and Mr. James’ own decade-long career in facilitation and dispute mediation, where he served as a court-appointed referee and special master in many complex multi-party litigations. It was during this time that Mr. James developed a unique approach to collaboration and leadership that has helped hundreds of executives and managers to work skillfully with each other.

CEOs, managers, and board members who work with Mr. James find that they begin to see opportunities and challenges that were previously unseen—and that they begin to expand the possibilities for what they can accomplish. Executives say that they learn how to work more effectively and in ways that are more satisfying to them, often reporting that their interactions feel “more real, more honest and more respectful.” Likewise, members of Boards of Directors often find themselves engaging constructively in fundamental—yet previously avoided—conversations about critical organizational issues and direction, as well as making hard decisions that may have been postponed for years while the company floundered in status quo.

Mr. James began his career in business some two decades ago, when he took over as President and CEO of Independent Learning Schools, Inc., a private school system with six campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area, which received national acclaim as a model school for the future.  In 1987 Mr. James, influenced by his experience coaching and mentoring others as CEO, shifted his focus to become a professional mediator and facilitator, working in a variety of settings, including commercial litigations, public policy, community disputes and criminal victim/offender reconciliation.  He naturally segued from here into organizational coaching and training, working with executives and teams to solve disputes and engage in strategic planning and problem-solving.  During this time, Mr. James began integrating into his approach new understandings and practices in linguistics, cognitive psychology, leadership enhancement and bodily learning practices. Mr. James has lead training programs worldwide in collaboration and leadership, including the highly successful international course “The Art of Business Coaching”, and has coached executives and their teams throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America.  He offers an iconoclastic and dynamic style that is very “hands-on” and practical.

Grayson James Consultants provides organizational development, culture change, collaborative teamwork, and executive development services to many kinds of businesses, from start-ups to multi-national conglomerates.  Most engagements tend to result in long-term relationships with CEOs and senior management teams as Mr. James helps to guide them through to their next evolution.  His appeal rests in part on his ability to blend strong people skills, deep insight and results-oriented practices that bring deep and lasting change.

Mr. James has been active in the non-profit sector, serving on several boards of directors. He holds a 3rd degree black belt and teaches the martial art of Aikido and has studied numerous other martial arts.  He lives with his wife and son in Northern California.