DR. JAMES KELLEY / SPEAKER · AUTHOR · COACH
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.
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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.
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 audienceBefore 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 audienceA LITTLE OF MY OWN STORY
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
Sometimes you know something needs to change. Figuring out what to do next can be harder.
Let’s talk about coachingI 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
Choose something familiar. See where the conversation takes you.
A useful conversation starts
with what’s really happening.
AI FLUENCY FOR LEADERS
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 fluencyTHE BOOK BEHIND THE CONVERSATION
5 Lessons from Authentic Leaders
Who Thrive in Adversity
Start at the center. Explore what that experience might teach you.
THE AUTHENTIC LEADER MODEL / 01
A significant experience, positive or negative, that prompts introspection and creates an opportunity for growth.
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 · ParaphrasedA question to take with youWhich experience still shapes how you respond under pressure?
MY WRITING ON SUBSTACK
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.
The latest essays are available on The Human Part on Substack while this feed reconnects.
LET’S START WITH YOUR PEOPLE
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 james@drjameskelley.com