Dr. James KelleySpeaker · Author · Coach

DR. JAMES KELLEY / SPEAKER · AUTHOR · COACH

AI is changing
the work.
What about us?

I speak about AI fluency and how leaders help people change the way they work. And I think we sometimes underestimate what we’re asking of people.

Explore speaking topics Watch me speak ↗
James Kelley smiling in a white shirt with bookshelves behind him
THE HUMAN PARTWith Dr. James Kelley
AI FLUENCYBEHAVIOR CHANGEAUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP
GET A FEEL FOR THE ROOM

A question can change
the conversation.

James on the TEDx stageWatch the TEDx talk

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Speaking topics

I speak about AI fluency and what it takes to help people change how they work. Here are two topics I bring to the stage.

01

AI Fluency for Leaders

Better judgment starts with better questions.

We’ll look at what to trust, what to question, and where we still need to learn. I want leaders to feel comfortable asking those questions themselves, and making room for their teams to do the same.

For leaders making decisions about how their teams work with AI.

WHAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE AWAY

Identify where AI can help, where an answer needs checking, and what you need to keep learning.

Let’s talk about your audience
02

The Behavior Change Behind AI Adoption

Before you call your team resistant to AI.

Someone can see the value of AI and still return to what they know. We’ll look at what makes change difficult, what support is missing, and where leaders might be getting in the way.

For organizations trying to turn AI access into thoughtful everyday practice.

WHAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE AWAY

Ask a more useful question about stalled adoption and find a practical next step for your team.

Let’s talk about your audience

A LITTLE OF MY OWN STORY

I’ve failed
as a CEO.
Twice.

During my time as a CEO, I also lost my entire retirement savings.

Early in the process, I knew it was time to pull the plug and walk away. Instead, I doubled down. Deep down, I knew it was the wrong choice.

That experience made me question how I make decisions. The fear of failure. What I believe I can turn around. And how difficult it can be to walk away, even when part of me knows I should.

I’ve interviewed more than 150 executives on my former podcast, Executives After Hours. Playing sports and living on four continents have also shaped how I see people and how I meet them where they are.

AI is asking people to change how they work. You’re asking someone who knows their job to become a beginner again. You’re asking them to question an answer that looks convincing. And, as a leader, you have to be comfortable admitting that you’re learning too.

That’s why authenticity matters to me. When you can own your mistakes and celebrate what others contribute, you lighten the room. People have more room to be vulnerable.

COACHING WITH JAMES

What are you
working through?

Sometimes you know something needs to change. Figuring out what to do next can be harder.

Let’s talk about coaching

I bring my experience, my questions, and a willingness to listen.

My own failures have made me question how I make decisions. Interviewing more than 150 executives and living on four continents have also taught me that there’s usually more going on than we first understand.

That’s where I want us to start: with what’s happening for you. A difficult decision. A change in your work. Or a pattern you keep coming back to. We can look at your assumptions, what might be getting in the way, and the next step you want to take.

Let’s have a conversation and see whether working together feels like a good fit.

I’m currently completing Level One coach training, building on my experience with formal coaching practice.

LET’S TRY A QUESTION

Your team has AI.
What hasn’t changed?

Choose something familiar. See where the conversation takes you.

A useful conversation starts
with what’s really happening.

A conversation starter, not an assessment.

AI FLUENCY FOR LEADERS

What do you trust?
What do you check?

Getting an answer from AI is one thing. Knowing when to trust it, what to question, and how to use it in your work takes judgment.

I designed CheckAIfluency.com because these are questions leaders need to take seriously. They’re also the questions I bring into the room when I speak about AI and behavior change.

Check your fluency

THE BOOK BEHIND THE CONVERSATION

The Crucible’s Gift

5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders
Who Thrive in Adversity

Explore the book

Think of an experience that changed how you lead.

Start at the center. Explore what that experience might teach you.

The Authentic Leader ModelCrucible at the center. Self-awareness and learning mindset form the middle layer. Compassion, integrity, and relatableness form three equal outer sectors. Recreated from James Kelley’s original model.
The Authentic Leader Model · James Kelley
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THE AUTHENTIC LEADER MODEL / 01

Crucible

A significant experience, positive or negative, that prompts introspection and creates an opportunity for growth.

From the book

The book places the crucible at the center because an experience alone does not determine how we grow. It can become an opportunity to examine ourselves and reconsider how we lead.

Introduction · Foundations of the Authentic Leadership Model · Paraphrased
A question to take with youWhich experience still shapes how you respond under pressure?

MY WRITING ON SUBSTACK

The Human Part

With Dr. James Kelley. On work, AI, leadership, and being human. Reflections from what I’m building, the people I learn from, and the experiences that keep changing my mind.

All essays & subscribe

LET’S START WITH YOUR PEOPLE

What does your room
need to talk about?

Tell me who’s coming, what they’re navigating, and what you’d like them to leave thinking about. We can work out whether I’m the right fit.

Talk with me about your event

KEEP IN TOUCH

Connect with James on LinkedIn ↗Read The Human Part on Substack ↗

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