Leadership Lessons from Eli Lilly’s Keith Risinger

10-29-2026

What does it take to succeed at a blue-chip company? When Keith Risinger, executive director of leadership development at Eli Lilly and Company, joined the Daniels School of Business' Executive Forum he shared how strategic thinking and elevating the performance of others sets apart team members. Risinger helps Lilly identify, develop and support leaders across the organization. His work includes executive development, learning strategy, culture and team performance.

A Marine Corps veteran who grew up in rural Arkansas, Risinger began his Lilly career in sales after applying for a role before he had even graduated from college. He later moved through sales operations and management before pursuing his longstanding interest in leadership development. Throughout those transitions, he said, he maintained a “student posture” — learning continuously, expanding his network and building the confidence to say, “I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out.”

Risinger emphasized five capabilities: thinking strategically, thinking critically, working cooperatively, communicating effectively and acting decisively. Strategic thinking, he believes, connects today’s task to long-term value. Critical thinking means challenging assumptions and considering not only what could make a plan work, but what could make it fail.

He encouraged the audience to use AI as a capacity-extending tool, asking it to evaluate data under different conditions. He also offered a practical way to raise concerns without becoming known as a habitual critic: identify “tripwires,” or measurable signals that would indicate a decision needs revisiting, rather than merely arguing that a plan will not work.

Ultimately, Risinger said effective leaders create clarity, make decisions and help others succeed. Career fulfillment grows where three areas overlap: what you love to do, what you do well and what your organization values.