Rutgers Open House – January 2020

Innovative Leadership
By Professor Jim Smith, Jr. CSP

About the subject:

For today’s “new global leader,” challenges and opportunities are myriad. More so than ever before the globally-oriented executive has to be innovative, creative, flexible, inspirational, purposeful, authentic, entrepreneurial, engaging and resourceful. Partnerships and relationships must be built, nurtured, and developed across cultures, business lines, continents, time-zones and various electronic media. For example, five generations are working simultaneously in the workplace. And the millennial impact is being felt more and more each day.

In addition, ex-pats face many cultural leadership challenges. Technology continues to disrupt and drive a great majority of our practices and communications. There are long-distance reporting situations, flex schedules and job sharing. We have more global partnerships and relationships than ever before. While these factors not only can impact one’s leadership style they can, perhaps, more insidiously, take a toll on one’s personal power, drive and passion.

About the Professor:

For over 20 years, hundreds of thousands of people, both national and international audiences of all sizes, have experienced the passion, creativity, storytelling, unshakable positivity and mind-shifting power of Dr. Jim Smith, Jr. CSP.Dr. Jim is a lightning rod in the professional and personal development spaces, creating performance breakthroughs for organizations, teams and individuals looking to improve in the areas of communication, authenticity, personal power, leadership, presentation and/or facilitation skills.

After 14 years in corporate America, and four years working with several training and development and diversity and inclusion consulting firms, Dr. Jim formed Jim Smith Jr. International to help others remove self-created barriers and jump into their BIGNESS. He says that he “disrupts ordinary”. His mother (Nanci Smith), 12th grade high school teacher (Mrs. Brodie), former manager at the Vanguard Group (Kathy Cook) and little league baseball coach (Sam Gallman) fueled his motivational spirit and he continues to fuel others. A personal-power expert and transformational speaker, trainer and coach, Dr. Jim has started a “no excuses personal accountability” revolution. He does this through in-house workshops, public BOOT CAMPs, best-selling books, blogs, coaching and motivational keynotes. Those who have been JIMPACTed say that he has the rare ability to walk the line between direct and encouraging. His teaching and coaching methods have worked regardless of the industry or the country.

Dr. Jim has taken his message to over 25 countries and has taught presentation skills for the Rutgers University Executive and International Executive MBA Programs since 2008. In addition he has worked with and coached speakers, trainers, television and radio personalities in how to make compelling, engaging and “game changing” presentations. He has achieved the National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professional designation –a designation that only about 17 percent of NSA members worldwide have earned. His clients include Biogen, Sabic (Saudi Arabia), Accenture, Aflac, Genentech, Jockey, Comcast, KenCrest, The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Tweezerman, The American Club (Singapore), Celgene, Western Union, Aimco, Genworth Financial, Metlife and Lockheed Martin.

Dr. Jim has authored three books with his last, The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your Boss or Life Throws at You, earning an NAACP Image Award nomination. His Jim’s Journal blog reaches audiences all over the world.

When he’s not JIMPACTing, Dr. Jim serves on the board of Variety the Children’s Charity and helps to raise awareness and support for people on the Autism Spectrum.