Jim is a leading authority on AQ: developing organisational AdaptAbility skills to deliver bold, fast change. Over half a million people on five continents have been inspired by Jim’s presentations and countless thousands more by his book "Taming Tigers" and his workshops. Jim and his team work with a wide variety of blue chip clients to establish and achieve bold goals, communication skills and long-term positive change in leadership ability, mindset and performance. He has the unique ability to inspire confidence, leadership, focus, self-motivation and commitment.
Jim says that he is the only authority on personal development and leadership to have risked his life to prove that his theories deliver solid results. Specifically, in August 2010, to test his theories about mental toughness, he became Britain’s Deepest Free diver, the first Briton to dive below the magic 100 m barrier on a single breath of air. As if that wasn't going far enough, he rode on to victory in 2003 by becoming a successful jockey within 12 months, even though at the outset he was 3 stone (20 kg) too heavy and could not even ride a horse!
He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree and qualified as a solicitor in 1994, subsequently practicing commercial law in a major IT company. He founded Taming Tigers (then called “Optimise”) in 1999.
Jim Lawless - Taming Tigers: Accomplishing “Mission Impossible”
Accomplishing “Mission Impossible” depends upon our ability to adapt to and create disruptive changes, to seize opportunities at pace, to play to win rather than play “not to lose”, to engage and empower others and inspire action. Our greatest asset in creating and adapting to change is also our greatest liability: The Human Mind, A tool formed over many millennia to favour the familiar over pioneering behaviours, creative tension and new uncertain outcomes. When the leaders and people across an organisation begin to understand, own and enjoy the mindset that creates purposeful change, “Mission Impossible” becomes a live possibility.
That’s the reason Jim Lawless created the “Taming Tigers” framework.
Jim has devoted the majority of his working life to finding out what makes lasting transformation possible for individuals, teams and organisations – and to making change happen. To date he has shared his tools for transformational change with over half a million inspired people at events on five continents and many more through his bestselling book “Taming Tigers” (Random House 2012). His commitment to testing the Taming Tigers framework has seen him accomplish two of his own “Missions Impossible”. He became the UK’s deepest freediver (the first Briton to pass 100m on one breath) and transformed from non-riding unfit consultant to Jockey in 12 months to answer a client challenge (and £1 bet!).
Jim’s understanding of change in the individual, team and organisation is hard won. He has advised on change and coached high performing teams at board level for 15 years with a client list including global giants such as Apple, BT, AXA, ATOS and Barclaycard and private equity mega-success stories such as Skrill Group.
We look forward to welcoming Jim to Aintree Racecourse, on day 2 of our annual conference.
