Motivational speakers inspire people to reach their full potential by sharing powerful stories, life lessons, and strategies for success.
Around the world, many speakers have made a big impact on millions of lives, helping individuals and businesses improve their mindset, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals.
In this list of the top 20 best motivational speakers in the world, you’ll find influential figures from various backgrounds, including business, sports, and personal development.
Each of them has a unique style and message, offering valuable insights on topics like leadership, perseverance, and positive thinking.
Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, these speakers can provide the motivation you need to take action and improve your life.
20 Best Motivational Speakers In The World (2024)
1) Tony Robbins
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
A life coach and the author of many best-selling self-help books, Tony Robbins, has turned motivating people into a work of art. He started his career at the tender age of 17, when he started working with Jim Rohn, another famous professional motivational speaker.
A few years later, he was making a name for himself as an incredible motivational speaker in the United States, and slowly, his fame spread worldwide.
His tall stature, deep voice, and excellent command of his body language allow him to quickly connect with the audience.
His speeches focus on the power of decisions and how choices have a deeper impact than anything else in a person’s life.
He iterates about the importance of various emotions and needs, which influence a person’s every minor or major decision. In doing so, Robbins, who has handled the bad cards dealt by life with great aplomb, imparts the wisdom of achieving ‘emotional mastery’.
For his nuanced approach to helping others overcome mental obstacles, Robbins is considered one of the best motivational speakers in the world.
His seminars are in huge demand by individuals, corporations, and athletes, among others.
He starts with a simple question: What do you want to accomplish in your life, and why? He then takes you on a journey to figure out the truth and, in the process, provides you with techniques that can help you achieve your goals.
2) Gary Vaynerchuk
Work hard. Work smart. Be Patient.
When Gary was a kid, life gave him lemons, so he made lemonade and sold it to people.
At the same time, he earned thousands of dollars trading baseball cards. The values that he passes forward to people in his speeches are those that he has learned through his experiences.
Hustle, and hustle hard because the universe doesn’t owe you anything. This is the mantra that Gary Vaynerchuk tells his audience in his motivational speeches.
In his own words, he is not a motivational speaker but just a person who wants to motivate people to help them build the bridge to their success.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a millionaire, and through his work as a wine critic, he redefined and expanded his father’s wine business. He is also an entrepreneur, the author of several best-selling books, a public speaker, and an internet personality.
He is not shy about using slang or curse words on stage in front of an audience. His goal is to help people be self-aware enough to remove themselves from petty issues like other people’s perception of their self-worth.
Gary, in his speeches, also touches upon the issues that millennials face in the age of digital connectivity.
Gary emphasizes how the fear of judgment motivates us and stresses the importance of being self-aware enough not to waste energy on negativity.
He believes in the power of adopting the right mindset to achieve one’s dreams. Only when you have clarity of mind can you take constructive actions in your life?
He addresses the audience in the same uncompromising but constructive manner as he delivers his speech, always focused on truth and showing a better way.
3) Grant Cardone
“Stop dreaming about life being easy. Go out and earn it.”
Success is not a coincidence. One has to work hard for it every single day.
This is the message that Grant Cardone gives whenever he addresses an audience. He’s a successful real estate mogul who has written several bestselling books on business and money.
He’s one of the top social media business influencers globally and a motivational speaker who also provides sales training.
Cardone teaches about the value of money and how the best aesthetics and comforts do not indicate wealth. Rather, accumulated wealth offers freedom from a stressed lifestyle and associated worries.
It also frees up a person’s valuable time from hectic schedules. This precious free time can then be spent with family and friends.
To reach this stage, one accumulates wealth by saving first and spending later. To achieve this, one would need to change their lifestyle as required.
He reiterates what we already know—money is not the most important thing in the world, but it is the most important thing in the world.
This is summed quite logically in the video below, wherein Cardone teaches his employees the real value of one million dollars.
As he says correctly, “… if you are not thinking about money correctly, you’re never going to make the sale!”
4) Arnold Schwanneger
“You can have results or excuses. Not both.”
Highly admired body-builder, beloved action hero, and successful politician, Arnold has donned many hats throughout his career.
However, he has always managed to keep his head straight. It is so because of his determination, hard work, and sincerity toward achieving his goals are some of the greatest defining factors of his success.
Born in Austria to middle-class parents, Arnold rejected the mold society had set out for him and decided to migrate to America in pursuit of his vision.
He worked day and night to build his career from scratch to the top.
From studying, body-building training, working at construction sites, and taking acting classes until midnight, Arnold never lost sight of his goals.
They became his anchor point, which helped him weather the storms life threw his way.
As Arnold says, the secret is not magic but pure, unadulterated hard work. Arnold is an inspiration to millions of people worldwide who have learned the wisdom in his values, which propelled him toward success.
By not considering failure as an option, one wins by the process of elimination. There will be struggles and hardships, but it is important to face the battles head-on and have faith in the courage of one’s convictions.
The naysayers will always be there, but their negativity shouldn’t overpower the faith you have in yourself.
5) Deepak Chopra
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”
A prominent public orator and successful author, Deepak Chopra is an ardent motivational speaker. A doctor by training, he looks at the world through the lenses of science and spirituality.
He asks his audience to allow themselves to feel their emotions in their entirety without compromising on the experience of an emotional journey.
Chopra says that it is only when we allow ourselves to connect with our feelings, regardless of the situation or the people, that we overcome the disconnect we feel with the world and the universe.
Chopra discusses the importance of self-realization, which is the root cause of further physical, mental, and spiritual awakening.
When questioned about spirituality, Chopra defines it as merely the feeling of being astonished at the miracle of existence. “You are the universe looking at yourself,” Chopra says.
He talks about how closely related we are to other life forms on the planet and how intricate our relationship with the universe is as a being made up of stardust.
According to him, it is an utterly humbling experience when a person realizes his value as a living being.
Considering the immensity of the known universe and the diversity of life on earth, just having the opportunity to experience life is a miracle that should be cherished.
When we look at the world from such a perspective, our burdens seem insignificant in comparison to our blessings.
As a being made of stardust, contemplating his/her purpose of existence, one realizes that just our presence is enough to impact the world like the butterfly effect.
6) Nick Vujicic
“If I fail, I try again and again.”
Expecting the world to be fair is an unfair demand, but having the courage to deal with your problems makes all the difference.
Nick Vujicic had every justification to allow negativity to take over his life, yet he did not let his circumstances define who he is. The man and his life are shining examples of what a person can achieve if he and his loved ones have faith in him.
Nick Vujicic was born with a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome, wherein one’s limbs (arms and legs) are absent or not fully formed.
This crippling disability which alienated him from his peers throughout his life, also gave him the perspective of positivity.
An ardent Christian, Nick Vujicic preaches the message of love in all his speeches. He encourages people to be brave enough to love themselves and love others.
It takes a tremendous amount of courage to stand against the judgment of people who want to put you down.
But it is essential to have the humility to forgive their actions so that you can move on. In the end, Nick says it is important to have the right attitude so that you can overcome all obstacles in life.
Having spoken on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, bullying and the importance of hard work and persistence to drive positive change in life, he has addressed an audience about 3,000 times in more than 57 countries.
He’s given many lectures in schools to kids of various ages on how destructive bullying can be for both the bully and the person being bullied.
According to him, in one such school, bullying stopped for a long period due to a collective sense of understanding after Nick’s lecture that bullying is not right.
7) Yogesh Chabria
“Just start. Nothing happens till you don’t.”
Successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and the best Indian motivational speaker, Yogesh Chabria is lauded as one of the most influential sales, business, and happiness strategists in the world.
He’s the founder of The Happionaire® Way, an immersive training program that helps individuals as well as companies to boost their efficiency and happiness index.
His Happionaire series is a global bestseller, with six self-help books that have helped millions of people worldwide to surmount their mental blocks and accomplish their goals.
Yogesh is an award-winning speaker who has made a career out of helping, inspiring, motivating, and training people.
He started doing this at a young age: He started selling at the tender age of 5 and made his first investment at the age of 16.
He gave his first seminar at the age of 21 and today has participated in thousands of seminars to facilitate people’s unleashing their potential.
Through his seminars programs, books, keynote sessions, workshops, training programs, personal coaching and mentorship, Yogesh has uplifted more than 20 million people from all walks of life.
He has coached entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, public servants, students, and homemakers to bring a positive change in the way they think, which translates into good behavior and productive actions.
In all his speeches, Yogesh imparts the significance of taking action. He narrates real-life experiences and fictional stories to drive home the importance of overcoming one’s fear, which is all in the mind, and taking action to gain real results.
He inspires by heightening people’s aspirations and providing guidance, training, and wisdom to help them on their path to success.
Yogesh rejects the notion that wealth is co-related to the corruption of one’s actions and thoughts. He highlights the invaluable role wealth plays in granting a person freedom from the stresses of what-if scenarios.
This freedom allows people to focus on managing priorities between the professional and personal realms, which is essential for living a complete life.
8) Robin Sharma
“Leadership is not a title. It’s behavior. Live it.”
Some people are born to be leaders, possessing all the charismatic traits of one. Some have leadership thrust upon them and need to grow into their role.
History has been a testament to both types of leaders, yet the difference between them is their behavior and how it eventually impacted the world around them.
Robin Sharma is a renowned leadership guru who has worked with CEOs, billionaires, and celebrities worldwide.
He’s also a life coach who has authored several bestselling motivational books on topics such as leadership, personal mastery, and productivity. His books have been read by millions of people from more than 96+ countries.
Robin quit his job as a litigation lawyer when he was 25. He self-published his first book, “Megamind,” and the second one, “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”.
Since the latter became famous almost overnight, Robin has not looked back. Before preaching it to other people, Robin lived by the wisdom that unless you believe in yourself, no one will believe in you.
Individuals, corporations, and other organizations demand his thought-provoking lectures, seminars, and programs to induce a stimulating atmosphere. Robin’s rare talent as a presenter allows him to boost morale with spiritual insights.
This helps to directly impact workplace efficiency. Robin has worked with many companies worldwide to uplift their workforces and increase employee retention.
Robin is also a social media influencer with a reach of over 600 million people per year.
His video guidance series on YouTube is an immensely popular platform for his fans to connect with him. Robin regularly uploads videos to ease people’s lives and constant struggles with various self-development tricks.
9) Brian Tracy
“Never consider the possibility of failure. If you persist, you will be successful.”
With a career spanning over 30 years, Brian Tracy is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed motivational speakers.
He has authored over 70 books on self-development, many of which have become best-sellers and been translated into dozens of languages.
Brian is a highly regarded speaker. He uses a step-by-step approach to guide people to achieve their business and personal goals.
He has spoken to corporate and public audiences worldwide, consulted over 1000 companies, and reached more than 5 million individuals through 5000 talks.
Brian has conducted seminars on various topics and created over 300 learning programs, including the bestseller “Psychology of Achievement.”
He is a seasoned traveler, proficient in four languages, and has worked in various fields. Currently, as the CEO of Brian Tracy International, he aims to inspire individuals to surpass their mental limitations and achieve their goals.
10) Eric Thomas
“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, that’s when you’ll be successful.”
Eric Thomas is not a conventional motivational speaker. Born in Detroit to a single teenage mother, he faced many hardships growing up.
But instead of that experience turning him bitter, Eric built up his value system and decided to help others.
He worked for a Ph.D. in Education Administration and, at the same time, served as a pastor.
At Michigan State University (MSU), he served as an academic advisor to disadvantaged students and created an undergraduate retention program called Advantage to help minority students who are categorized as academically high-risk.
While working at MSU, he delivered an inspiring speech to his students, which changed his life.
The speech was uploaded on YouTube, and it went viral on the internet, instantly taking Eric from obscurity to fame.
This was the turning point, and he took his counseling business online. Today, he is one of the most popular motivational speakers and influencers on YouTube.
He has more than a million followers on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Eric inspires people to reach for their goals with a single-minded focus and determination.
In his own words, if success is not your greatest priority, above the need to eat, sleep, and even breathe, then you need to revisit what you really want in life.
Then, reorient your life to chase your goals until you achieve them. Eric’s consistent dedication has been lauded worldwide and has motivated many people to change the narrative of losing. Motivational speakers give people hope.
Eric has been successful in not only giving people hope but also a direction to chase the win they deserve.
11) Les Brown
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”
To achieve anything in life, you have to be hungry for it. Les Brown preaches this powerful message in most of his speeches.
As one of the leading motivational speakers in the world, Les Brown is well-known for using the phrase, ‘It’s possible!’
He inspires people to follow their dreams without fear by highlighting his own life experiences and stories about people who motivated him.
Presently, he’s on a tour called ‘You’ve Got to Be Hungry,’ during which he will travel to multiple cities in the USA and share his insights on how the right attitude is essential to achieving success in life.
What worked for Les was his persistence in wanting to achieve his goals.
It required immense patience, humility, and hard work on his part, but eventually, his efforts paid off. This drive to succeed is what he calls his ‘hunger,’ which is greater than his desire to rest.
Throughout his career, Brown has worked with some of the largest corporations in the world, their CXOs, employees, start-ups, students, athletes, community leaders, and many more people from all walks of life to help them define, redefine, and reach their goals.
Through his Platinum Speakers program, he has trained more than 500 speakers and mentored 2000 speakers nationally. Toastmasters International honored him with the Golden Gavel Award.
When he was in school, Les was declared ‘educable mentally retarded’. This was a severe blow to his self-esteem, but he decided not to let the opinions of other people become his reality.
His decision propelled him to achieve greatness in every role he undertook in his career- from an author, radio DJ, politician, former television host, and public speaker.
Today, Les’s life story and how he overcame his struggles is a motivational narration for all people.
12) Zig Ziglar
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
Zig Ziglar was one of the best motivational speakers in the world, having inspired an estimated 250 million, that is, a quarter of a billion, people throughout his lifetime.
Known for his steadfast drive to help people, Zigler made it his mission statement to guide others on their path toward success.
As a public speaker, Ziglar participated in many motivational and training seminars throughout his life. Apart from that, he has also authored over 30 books on ways to achieve professional and personal success.
His bestseller, See You at the Top, has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and is still in print today. He founded the Ziglar Corporation in 1977 with the faith that each individual has the capacity to be more, do more, and have more.
His programs continue to carry his legacy of encouraging people to be better, with Ziglar’s son Tom taking the charge forward.
Ziglar endorsed the power of positive thinking by showing how a positive attitude can turn even a negative situation into an exciting opportunity.
In his own words, Ziglar said that positive thinking allows people to do things better than negative thinking does.
This mantra also guided him throughout his professional and personal life. Zigler advocated the idea that before working toward a goal, one should have complete and irrevocable faith in one’s ability to achieve it.
This way, one’s attitude determines the altitude of success they can accomplish.
13) Jim Rohn
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
An eminent name in the field of public speaking, Jim Rohn was an author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker.
Though Jim Rohn belonged to a generation that grew up on values that differ vastly from the lifestyle of the present generation, his insights and speeches still inspire people today from all walks of life.
A veteran public speaker with a career spanning more than 40 years, Jim Rohn in his life connected with over 5 million people globally through 6000+ speeches.
Jim Rohn’s success can be attributed to his deep understanding of human behavior. He is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time.
As the author of several bestsellers, motivational audio and video programs, and host of numerous seminars, Jim Rohn has trained an entire generation of self-development trainers and motivators. Notably, Tony Robbins began his motivational speaking career under Jim Rohn’s guidance.
Jim has helped countless individuals expand their creativity, imagination, and persistence by developing simple yet effective strategies.
He emphasized the importance of teaching good and productive habits to achieve success.
This principle recurred in all of his personal and professional development lectures. His training focused on both individual growth and business progress.
Jim preached that becoming rich is not the most challenging part; rather, it is the self-discipline required to embark on that journey.
Taking charge of your destiny is crucial, as it ensures that you are not merely fulfilling other people’s plans for you.
He famously said that while formal education will help you make a living, self-education will help you make a fortune.
Throughout his life, Jim emphasized the value of learning and continuously improving one’s skills, rather than hoping for challenges to become easier.
He believed that personal development is more important than just focusing on professional advancement.
According to Jim, if you are not committed to learning every day, you will need to adjust your dreams and settle for less than what you desire.
14) Dr. Wayne Dyer
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
Wayne Dyer found his own inspiration from spirituality and faith in divinity. He got his doctoral degree in counseling and then established his own private therapy practice.
He was a highly acclaimed public motivational speaker and the author of 12 New York Times bestsellers out of the 20 books he wrote on self-development.
His most famous book, ‘Your Erroneous Zones,’ published in 1976, is one of the bestselling books of all time.
Over 35 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide to date. He has also appeared on 10 National Public Television specials.
His career spanned over four decades, during which time he preached the importance of spiritual, personal, and professional growth and how all of them are interrelated.
His lectures focused on the power of positive thinking. He trained his audience on how to inculcate techniques that would help them to program their brain and turn negative thoughts into positive feelings.
Along the way, he also guided them through how this simple act helps to connect with the universal mind, which is ‘God’.
He believed that his purpose in life was to help others look at themselves, shift their viewpoint, and transform the world by spreading the message of embracing spirituality.
Wayne insisted that action and inaction are both individualistic choices that decide the path one’s life will take. In the end, the ultimate goal is to become the best possible version of who we can be.
15) Jack Canfield
“It’s a universal principle that you get more of what you think about, talk about, and feel strongly about.”
During the course of his successful career, Jack Canfield has been an author, entrepreneur, corporate trainer, and highly sought-after motivational speaker.
Who has not heard of the worldwide top-selling book series Chicken Soup for the Soul? Jack Canfield is best known for co-authoring this popular book series, which has over 250 titles and 500+ million copies in print in over 40 languages globally.
He has also co-authored the hit self-help book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. This book has helped millions of people worldwide to bank on these principles to achieve success in their lives.
The Success Principles™ are an accumulation of 64 principles divided into six sections, which, if followed diligently, can propel anyone towards achieving their goals and leading a successful and fulfilling life.
These principles encourage individuals to take responsibility, narrow down on practical goals, and build the self-confidence to achieve them. At the same time, in the pursuit of success, one shouldn’t lose sight of one’s values.
Rather than alienating oneself, investing in creating better relationships in life pays off with profits and success.
Jack insisted on the importance of taking action. He believed that a vital part of this is overcoming one’s fears of what-ifs and buts.
Rather than nurturing the fear of losing, one should transform it into the fear of missing out on brilliant opportunities when one doesn’t even try.
Our thoughts shape our reality, and since we do have the power to control them, we owe it to ourselves to think positively.
16) Robert Kiyosaki
“Before you can transform your wallet from poor to rich, you’ve got to transform your spirit from poor to rich.”
Author of the critically acclaimed and chart-topping book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’, Robert Kiyosaki has made a name for himself in the field of financial management.
He is the founder of Rich Dad Company which provides personal finance and business guidance to people. He works in the area of educating the masses on managing their finances through books, seminars, and audio-visual aids.
He also hosts regular public talks to motivate people to take control of their financial freedom. He has challenged and inspired millions of people all over the world to rethink their approach to money.
Robert advocates the philosophy of contradicting conventional wisdom when it comes to wealth.
He’s been called out for his irreverent views on how the old adage of getting a job and sticking to it diligently will not help anyone grow rich.
Through his straight talk and no-nonsense attitude, he has built a reputation as a bold speaker.
Robert explains that to learn how to achieve financial freedom, one must first unlearn the dogmas for success taught at schools.
He believes that societal rules taught to us from a young age are designed to actually keep people from accumulating wealth. He encourages people to ask questions and have the courage to seek their answers.
17) Stephen Covey
“To achieve goals you have never achieved before, you need to start doing things you’ve never done before.”
Stephen Covey was of the rare breed of men who don’t blame their circumstances for how their lives turn out. Rather, they are acutely aware of how impactful their own choices are.
This simple yet effective principle means that irrespective of our nature and nurture, at any point, we have the power to change the direction of our lives.
Stephen Covey was a celebrated writer, businessman, and motivational speaker whose book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold more than 25 million copies to date, was elected one of the 20th-century’s most influential books.
TIME magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people in the world in 1996.
Stephen was a highly sought-after self-help trainer who educated the leaders of the world’s top corporations on effective leadership techniques. He also served as a self-development consultant for countless individuals and hundreds of institutions.
He helped people unleash their potential by providing them with effective methods to turn passivity to proactivity.
Stephen firmly believed in each individual’s power of choice. In his books and lectures, he reiterated the importance of rising above the dilemmas of the past and working every day towards fulfilling a goal.
18) Suze Orman
“Every financial worry you want to banish and financial dream you want to achieve comes from taking tiny steps today that put you on a path towards your goals.”
A novelty in the disproportionately male-dominated world of motivational speaking, Suze Orman stands out as one of the few women who top the charts in this field.
A financial advisor, television host, author of nine The New York Times bestsellers, public speaker, and celebrity, Suze Orman is a two-time Grammy award winner and eight-time Gracie award winner.
She has appeared two times in the TIMES magazine’s list of 100 influential people in the world.
Suze is a personal finance guru who guides people on what changes they can make in their life to attain financial freedom goals.
Whether one wants to become a millionaire, save money for a house, or learn how an investment works, Suze provides financial guidance to millions of individuals to help them navigate the complexities of the financial world.
To that effect, she founded Suze Orman Financial Group to help people in becoming financially secure.
Her mantra of ‘First People, then money, then things’ is based on her years of experience, which consolidated her ethical values and character, which inspire millions of people today.
She encourages people to view failures as stepping stones in life, which are essential to achieving success.
She defines financial freedom as that stage in life wherein one’s heart and mind become free from worries about the what-if situations in life.
19) Eckhart Tolle
“In today’s rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just being.”
A teacher, leader, writer, and speaker, Eckhart Tolle is known as one of the most popular spiritual authors of his time. His famous books The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose have been bestsellers, with more than 3 million and 5 million copies sold.
Eckhart doesn’t identify with any particular religion but acknowledges the impact their spiritual works have had on his belief system.
He addresses many audiences through talks, seminars, webinars, and retreats and speaks on the importance of the awareness of thoughts and the transformation of consciousness.
In his books, Eckhart explains that the negative emotions stem from ‘ego’, which is an illusion of the consciousness that is based on unconscious identification of thoughts and memories.
He preaches that it’s essential to transcend this state of consciousness, which is based on the ego, to attain a higher level of consciousness.
He says this is the next step in human evolution. According to him, this state of mind is important to ending personal and other conflicts that give rise to violence in our world.
20) Bear Grylls
“Whatever you face today that is scary remember these truths: you are stronger than you imagine, walking towards fear is the route over fear, and you can overcome everything with faith, courage, and persistent action.”
A household name in most urban settings worldwide, Bear Grylls has become synonymous with wilderness, adventure, and survival. He quickly rose to fame thanks to his super-hit adventure television series Man vs. Wild.
Bear Grylls gained fame for his daring survival stunts on TV and his adventures as an adventurer.
He climbed Mt. Everest at 23 despite a severe spinal injury and led expeditions across the British Isles and the North Atlantic Ocean.
He also holds a world record for hosting a formal dinner party at 25,000 ft in a hot-air balloon.
Bear has written books on survival and is a motivational speaker, emphasizing the importance of resilience and determination in overcoming challenges.
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Conclusion: Best Motivational Speakers In The World (2024)
So I hope our list of best motivational speakers in the world. Tell me who your favorite speakers from the list above, or did we miss out on someone please let us know in the comments 🙂
