About John K. Bates
John helps leaders communicate with the trust, clarity, and Emotional Credibility™ their ideas deserve—drawing on experience as a Silicon Valley founder, TED speaker and coach, and communication expert trusted in some of the world’s most consequential organizations.
Speaker for NASA Houston Flight Operations, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and CEO groups worldwide · 8× TED/TEDx Speaker
The WHY behind the work
“My WHY is to bring out what's awesome inside every person so it can live in the world and make a real difference.” - John Bates
Why John Bates?
John trained people who understand that, when the communication stakes are high, failure is not an option.
He has spoken at TED three times and at TEDx five times, coached speakers for more than 35 TED and TEDx events, and coaches for the TED Fellows Program.
He has raised several hundred million dollars with startup teams and worked with leaders at NASA, Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Accenture, and GE Aerospace.
The road to Emotional Credibility™
John was a founder, co-founder, or early-stage employee at multiple internet companies. He raised capital with teams, developed business, spoke around the world, appeared in media, and repeatedly became the Chief Evangelist. He thought he was already a highly accomplished communicator.
That failure galvanized John to understand how to become reliably inspiring, connected, and relaxed. The lesson was bigger than public speaking: expertise alone does not guarantee that people will feel, trust, or act on what you mean.
John rooted his approach in neuroscience, storytelling, and human connection. The goal is not a collection of performance tricks. It is to give leaders principles they can understand, adapt, and use authentically when the moment matters.
Leadership is a function of communication.
The idea underneath the work
A title may give someone authority. Communication determines whether people understand, trust, align, and move.
That is why John's work goes far beyond presentation skills. It helps accomplished people become the trusted voice of their organization, expertise, mission, or movement.
“I thought I didn't need John, but in one hour he gave me a leapfrog I didn't think I needed. And, ever since that moment I keep him very, very close. And my very special network I trust with him because he not only brings out the best in you when you talk, but he looks inside your soul when he does it.”
Melinda Richter · Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JLABS
Work with John
Give your audience a keynote experience grounded in science, story, human connection, and practical action. John knows how to inspire, entertain, teach, and create meaningful change while keeping an audience fully engaged.
Explore executive coaching, team development, and leadership communication through Executive Speaking Success, the company John founded in 2012.
Visit Executive Speaking Success →Go deeper into Emotional Credibility™, leadership, trust, and the ability to inspire action.
Explore the framework →“It’s very hard to keep a room full of astronauts captivated for several hours… You not only did that, but you had us on the edge of our seats for more!”
Chris Cassidy · NASA astronaut
About John Bates
John K. Bates is a keynote speaker and communication expert who helps leaders build trust, communicate clearly, and inspire meaningful action. He is a three-time TED speaker, five-time TEDx speaker, TED Fellows coach, and former Silicon Valley founder and Chief Evangelist.
Emotional Credibility™ is John's framework for the human side of trust, connection, and influence. It helps leaders understand how people experience communication—not merely what information is delivered.
L=f(c) means leadership is a function of communication. Leadership becomes real through the conversations, stories, decisions, and moments in which people create trust, alignment, and action.
John has trained all the active NASA astronauts and worked with leaders and teams at organizations including Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Accenture, GE Aerospace, Boeing, and the U.S. Air Force.
Does how you show up matter?
Let's make sure how you communicate is a match for how good you really are.
