Jim Harris is a one of North America’s foremost authors and thinkers on change and leadership. As a management consultant and best selling author he is much sought after. Association magazine ranked him as one of the nation’s top speakers. As a management consultant Jim speaks internationally at over 50 conferences a year and conducts strategic planning sessions with executive teams, focusing on the most pressing issues:

Change, Creativity & Innovation
Leadership
Information Technology’s Impact
Customer Retention & Intimacy
Creating Learning Organizations
Paradigm Shifts
Creating Common Mission
Building a Shared Vision
Teamwork
Time Management/Personal Leadership
His many clients include Agilent Technologies, Association of Research Libraries, Barclays Bank, Centra, Certified Management Accountants, Columbia Tristar Pictures, Deloitte & Touche, European Snack Food Association, General Motors, Glaxo Wellcome, IABC, IEEE, International Council of Shopping Centers, JD Edwards and Johnson & Johnson.

Harris’ new book, Blindsided! is a #1 international bestseller, having appeared on the Financial Times of London’s #1 spot in its European edition. Blindsided! was named as one of the best business books of the year by CEO Refresher and was published simultaneously in 80 countries worldwide in 2002 as a lead title of UK-based Capstone. Blindsided! highlights why companies and even whole industries are being blindsided and then answers the questions: How can decision makers identify early warning signs? How can leaders put in place systems and structures that will prevent their organizations from being blindsided? And then knowing all this, how can you blindside your competition?

Harris’ second book, The Learning Paradox , was nominated for the National Business Book Award in Canada and has appeared on numerous bestseller lists. Books for Business has ranked it as one of the top 10 business books in all of North America. Capstone published The Learning Paradox in 80 countries in February 2002. The Learning Paradox argues that “job security” as we knew it is gone. Individual and organizational security is now based on learning, changing and coping with uncertainty. Paradoxically, these are what we as adults fear most!

Jim also co-authored the national bestseller, The 100 Best Companies to Work for in Canada --selling 50,000 copies. As a management consultant, Harris works with leading businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and organizations aspiring to join these ranks. From 1992-1996 he represented the Covey Leadership Center in Canada--teaching Dr. Stephen Covey’s work, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People to clients.

Mr. Harris' thoroughly researched and individually tailored presentations focus on key leadership issues that affect all organizations. A gifted communicator, it is his obvious concern for people and his commitment to excellence that make Jim one of the most effective and sought-after speakers in North America. Jim's interactive, hands-on seminars range from three hours to three days.

Jim is committed to advancing not only the understanding of cutting-edge leadership but also to advancing its practice. His primary aim is to assist his clients, both individuals and organizations, in achieving the greatest possible security within a dynamic marketplace.

Most Requested Topics:

The Learning Paradox: In the past, a secure job came from working for a large, established organization, preferably a monopoly or market leader in a stable industry. The longer your service, stronger your union, higher your rank or the more specialized your knowledge or function, the more secure you were. But in today's world, experience may be your worst enemy! Everything that used to create security now creates insecurity! In fact, large companies have been the largest net job losers in the '90s. And over 80 percent of the technology that we will use in 20 years hasn't been invented yet!

Change: Change is the key factor in today's economy. Today's consumers are more knowledgeable and are exercising their freedom of choice in the market. With consumers demanding value, and technology making it possible to serve needs faster and more economically, no wonder everything is in a state of flux! Every sector of our society is affected — governments at all levels, health care, business, not-for-profit organizations, social programs, arts and culture. There are no exemptions — the change is sweeping and dramatic. Jim understands change and what it means to business today. Jim works with organizations and helps them understand change how stability can be created. Security for individuals is based on becoming self-reflective and self-correcting. Similarly, security for organizations is based on putting in place processes that guarantee self-reflection and self-correction at the individual and organizational levels. Only the dynamic organizations that recognize change, and embrace it, will thrive in this ever-changing world.

Paradigms/Paradigm Shifts: Paradigms are the way we see the world. Columbus had a different paradigm of the world than the people of his day who belonged to The Flat Earth Society. Columbus' beliefs and actions flowed out of his paradigm. Change your paradigm and you change your world. Jim works with organizations and not only identifies their paradigms and corporate culture, but works with the clients to illustrate how restraining and liberating such outlooks can be. It is challenge to maintain a common mission and be innovative enough to remain a competitor. Boundaries between industries are no longer clear, and companies need to be versatile and confident to compete in today's markets. Jim can help you do this.

Communication: Effective communication has never been more important for businesses. In an empowered organization, everyone has a role to play in creating an exciting and compelling vision of the future. In most organizations, if there is loss of market share, what is the typical response? Downsize. Using an analogy of a supertanker, this would be equivalent to firing all the engineers on the ship. The organization still has the same problem but fewer people to cope with the workload. Good communication allows companies to maximize their resources and work together to solve problems and create new opportunities.

Leadership: Leaders today are paradigm pioneers who must understand the versatility of business and change with it. In the world of shifting paradigms, leadership has become more complex and more necessary. One of the greatest challenges of leadership has become problem-seeing, not problem-solving. Leaders have to become more adept at anticipating problems and perceiving opportunities to stay ahead of the competition and exceed customer expectations. Jim works with business leaders and teaches them to continuously question their products and methodology, and explore the new realms. Continually questioning helps individuals and organizations to deepen their understanding of potential market shifts, helping the organization to pioneer new paradigms, and avoid complacency. Security for organizations is based on putting in place processes that guarantee self-reflection and self-correction at the individual and organizational levels. Only strong leadership can do this.

Information Technology: Radical advances in information technology (IT) are fundamentally changing the way companies do business. The scope and depth of the changes wrought by IT are profoundly revolutionary. IT has become the central nervous system of business. Organizations that fail to make the transition to the new IT paradigm will cease to exist. Information technology on its own does not give an organization an advantage. Individuals and corporations need to continually ask, "What are the 'impossible' things that are holding us back from dramatic performance improvements, both personally and organizationally? The goal of creativity working with IT is to make the "impossible" a reality. It today's world, anything is possible.