David Irvine

As the Leader’s Navigator™, David is a connector and a communicator. He has dedicated his life to building productive, engaging and vital cultures through authentic leadership. He has a unique ability to create a trusting learning environment through the power of his authentic presence. David inspires and guides leaders in all walks of life to connect with their authentic self, so they may, in turn, inspire and guide those they serve and love to find their authentic voice, thus enabling greatness within the culture around them.

David is an international authority on the human dynamics of business leadership. He tackles the toughest problems today’s leaders face, proposing unique strategies to:

• Build trust
• Sustain high performance
• Engage people in meaningful ways
• Build loyalty and morale
• Deal with change
• Develop leadership capacity
• Implement accountability
• Find personal balance

David holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Brigham Young University (where he made the Dean’s List of Outstanding University Students in America in 1980) and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. During the 1980s, David trained extensively with world-renowned psychotherapists Carl Rogers and Virginia Satir, and poet Robert Bly. Since 1982 he has been introduced to and impacted by the teachings of Joseph Campbell, Bru Joy, Scott Peck, Peter Block, Geoff Bellman, Matthew Fox, Parker Palmer, Alan Savory, and Thomas Berry. His parents, Joyce and Harlie Irvine, also greatly influenced his philosophy.

As one of Canada’s most respected voices on leadership and personal development, David has more than 30 years of experience as a family therapist, workshop facilitator, professional speaker, and advisor. He has taught at three universities and the Banff School of Management.

David is the best-selling author of five books that have sold more than 250,000 copies world-wide: Authentic Leadership: It’s About PRESENCE, Not Position (co-authored with Jim Reger); Becoming Real: Journey To Authenticity; Simple Living In A Complex World: A Guide To Balancing Life’s Achievements; Accountability: Getting A Grip On Results (co-authored with Bruce Klatt and Shaun Murphy); and his most recent publication, Bridges of Trust: Making Accountability Authentic (2009).

David presents to thousands of people each year across North America in a wide range of venues — from huge conventions to small retreats. He has worked with CEOs and senior executives, as well as all levels of management, front-line service providers, salespeople, educators, and health care professionals. His approach is down-to-earth, simple and powerful. He not only moves you, but gets you moving. The results for his audiences are organizations and lives that are more connected, more accountable and more real.

David’s clients tell us that his organization — at every level — embodies what it means to be both authentic and accountable. He lives what he teaches. While his presentations and workshops are inspiring, engaging, and life-changing, his real message is not in his words; it is in his authentic and accountable presence. When you hire David, his candidness makes it easy for your group to be open.

He connects and interacts; he listens before he talks. David clarifies complex issues and offers pragmatic solutions. He brings an authentic experience that will renew and rekindle the vitality of your organization, your work, and yourself. You will leave inspired and guided to build and renew your culture — starting from within.

David offers a wide range of products and services. Through his books, engaging keynotes, workshops and retreats, and consulting, David promises an inspiring, engaging, and results-based learning experience. Every engagement is a uniquely customized learning event — rich in content and applicable to your audience’s current challenges and opportunities.

On a personal note, David trained with members of the US Olympic Team in the late 1970s. A nationally ranked 10 mile, 10 k and 5 k runner for more than 25 years, he retired from competitive running after his first and final marathon — at the age of forty. Living on the edge of the Bow River in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, David enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, an active Ashtanga Yoga practice, and relaxing with his wife and daughters. He also volunteers several hours each week in the field of mental health and addictions.