The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Performance
Program Description:
What if you could reverse-engineer the world’s highest performers?
Not the clichés. Not the platitudes. The real habits behind extraordinary success.
Speaker: Dr. Ruth Gotian
In this electrifying keynote, Dr. Ruth Gotian (EdD '17) pulls back the curtain on decades of research and hundreds of interviews with some of the most accomplished people on earth—astronauts, Nobel Prize winners, Fortune-level CEOs, and Olympic and NBA champions. What she discovered is that high achievers are not born…they are built. And they all share the same four core attributes that anyone can learn and apply: intrinsic motivation, perseverance, a strong foundation, and a lifelong commitment to learning.
Get ready for a highly interactive, invigorating experience that meets you where you are -- and elevates where you're going.
This isn’t just a talk. It’s a transformation -- one that will leave you inspired, equipped, and ready to take bold, decisive action.
If you’re ready to ignite your goals, amplify your performance, and step fully into the success you were built for, this keynote is your catalyst.
This talk is part of "Learn. Connect. Lead." — a speaker series hosted by the Adult Learning and Leadership Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, bringing together learning innovators and thought leaders to explore how people grow, lead, and adapt in a rapidly changing world. Each session offers fresh insights, meaningful connection, and practical ideas for leading with purpose and impact.
Dates & Registration
Date: April 23, 2026
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST
Location: Online
Price: $15.00
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Speaker
Dr. Ruth Gotian (GOAT-EE-AHN) is one of the world’s leading experts on high achievement, mentorship, and leadership development. After a storied 29-year career at Weill Cornell Medicine – where she most recently served as Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor – she is now fully dedicated to her life’s passion: helping people and organizations reach the levels of success they never thought possible.
A global authority on success, Ruth has spent decades studying and interviewing the highest performers of our generation, including Nobel Prize winners, astronauts, Olympic medalists, NBA champions, and world-class CEOs. Her research reveals the mindsets, habits, and systems that allow extraordinary people to consistently excel – and how anyone can implement them.
Her work has been featured by Nature, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and NBC. In 2025, she was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Coaching & Mentoring Award, placing her among the top eight coaching and mentoring thought leaders globally. Thinkers50 also named her the #1 emerging management thinker, and LinkedIn recognized her as a Top Voice. She is also a semifinalist for Forbes 50 Over 50.
Ruth is a prolific contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and Psychology Today, where she translates rigorous research into practical, actionable strategies for individuals and teams. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is known for making complex ideas not just understandable – but usable.
She is the award-winning author of The Success Factor, the Financial Times Guide to Mentoring, and Mentoring in Healthcare. She is also the rare author whose work has its own original theme song, titled I’m Possible – a testament to her impact and the movement she has inspired.
Today, Dr. Gotian is a sought-after keynote speaker, executive coach, and thought leader whose insights help audiences rethink what’s possible – and achieve it.
"Learn. Connect. Lead." — Rethinking Learning for Complexity
What does it take to lead in a world that won't stop changing?
Join us for an engaging series of conversations with learning innovators, and thought leaders who are answering that question every day. The Speaker series, hosted by the Adult Learning and Leadership Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, connects you with bold thinkers tackling some of the topical and challenging ideas that matter most — How do people learn in the flow of work? How do they effectively cross boundaries and find ideas at the edges of interaction with clients? How can we work with, and also reshape, the learning culture? How do AI and new technologies enhance and transform work and learning?
Whether you're leading a team, navigating organizational change, or sharpening your edge for what's next, this series meets you where you are — and challenges you to go further. Connect with a powerful community of TC alumni and fellow professionals who share your drive to lead with purpose, curiosity, and impact.
Reserve your spot for the next session and join a community that never stops learning. This isn't your typical lecture series. It's a dynamic and safe space for curious minds, seasoned professionals, and emerging leaders who are ready to think differently, challenge assumptions, and grow together. Every session is an opportunity to gain fresh insights, expand your network, and walk away inspired to lead with greater clarity and purpose.
Don't just follow the conversation — be part of it.