Video: Phil Clampitt’s Last Lecture

Prof. Phil Clampitt, the fifth speaker in the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s “Last Lecture Series,” presented, “The Magical Connection between Uncertainty, Innovation, and the Human Spirit.”

“I’ve been researching how to manage uncertainty for many years and I’ve been fascinated by innovation since I was a young boy,” said Clampitt, as to why he selected this particular topic. His lecture focused on the intersection of uncertainty management principles and innovation, and concluded with a discussion of personal life lessons for thoughtful human beings.

In a presentation that he said wouldn’t be appropriate for the classroom, Clampitt allowed the crowd of faculty, staff, students and quite a large representation of alumni (traveling as far as from Madsion) in the Christie Theatre, a glimpse at his personal side. He summarized his presentation with four recommendations:

  • Embrace doubt
  • Experiment and debate where to tweak
  • Move beyond fears
  • Express gratitude

Clampitt is the Blair Endowed Chair of Communications at UW-Green Bay and has been a member of the faculty since 1981. The popular faculty member has written and co-authored a number of books including his best-seller, “Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness, and Embracing Uncertainty: The Essence of Leadership.” He is a requested speaker across the United States —including a presentation at the U.S. Army War College — and internationally, at the University of Pisa, University of Aberdeen and the University of Ulster, among other locations.

The published author has works in journals such as the MIT Sloan Management Review, Academy of Management Executive, Management Communication Quarterly and Journal of Business Communication.

The following is the list of Last Lecture participants and topics: