Dr. James KelleySpeaker · Author · Coach

DR. JAMES KELLEY / SPEAKER · AUTHOR · COACH

The Human Part.
How we lead.
How we change.

I speak and write about how AI is changing work, how we lead through change, and what it takes to stay human along the way. I also coach leaders who want greater confidence, clearer direction, and meaningful change in their lives.

Find your starting point
James Kelley smiling in a white shirt with bookshelves behind him
THE HUMAN PARTWith Dr. James Kelley
AI FLUENCYBEHAVIOR CHANGEAUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP
FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

Speaking

AI fluency, behavior change, and what leadership asks of us.

FOR YOU

Coaching

For leaders who want greater confidence, clearer direction, and meaningful change.

KEEP THINKING WITH ME

Writing

The Human Part on Substack. Essays on how AI is changing work, and what that asks of us as leaders.

GET A FEEL FOR THE ROOM

A question can change
the conversation.

James on the TEDx stageWatch the TEDx talk

FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT

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

Greater confidence.
Meaningful change.

You want a clearer sense of where you’re heading and how you want to lead. You don’t have to have it all figured out before we talk.

Explore coaching

I coach leaders who want to look honestly at where they are and what comes next.

My book, The Crucible’s Gift, is the backdrop. Self-awareness, owning our mistakes, and being comfortable in our own skin matter in the way we lead and in the way we live.

We start with what’s happening for you. Your experience. The assumptions you’re making. What might be getting in your way, and what you’re willing to change.

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

Essays on how AI is changing work, and what that asks of us as leaders. Alongside that, reflections on the people and experiences that keep changing my mind.

All essays & subscribe

The latest essays are available on The Human Part on Substack while this feed reconnects.

LET’S START WITH A CONVERSATION

What are you
working through?

A conversation for your audience. A question about your own direction. Tell me what’s on your mind, and we can work out whether I’m the right fit.

Let’s talk

KEEP IN TOUCH

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

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