Jim Bearden Speaking Topics

• Unleashing The Heroes in Your Midst

  In an economic landscape characterized by ambiguity and in organizational situations that are complex and ever-changing, success requires people who will aggressively execute high-stake initiatives. The good news is, most people want to make a difference; they truly want to succeed and to be parts of winning teams. There are "sleeping heroes" inside every organization, and in this program, Jim Bearden describes the specific steps leaders can take to awaken those "sleeping heroes".

  WHAT WE KNOW

  In light of the seemingly-never-ending stream of “bad” economic and political news, many organizations are struggling to “just get by”. Yet others are “looking for ways to win” regardless of the hands they’re dealt. According to Jim Bearden, the quality of leadership determines which of those two approaches organizations take.

  THE PROBLEM

  Too many leaders seem convinced that the choices their employees make are determined exclusively by their “genetic makeup” or their “generational demographic”, e.g., “Boomers”, “Gen X’s” or the “Echo-Boomers in Gen Y”. They believe that some employees will step up in difficult situations, while others will step back, and that there’s nothing they can do to alter the choices those employees make.

  THE TRUTH

  The choices people make are influenced by the types of personalities they have and by the conditioning influences to which they’ve been exposed. Those choices are also influenced—and can be influenced dramatically—by the behavior of their leaders. In an economic landscape characterized by ambiguity and in organizational situations that are complex and ever-changing, success requires people who will aggressively execute high-stakes initiatives. We need more heroes.

  JIM BEARDEN UNDERSTANDS

  As a former Marine rifle company commander, Jim knows the impact adversity can have on morale and performance. In the ultimate military “classroom”: combat, Jim learned first-hand how leadership behavior either compounds or mitigates that impact.

  WHAT TO EXPECT FROM JIM'S SESSION:

  Going well beyond simplistic platitudes and leadership theories, Jim will describe the specific things leaders can do to transform adversity into opportunity, and opportunity into success. As a result of this session, and with the benefit of Jim’s aggressive follow-up process, participants will learn:

  • How to use setbacks as leadership opportunities for modeling accountability as a compelling alternative to victimhood, and

  • Six specific steps they can take to consciously create cultures that reinforce & support behavior essential to their department or organization’s success

  The good news is, most people want to make a difference; they truly want to succeed and to be parts of winning teams. There are “sleeping heroes” inside every organization. And in his sessions, Jim shows participants the things they can DO as leaders to Unleash the Heroes in Your Midst.

• Happily Ever Afters Don't Just Happen

  Acknowledging and abandoning illusions about Happily Ever After(s) is a prerequisite to winning. The hope (delusion) that they actually exist will cause us to squander time and energy on these frantic but futile searches for Happily Ever After alternatives to hard work and perseverance.

  Jim Bearden, CSP, delivers keynote presentations, Leadership Development Seminars and Sales Training Programs that elicit audience participation, provoke introspection and leave lasting impressions. One of the topics that audience members have found most memorable is Jim’s treatment of “Happily Ever After(s)”. When used in his Leadership Development Seminars, Sales Training Programs or as one of his keynote presentations, “Happily Ever After(s) Don’t Just Happen” sets the stage for laughter—and learning.

  THE SEARCH FOR BETTER WAYS

  • TWO PATHS

  A defining characteristic of successful individuals is their willingness to consider and try alternatives to the status quo. When these people function in organizational leadership positions—formal or informal—they influence others to follow them down one of two paths in their pursuit of success. One of those paths, The Relentless Search for Better Ways, will lead to progressive improvements in processes and results, the better ways they were seeking. The other path, The Frantic but Futile Search for “Happily Ever After(s)”, will lead to … nowhere.

  WRONG PATH

  As the name implies, the “Happily Ever After” Path is based on the premise that legitimate quick fixes or shortcuts to success actually exist. In reality, there are no such “abbreviated routes” that work. Success requires effort and takes time; people expecting overnight results need not apply.

  GETTING BACK ON TRACK

  Acknowledging and abandoning illusions about “Happily Ever After(s)” is a prerequisite to winning. The hope (delusion) that they actually exist will cause us to squander time and energy on these frantic but futile searches for “Happily Ever After” alternatives to the hard work and perseverance we know is required. By using personal, HUMOROUS anecdotes and enlisting audience participation in working through his “Happily Ever After” Cycle, Jim offers practical, real-world suggestions and helps audience members get comfortable with the truth…Happily Ever After(s) Don’t Just Happen.

• Closing the Gaps Between What Sounds Good and What Gets Done

  WHAT WE KNOW

  Most leaders struggle to close the gaps between the types of employee behavior they desire and the types of behavior they get. Here are three possible explanations for those gaps:

  • Employees understand what they’re expected to do, but they’re unable to do it
  • Employees understand what they’re expect to do, but they’re unwilling to do it
  • Employees don’t understand what they’re expected to do

  Contrary to what many leaders believe, the most common explanation for not getting more of the behavior they expect is because their employees do not understand what they’re expected to do.

  THE PROBLEM

  Too many leaders seem to believe that the words and phrases contained in their mission statements, core values and other such documents adequately describe the things they expect employees to do. Those words and phrases have two things in common:

  • They all sound good
  • They have little or no impact on employee behavior or organizational performance

  According to Jim Bearden, closing the gaps between what sounds good (mission statements, core values or core beliefs), and what gets done (employee behavior) is a key leadership role.

  IN THIS POWERFUL WORKSHOP, JIM WILL

  • Lay out 4 truths about the relationship between leadership behavior and organizational responses to challenges & changes
  • Describe 6 specific steps leaders can take to get more of the behavior they expect
  • Walk us through his 4-step model for expanding & enhancing employee engagement

  JIM'S UNIQUE POST-WORKSHOP COMPONTENT

  • Jim will send each participant a series of weekly follow-up pieces focusing on key points covered in the workshop
  • In those pieces he will offer additional thoughts about topics covered and suggestions to help participants translate the material covered into effective leadership behavior

  Participants won’t hear any platitudes or theories, but they will leave with a better understanding of specific Leadership behavior for Closing the Gaps Between What Sounds Good & What Gets Done.

• Creating Better Days Regardless of the Hand You're Dealt

  Contrary to what most of us have seen from many of the salespeople who call on us, selling is a process, not an event. When selling is viewed and practiced as a process, the quality of the selling experience (for salespeople and their customers) will improve dramatically. So will the sales results.

  In this uncertain economy, individuals can learn to shift from perceiving happiness as a ‘situational phenomenon’ to being happy with no specific reason at all, and they can do this by bringing principle-based living to center stage. In this upbeat presentation, Jim Bearden will offer alternative perspectives on the quality of our days. Using plenty of humor and his own experiences, Jim offers down-to-earth answers for Creating Better Days.

  A TALE OF TWO PERSPECTIVES

  "Some days are diamonds; some days are stones." John Denver sang it, and most of us live it. What determines the quality of your days? We'll find some answers to that question. More importantly, we'll come up with an even better question and a liberating answer.

  ONE 'PEEVE' AT A TIME

  How many "bad" days have we suffered through, victims of the "if only(s)..."? Or "If only I'd done (fill in the blank), it would have been a better day." We'll look behind the "if only(s)" and find the true source of their power over the quality of our days. Bring a mirror!

  WHAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE

  Wayne Dyer's book "You'll See It When You Believe It" is more than a play on an old saying. It's the truth. And it's the truth whether your beliefs are valid or mistaken. Discover that What you see reflects what you believe. Can you believe it?

  BETTER BELIEFS AND BETTER DAYS

  If you want to correct a recurring problem, you'll need to do more than treat the symptoms; you'll have to treat the cause. Having better days is...and always has been...an option for all of us. Finally, you'll develop a process for Creating Better Days, Regardless of the Hands You're Dealt.

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