain what’s going on. She has identified an invisible, but insidious, form of stress. It's so subtle that you might not even know you're facing it, but it's affecting your performance at work and your everyday life.  We call them “microstresses”, but they pack a big punch. Addressing microstress can have an enormous impact on both you and your team's performance. In this interactive workshop or keynote, Karen will walk your team through understanding the causes and very real physiological impact of microstress, plus personal exercises and small group breakout sessions to identify the most damaging, recurring sources of microstress, as well as tools to assess what sources of resilience you can tap to fight back.

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Why is it that so many high achievers end up unhappy in their careers -- and their lives? That's the question that Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen set out to answer. Christensen was one of the world's most respected academics -- his book, The Innovator's Dilemma, was the only business book Steve Jobs kept on his bookshelf and Amazon's Jeff Bezos recently noted that it's one of the three books he expects all his top executives to read. But in the last class of every semester, Christensen focuses on a surprisingly nonbusiness question. How will the students in his class ensure that they not only have a successful career -- but a happy life? Being in that 'last class' had become so coveted among his HBS students, that Karen Dillon, then-editor of Harvard Business Review, asked Christensen if they could turn the thinking in that class into an article for her magazine. That would become a life-changing moment for Dillon. After collaborating with Christensen on what would become one of the most popular articles ever to appear on HBR's website, Dillon walked away from the top job on one of the world's most respected magazines.  So, what can a business school professor say that it's powerful enough to trigger that response -- in Dillon and the hundreds of thousands of people who have read his thinking? The answer explains why it is that high achievers are hard-wired to make the very choices that can lead to a life of personal and professional unhappiness.

In this interactive workshop, participants will understand how proven business theories can be powerful decision-making tools. We will learn and discuss the theories of two-factor motivation, emergent vs. deliberate strategy, resource allocation, marginal costs, and more. 

We will then use those theories to help answer three essential questions:

  • Question 1: Happiness in your career
  • Question 2: Happiness in your personal life
  • Question 3: Staying out of jail!

With interactive exercises and group discussions throughout, we will help participants understand what they most value and the long-term impact of the everyday choices they are making now so they can begin to answer the question: How Will You Measure Your Life?

Karen Dillon Videos

The Microstress Effect | Rob Cross & Karen Dillon | Talks at Google ...
Do You Have a Strategy for Your Life? | Karen Dillon | TEDxBYU
Keynote: Karen Dillon, NYT Best Selling Author - YouTube

How do I book Karen Dillon to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Karen Dillon for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Karen Dillon, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Karen Dillon or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Karen Dillon for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Karen Dillon, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Karen Dillon are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Karen Dillon, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Karen Dillon speak about?

Karen Dillon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Authors, Journalism, Business, Business Leadership, Women in Business, TED, Leadership, Human Resources and Work-Life Balance.

Where does Karen Dillon travel from?

Karen Dillon generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Karen Dillon?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Karen Dillon for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Karen Dillon for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Karen Dillon or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Karen Dillon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Authors, Journalism and Business. The estimated speaking fee range to book Karen Dillon for live events is $30,000 - $50,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Karen Dillon generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Amy Vetter, Suze Orman and Sonia Hunt. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Karen Dillon for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 19/03/2025.

Karen Dillon Speaking Topics

  • The Microstress Effect

    ​Ever find yourself flopping into bed exhausted without remembering exactly why? Is your team struggling to do their best work under the pressures of everyday work and life? Dillon’s research on high performers may explain what’s going on. She has identified an invisible, but insidious, form of stress. It's so subtle that you might not even know you're facing it, but it's affecting your performance at work and your everyday life.  We call them “microstresses”, but they pack a big punch. Addressing microstress can have an enormous impact on both you and your team's performance. In this interactive workshop or keynote, Karen will walk your team through understanding the causes and very real physiological impact of microstress, plus personal exercises and small group breakout sessions to identify the most damaging, recurring sources of microstress, as well as tools to assess what sources of resilience you can tap to fight back.

  • How Will You Measure Your Life?

    Why is it that so many high achievers end up unhappy in their careers -- and their lives? That's the question that Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen set out to answer. Christensen was one of the world's most respected academics -- his book, The Innovator's Dilemma, was the only business book Steve Jobs kept on his bookshelf and Amazon's Jeff Bezos recently noted that it's one of the three books he expects all his top executives to read. But in the last class of every semester, Christensen focuses on a surprisingly nonbusiness question. How will the students in his class ensure that they not only have a successful career -- but a happy life? Being in that 'last class' had become so coveted among his HBS students, that Karen Dillon, then-editor of Harvard Business Review, asked Christensen if they could turn the thinking in that class into an article for her magazine. That would become a life-changing moment for Dillon. After collaborating with Christensen on what would become one of the most popular articles ever to appear on HBR's website, Dillon walked away from the top job on one of the world's most respected magazines.  So, what can a business school professor say that it's powerful enough to trigger that response -- in Dillon and the hundreds of thousands of people who have read his thinking? The answer explains why it is that high achievers are hard-wired to make the very choices that can lead to a life of personal and professional unhappiness.

    In this interactive workshop, participants will understand how proven business theories can be powerful decision-making tools. We will learn and discuss the theories of two-factor motivation, emergent vs. deliberate strategy, resource allocation, marginal costs, and more. 

    We will then use those theories to help answer three essential questions:

    • Question 1: Happiness in your career
    • Question 2: Happiness in your personal life
    • Question 3: Staying out of jail!

    With interactive exercises and group discussions throughout, we will help participants understand what they most value and the long-term impact of the everyday choices they are making now so they can begin to answer the question: How Will You Measure Your Life?

Karen Dillon Videos

The Microstress Effect | Rob Cross & Karen Dillon | Talks at Google ...
Do You Have a Strategy for Your Life? | Karen Dillon | TEDxBYU
Keynote: Karen Dillon, NYT Best Selling Author - YouTube
Karen Dillon "Risk and Innovation" - SHIFT: A Festival of American ...
The Secret of Successful Innovation | Karen Dillon

Karen Dillon Reviews

  • ​“Karen Dillon’s popular and impactful workshop, ‘How Will You Measure Your Life,’ is a key part of the Intermountain Leadership Institute...In a highly immersive and interactive learning environment, participants explore timeless leadership principles that help them further develop leadership attributes such as vision, courage, integrity, resilience, emotional intelligence, stakeholder alignment, and creating a belonging culture -- to name a few. It is the combination of competence and character that makes great leaders and great organizations.”
    Learning and Leadership Development, Intermountain Leadership Institute - Feb 03 2025

  • "Karen seamlessly tied together the two biggest ways many of us will measure ourselves – personal lives and career success. And she provided tools and tactics for how to think about the impact each has on the other, as well as the false notions many of us chase when we put title, salary and prestige ahead of purpose, respect and growth... I'm relieved we had the barrier of virtualness to keep the crying jags at bay."
    Former Chief Communications and Brand Officer at Xerox - Feb 03 2025

  • How do I book Karen Dillon to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Karen Dillon for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Karen Dillon, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Karen Dillon or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Karen Dillon for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Karen Dillon, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Karen Dillon are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Karen Dillon, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Karen Dillon speak about?

    Karen Dillon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Authors, Journalism, Business, Business Leadership, Women in Business, TED, Leadership, Human Resources and Work-Life Balance.
  • Where does Karen Dillon travel from?

    Karen Dillon generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Karen Dillon?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Karen Dillon for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Karen Dillon for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Karen Dillon or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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KAREN DILLON

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